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Here's a place where I think Dickens uses a word incorrectly. "Pitch" I have heard used only to indicate the frequency of vibrations of sound. Orchestras used to tune to a pitch of a pitch pipe, or a tuning fork, etc.
"'Gentlemen,' said the mayor, at as loud a pitch as he could possibly force his voice to--'gentlemen. Brother electors of the borough of Eatanswill. We are met here to-day for the purpose of choosing a representative in the room of our late..."
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Dear Faldage: there are indeed many uses of pitch. But "loud" and "pitch" just don't fit together. Loud is volume, pitch is frequency, when you are talking about sound, and Dickens was talking about a voice.
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OED has the definition: Comparative height or intensity of any quality or attribute; (italics mine)
Works for me.
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Works for me.Yeahbut® would you, do you ever use it that way? have you heard it that way recently?
formerly known as etaoin...
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In sentences like "He pitched his voice so that it could be heard outside the room" I always assumed it meant adjusted the volume.
Bingley
Bingley
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that's a good thought, Bingley, though I always assumed it meant one used a higher pitch to carry better. very interesting.
formerly known as etaoin...
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And I'll be switched if the hay ain't pitched. Open the window, I want to pitch out my chest. But I still can't change pitch on stereo with the volume control.
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In cricket alone, there are three (count them, 3) distinct definitions. (Or is that wicket?) Yup, 3 http://www.nakedwhiz.com/crickgl.htm#ltrpScroll down to pitch.
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