My god! Things have really changed...

Well, that clears things up!

I've heard "Bruff" from several UK folk, as well as "Brow/throw". Usually the latter in the US, and I remember after the firsst time I heard Bruff, I suggested retiring to a pub called the "Puff and Stars".

Whatever you may have heard, Bruff is correct. There is a place in Yorkshire of the same name.

G

That definitely clears it up.
Even if we had a town over here named Brough, it would develop a deviant pronunciation. For example New Madrid, becomes New MAD-rid. Cairo, Illinois is not pronounced as you would expect. It is, instead, pronouned like Karo syrup. KAY-ro.

There's no end to it.

Ted

I would expect Kayro. If you had never heard of Cairo, as some Americans seem not to have done, you would go for a hard A.

It's why many Americans now make Moscow rhyme with cow. Forty years ago, it generally rhymed with go.

America is very democratic when it comes to language. The majority rules. Sadly, the majority doesn't know much.

George

That the majority rules - all too often - is a sad thing indeed.

Ted

Here in Massachusetts, we have a Rule of Conservation of R. For every word that we leave out the "R", we need to add it to another word. For example, I can go out to get pizza (PEET-zer) in Worcester ("WOOST-ah).