Post by: on November 12, 2004, 12:52:06 pm
Someone's advertised the local Christmas fete on my bus stop. A part read, and I quote, " See Mr's Clause and her Elve's. Also Tombola stall's.
There was no mention of any chocolate.
Post by: smurfboy on November 12, 2004, 01:04:20 pm
They can't even spell Claus properly!
My pet hates include: potato's or potatos; panini's (beloved of chavvy cafes trying to smarten themselves up - the proper plural of panini is panini, and even if it was with an 's', there wouldn't be an apostrophe!)
Bounty Hunter, you and I are going to get a reputation as grammar-mad... 
Post by: lemoneye on November 12, 2004, 01:04:50 pm
Post by: aveit101 on November 12, 2004, 02:38:55 pm
what is wrong with this sentence
i like chocolate loads n loads do u like chocolate
Post by: chocolate chick on November 12, 2004, 03:19:17 pm
Post by: one_serious_chocoholic on November 12, 2004, 03:27:41 pm
Misuse of 'Their', 'There' and 'They're' drives me potty!
And 'it is', 'it's' and 'its'!!!
Post by: oldspice on November 12, 2004, 04:28:58 pm
There is actually a society for the protection of the apostrophe!
My pet hate is plurals such as families or lorries written as family's and lorry's.
Post by: goldencup on November 12, 2004, 06:18:05 pm
Mixing up 'your' and 'you're' drives me mad! Aren't we sad?
Post by: oldspice on November 12, 2004, 06:53:14 pm
I'm currently studying on a post-graduate course (Literacy in Society) and I have to write an essay about the use of standard English. I have to consider what our motives are for teaching standard English - are they economical (if you write and speak well you are more employable, therefore can earn a higher income) or is it just that socciety looks down on people who don't speak and write proper English?
Another issue we are considering is that of accent and its link to culture, education and achievement. Are we very snobby about certain accents?
Post by: goldencup on November 12, 2004, 07:02:15 pm
Post by: on November 12, 2004, 07:26:57 pm
Oldspice- We have always been funny about accent and tend to make value judgements about them; Peter Trudgill has done a lot of work on this. There is certainly a broad correlation between accent and social class. However, particularly in my experience it has little to do with content and many speakers choose to keep their local accent rather than modifying it, e.g Dennis Skinner and the sadly departed Fred Dibnah.
I'm not sure why Standard English is prefered and I suspect it is considered less and less important except for in the highest circles. Many dialects are perfectly good forms of English, but when we write I believe Standard English is best.
Some Nottingham dialect e.g. Didja gerrowt? or woze we isen? mean little to the outsider and it's important to not let spoken local English intrude on the written word. IMO
Post by: oldspice on November 13, 2004, 08:30:21 am
If you read Sue Townsend's The Queen and I you will see how a posh accent can make you hard to understand as well as a regional accent!
Some celebs with regional accents have actually exaggerated (spelling??) their speech to make them sound even more 'cockney' or 'scouse' - for example Cilla Black ("Clurr's got loovly furr hurr"). Some people even adopt a regional accent that does not really belong to them - thus Barry Fry - Manager of Peterborough United - speaks 'mockney' - an exaggerated and false cockney accent - he comes from Bedford!
Post by: on November 13, 2004, 09:59:41 am
Post by: goldencup on November 13, 2004, 12:10:15 pm
Post by: on November 13, 2004, 03:52:34 pm
Post by: oldspice on November 13, 2004, 06:04:18 pm
Post by: goldencup on November 14, 2004, 09:31:48 am
I suppose I do as well but I'm not sure I do it voluntarily - I just catch myself copying the accent of whoever I'm talking to (especially in Australia) and I have to be careful in case people think I'm taking the mickey! By the way Bounty, as you're so particular about spelling etc, I think you'll find the word is 'pronunciations'. And Oldspice, your mother was probably right, at that time anyway. Personally I like to hear different regional accents and I think it would be a great shame if they disappear.
