Topic: Correct use of the English Language (Read 73959 times)

inertia · « **Reply #50 on:** December 10, 2015, 11:23:59 pm »

Quote from: Nemo on December 10, 2015, 09:56:44 pm

I still wished I hadn't asked her.

Nemo
That makes two of us. Where are you from originally?

Jack
In Australia?? Unlikely...
There was a bloke over here called Brian Sewell who was the art critic in the London Evening Standard and who spoke as near as you could get to 'The Queen's English', but he died a couple of months ago. Apart from him only Quentin Crisp springs to mind ("I may well be last of England's stately homo's"), along with Jacob Rees-Mogg and Hillary Benn. Oh - and HM The Q, of course!

DM

derekwarner · « **Reply #51 on:** December 10, 2015, 11:52:09 pm »

...........''(may well be last of England's stately homo's"), [

well I am not really sure what that means].

.....but you do still have a few of those art auction journalistic type commentators on Antique Auctions and the like.....

Those chaps certainly sound as if they were schooled at Eaton

and not some Cockney slum in London......

I like that red Daimler SP250 as shown at the start of each episode ........ Derek

tigertiger · « **Reply #52 on:** December 11, 2015, 01:20:27 am »

Here's a useless statistic I learned on my linguistics course. Only about 2% of the UK population use the Queen's English (aka received pronunciation), and only about 4% of the English population use it.

inertia · « **Reply #53 on:** December 11, 2015, 08:24:14 am »

Derek
The ante-penultimate paragraph includes the quotation. The man himself was a real one-off; "full of the airs and graces of genius but with no talent" as he once said. Think "Englishman in New York" by Sting. That's the bloke. https://latetothetheater.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/stately-homos-of-old-england-entry-the-naked-civil-servant/
Dave

imsinking · « **Reply #54 on:** December 11, 2015, 12:55:48 pm »

There is NO EXCUSE for incorrect use of language when every computer / smart phone has a spell checker, this little ditty from a COMPUTER MAGAZINE proves it . . . .

Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And I can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong
Eye have run this mess age threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh threw
My chequer tolled me sew.

Anon

AND we might even get a " know come meant " from Martin

Bill

roycv · « **Reply #55 on:** December 11, 2015, 03:28:18 pm »

Hi all, I do not agree that Brian Sewell, was any kind of guide to the pronunciation of English. I think his affected way of pronouncing Ikea as Aykayer was a joke.
More of an assumed accent, rather than a natural one.

I think the main purpose is to be understood and not to offend or 'put down' the recipient. Mr. Sewell was rather patronizing, I thought.

I get through a couple of audio books a week and listening to some narrations is pure joy, Tony Britton springs to mind reading Dick Francis books, so lots to choose from. (Hmmm. ending a sentance with a preposition eh!).

It is a shame that a few contributers to this forum do not read again their missives before posting. There are many finger slips on the key board., mostly decipherable though.

regards Roy

Fastfaz · « **Reply #56 on:** December 11, 2015, 03:36:00 pm »

Yo Roy,
I agree I have said this many thisend thisend times! thet was before I was sent dine.
Cheers,
Faz.

Nemo · « **Reply #57 on:** December 11, 2015, 03:38:10 pm »

Quote from: Inertia on December 10, 2015, 11:23:59 pm

Nemo
That makes two of us. Where are you from originally?

Jack
In Australia?? Unlikely...
There was a bloke over here called Brian Sewell who was the art critic in the London Evening Standard and who spoke as near as you could get to 'The Queen's English', but he died a couple of months ago. Apart from him only Quentin Crisp springs to mind ("I may well be last of England's stately homo's"), along with Jacob Rees-Mogg and Hillary Benn. Oh - and HM The Q, of course!
DM

Scotland - where only the very best English is spoke.

HMQ!!! She speaks English like a tortured duck! (or should that me m'duck?)

Oh aye - and another one used on here frequently is 'methinks' - where did that monstrosity appear from since it has been out of use for 300 years?

Netleyned · « **Reply #58 on:** December 11, 2015, 04:36:25 pm »

Quote from: Nemo on December 11, 2015, 03:38:10 pm

Oh aye - and another one used on here frequently is 'methinks' - where did that monstrosity appear from since it has been out of use for 300 years?

