Local speech that drives you crazy

[SherryDAmore]

Oh, "downsize" rather that firing; "readjustment" for screwing over your investors, and "made redundant" rather than layoff.

Also, supposabley rather than supposedly.

 

[pacanis]

Oh, "downsize" rather that firing; "readjustment" for screwing over your investors, and "made redundant" rather than layoff.

Also, supposabley rather than supposedly.

That just reminded me... prolly. Where in you know who's creation did prolly become short for probably? That one burns my worm, but is more of an internet thing that a local thing.

 

[vitauta]

and what the heck is the meaning of "bemused" in today's usage? it's one i can't use again until the definition is solidified.

 

[Dawgluver]

That just reminded me... prolly. Where is you know who's creation did prolly become short for probably? That one burns my worm, but is more of an internet thing that a local thing.

Guilty as charged. Picked it up from another forum, a shortcut. And, as the short term memory goes, so do the spelling skills. At least, for me.

 

[Dawgluver]

Oh, "downsize" rather that firing; "readjustment" for screwing over your investors, and "made redundant" rather than layoff.

Also, supposabley rather than supposedly.

Business-speak!

Saying EXpecially, rather than ESpecially. Even the most well educated professionals do it, including teachers and admins, as well as TV newscastors!

 

[vitauta]

today, all day, i've had this unsettled feeling like something is missing, not right--like a wrong note being struck....



steve jobs is no longer with us.

 

[vitauta]

sorry guys--my comment was meant for "stray thoughts".

 

[Dawgluver]

sorry guys--my comment was meant for "stray thoughts".

It's OK, Vit, we all do it!

 

[CWS4322]

Linguistics is the science of language and the area I spent 12 years studying. Dialects are regional differences in speech patterns and vocabulary. Within families, these differences are called family speak. Each person has his or her own ideolect. The difference in how vowels/consonants are pronounced has its roots in geographical separation. The English in Newfoundland is different from that in the rest of Canada but is very similar to the English in Ireland. The French in Quebec has many words that were "current" when the settlers came from France in the late 1700s. Because of geographic separation, these words (and the accents) have remained a part of the linguistic culture in these two locations. In every language, each sound (letter) has a degree of acceptability re: how it is pronounced (this is called level of acceptability and has to do with the placement of one's tongue if you want to get technical and the natural position of rest of the tongue of the person who is the speaker of that language). Intonation and inflection are part of accents. Whether one says tomato or toe-ma-to reflects the linguistic culture in which a person was raised or lives. Whether one says pee-can or pe-can (I can't find the symbols for the IPA, sorry), well the difference is a pee-can is what you take in the boat and a pe-can is a nut you eat. Personally, I find many of the posts in this thread demonstrate a lack of tolerance for linguistic diversity and a general lack of understanding of how language evolves. Language is reflective of the culture in which it is used to express one's thoughts, etc. This thread pushes one of my buttons. I find many of the posts in this thread insensitive and smacking of "hidden" racism. I'm surprised the moderators haven't shut it down. Posts on tiresome cliches, well, that's another story.

 

[vitauta]

conversating instead of conversing.

 

[Timothy]

Linguistics is the science of language and the area I spent 12 years studying.<...>This thread pushes one of my buttons. I find many of the posts in this thread insensitive and smacking of "hidden" racism. I'm surprised the moderators haven't shut it down. Posts on tiresome cliches, well, that's another story.

I think you're reading too much into what is said. These are phrases and words which people find either humorous or irritating, due to either their own relocation into an area where these parts of local language are common or in use in large areas or even continents.

I've watched the entire thread. I'm well educated and well traveled and see no racism in this thread. Perhaps you could point out exactly what posts you're referring to. I despise racism in all it's nasty forms. Please remember that some words that might be considered racist if used in a contextual manner that would imply racism, are not racist when used in a manner that implies no racism.

I'd love to see your examples and discuss them.

 

[SherryDAmore]

insensitive and smacking of "hidden" racism.

I hate it when threads get off track and degenerate into name calling. I found NOTHING in this thread that was racist or intolerant. The only intolerance, I thought, was for bad grammar and misuse and mispronunciation of words in the English language.

 

[Alix]

conversating instead of conversing.

ARRRGH! That's a good one though! I wonder why we keep adding letters to perfectly good words? OK, I actually know why we do it, but its a longwinded explanation so I'll leave it alone.

I sort of like some of the words that kids make up though. My kids used to say, "bakset" and "racsal" and we still do it today. One of them also used to say, "shrog" for "frog" and the other would go put on her "baby suit" to go swimming. I think those kinds of word creations need to be hugged to your heart and cherished forever.

 

[Timothy]

I sort of like some of the words that kids make up though. My kids used to say, "bakset" and "racsal" and we still do it today. One of them also used to say, "shrog" for "frog" and the other would go put on her "baby suit" to go swimming. I think those kinds of word creations need to be hugged to your heart and cherished forever.

When I was a little fella, I pronounced "specific" as "Pacific" and couldn't for the life of me remember how to say irrelevant. I finally thought of a way to remember it and to this day still laugh at my resolution; "Ear of Elephant". If you say it fast enough, it almost sounds the same.

 

[Alix]

Hahahaha!! That's a good one Timothy! When I was singing, our teacher told us to mouth "watermelon" if we forgot the words to any of our songs. He was also the one who showed me that if you mouth, "elephant shoes" it looks like you just said, "I love you"

I loved him. What a fun teacher.

 

[Andy M.]

...He was also the one who showed me that if you mouth, "elephant shoes" it looks like you just said, "I love you"

I loved him. What a fun teacher.

When would you use this?

 

[Alix]

When you're a teenager you can find a moment to mess with many boys minds Andy. See what awful things girls do? Some poor boy would be sitting in class minding his own business and then some girl would mouth "elephant shoes" at him and make him squirm. She could claim quite honestly to have never said "I love you" at all.

I can see your eyes rolling from here.

 

[pacanis]

When you're a teenager you can find a moment to mess with many boys minds Andy. See what awful things girls do? Some poor boy would be sitting in class minding his own business and then some girl would mouth "elephant shoes" at him and make him squirm. She could claim quite honestly to have never said "I love you" at all.

I can see your eyes rolling from here.

I can only hope that the same guy would never tell his girlfriend that he loves her in front of the guys or in public, choosing instead to say, "elephant shoes you, too."

 

[Aunt Bea]

I can only hope that the same guy would never tell his girlfriend that he loves her in front of the guys or in public, choosing instead to say, "elephant shoes you, too."

If the shoe fits!

 

[tinlizzie]

I hope for the day when "as we speak" falls out of fashion. And awesome, which used to be a perfectly good word.