Post by: one_serious_chocoholic on November 14, 2004, 10:13:51 am
I do exactly the same GoldenCup only vice versa (I find myself trying to sound more English here)! But most people can't tell where I'm from (even back in Australia). I've had a somewhat nomadic life (UN kid), the repercussion of which is I now have a very mixed accent!
'Supposedly' and 'Supposeably'...that's another one
Post by: one_serious_chocoholic on November 14, 2004, 10:24:36 am
I don't know if your essay can cover the international linguistic sphere Oldspice; but the current language situation Singapore is a very interesting case to study.
The official business language is English but it's being "tainted" and converted into what linguists are terming 'Singlish'.
There's a big debate as to whether this is lower class and if it should be allowed. At present a lot of Singaporeans are unhappy as the Singapore business industry (especially within teaching) is hiring international employees with a 'proper' accent and paying big bucks whilst the Singaporeans, virtually all of whom speak perfectly fluent English, are being neglected.
Post by: on November 14, 2004, 10:53:49 am
I also find myself imitating other people with a strong accent. It's actually a part of the process of how we acquire a different accent. I have a fairly standard accent with a slight Nottingham twang, so I'm quite fertile for a new lingo!
The Singapore thing is VERY technical, I'll leave that to Oldspice, if she's doing a postgrad.
Post by: oldspice on November 14, 2004, 05:18:17 pm
Well, if you think back some years, almost all TV announcers, especially news readers, had perfect standard English aacents and people whould have been shocked to hear the news or weather spoken in a regional accent. Even now I would say it is rare to hear the news read in a West Midlands accent. I suppose that is the situation in Singapore - it is a developing economy with western markets to impress and they propably think we still all talk in received English over hear!
Regional accents are wonderful and should be retained - and it is nice to hear some fusion going on two - I have an Asian friend from Bolton who has a broad Bolton accent and some of our local Asian youths speak with a mix of a Kashmiri and local Fen accent. Init?
Post by: smurfboy on November 15, 2004, 01:24:45 pm
Post by: on November 15, 2004, 01:49:53 pm
Post by: loulou on November 15, 2004, 06:41:15 pm
:,./'!!!
Post by: oldspice on November 15, 2004, 09:31:51 pm
Post by: lemoneye on November 16, 2004, 02:35:20 pm
Good grief.
Post by: goldencup on November 16, 2004, 05:07:28 pm
And another thing! - Does this annoy anyone else? Bounty maybe? Books that are written as though in an accent - for instance I just struggled unsuccessfully to get through one when the word 'you' was written as 'yer' throughout, just because it was set in Liverpool!
Post by: on November 16, 2004, 05:14:01 pm
Post by: loulou on November 16, 2004, 07:16:13 pm
Post by: on November 16, 2004, 07:22:55 pm
Post by: loulou on November 16, 2004, 07:24:23 pm
Post by: on November 16, 2004, 07:35:06 pm
Post by: on November 17, 2004, 08:49:12 am
Sounds like a clipping from Oor Willy.
Post by: on November 17, 2004, 12:51:16 pm
Post by: goldencup on November 17, 2004, 02:07:35 pm
Oh ay say, aym wondering what aive started!
Post by: on November 17, 2004, 08:21:50 pm
Post by: oldspice on November 18, 2004, 07:08:40 am
I used to roar when Taggart said:
"Thus bun uh mudder!"
Post by: goldencup on November 24, 2004, 07:59:14 am
Post by: on November 24, 2004, 08:40:21 am
Post by: lemoneye on November 24, 2004, 09:06:57 am
Post by: chocolate chick on November 24, 2004, 09:30:00 am
Post by: on November 24, 2004, 12:23:53 pm
Post by: lemoneye on November 24, 2004, 12:53:33 pm
Feel free to interpret in any way you see fit - as I know you will...
Post by: loulou on November 24, 2004, 11:44:50 pm
YOU should have. What gets me too is the sign, '10 items or less' It should be, '10 items or fewer' For crying out loud what's wrong with these people.Is is not 10 items or less that 10 items..makes sense to me.