Why Is This So Hard To Say?

[Paul]

Today in Britain it is Guy Fawkes Night, a day we celebrate the Gunpowder Plot, a historical terrorist attack, by lighting bonfires, fireworks, and burning an effigy (the effigy we are supposed to burn is Guy Fawkes himself, but in recent years it some people have been burning people they hate - your president was a popular choice a couple of years back).

Today one of the more down market news papers (the only one that still tries to liven up the news by printing topless 'photos of women alongside it) had a front page story about a guy who did something stupid with a firework. I didn't read the article, but I only really needed the headline to know it all. They had reworded "Gunpowder Plot" so that the headline read "Bum Powder Plot".

Now my question is this: When talking about this, why do I have so much trouble saying "Bum Powder Plot"? Try saying it out loud yourself. Unless I take it slow and careful it always comes out as "Bum Plowder Pot" What is there in that phrase that always makes me move the L?

[kristina]

Could it be because there is a touch of a Tongue Twister almost like:

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked ? ?

[Marilee]

I don't know.... We sang a song in High School that had a line about a "Fig Plucker"... well you can imagine!