Alrighty then.......so why is "ballet" universally "bal-ay"?

It's looking to me that Rafferty's Rules apply to this whole question.....

In Oz we eat "fillay minyon" in flash restaurants, but we "fil-et" the fish we catch. The few of us that are inclined to do so attend the "bal-ay". A batman in private service is known as a "val-ay" - just like the guy from the "val-aying" company that cleans your car.

Seems that only resident Poms and their near neighbours use "val-et" for the latter.

stales