Like some of the members methinks

Ned

joppyuk1 · « **Reply #59 on:** December 11, 2015, 07:15:45 pm »

For those interested in such things, a very engaging read is "Accomodating Brocolli in the Cemetary, or why can't anybody spell", by Vivian Cook. It includes little gems like the Lord's Prayer in 10th century Saxon, the naming of racehorses, comparisons of UK and US spelling, names in Dr Seuss books, and far more.

inertia · « **Reply #60 on:** December 11, 2015, 07:38:18 pm »

Quote from: Nemo on December 11, 2015, 03:38:10 pm

Scotland - where only the very best English is spoke.

HMQ!!! She speaks English like a tortured duck! (or should that me m'duck?)

Oh aye - and another one used on here frequently is 'methinks' - where did that monstrosity appear from since it has been out of use for 300 years?

Getteth me not wrong, me owd duck. I am no champion of RP, in spite of my minor PS education (it seemed like a good idea at the time), so why on earth would the Scots wish to speak the very best English? Nicola S would have your head on a spike for less of an offence.

(My head hurts... probably the Jock Daniels. TFI Friday.)

DM

Arrow5 · « **Reply #61 on:** December 11, 2015, 07:54:51 pm »

Forsoothe , what language do you think the Scots speak , praytell ?

Peter Fitness · « **Reply #62 on:** December 11, 2015, 09:33:19 pm »

Quote from: Inertia on December 10, 2015, 12:06:08 pm

I can (almost) forgive Australian and Welsh folk for rising terminators - that's part of their accent, isn't it? (You can't actually replicate it in writing!)
DM

Dave, I, too, deplore the increasingly common use of the rising terminator, but it was never a part of the Australian accent in days gone by. I can't speak for the Welsh, but it seems to me that the rising terminator is more common among younger Australian people, although, at my age, that's just about everyone

. There's no doubt that the American butchering of the English language is spreading like a malignant virus, thanks to films and television. It may sound snobbish, but some Aussies speak with an awful accent. I remember during my first trip to the UK I was walking along Oxford Street when I heard a group of Aussie tourists talking to each other. Their accents sounded to me like someone drawing their fingernails down a blackboard. It was probably just the contrast with the prevalent London accents, but the Aussies really stood out.

Don't get me started on journalists and their misuse of English, it's appalling, and becoming worse

Peter.

BrianB6 · « **Reply #63 on:** December 12, 2015, 01:50:41 am »

From 'My Fair Lady'
"Oh why carn't the English teach their children how to speak?"

"Americans have not spoken it for years."

Landlocked · « **Reply #64 on:** December 12, 2015, 03:20:44 am »

To counter Professor Higgin's lament on our "mis"-use of the English language on the western side of the pond, I offer wisdom of Mark Twain.

“There is no such thing as the Queen’s English. The property has gone into the hands of a joint stock company and we own the bulk of the shares!”
[size=78%]Cheers![/size][/font][/font][/size]

Landlocked/Ken

Landlocked · « **Reply #65 on:** December 12, 2015, 06:42:24 pm »

Upon reflection, the sub-continent probably has the bulk of the share holders.
'Eaven 'elp us!

Landlocked

JayDee · « **Reply #66 on:** December 12, 2015, 06:48:21 pm »

Hello,

What about "TV Speak", the English spoken on our Tv programs.

Calling our capital city "Landon".

Bus becomes Bas.

Button = Batten.

Running = Ranning.

Under = Ander.

Just listen to the News, there are lots more examples on there !!!.

John.

Nemo · « **Reply #67 on:** December 12, 2015, 06:58:16 pm »

JayDee, you have missed out that famous crimefighter - Laura Norder!

Also the enquiring shop customer from Australia - Emma Chissit.

Netleyned · « **Reply #68 on:** December 12, 2015, 07:01:16 pm »

Whilst the TV speak is going down well, bring on the hand gestures
Clasp your hands, spread your hands, wring your hands.
What the merry H is that?

Ned

Fastfaz · « **Reply #69 on:** December 12, 2015, 07:05:52 pm »

What about Guerilla as in Angela Rippon "Gayrilla" not sure I get that maybe I need to listen to it a thizend times a bit like buck oh sorry that should be double oo "Book" or is it buke.
The mind boggles.
Cheers,
Faz.

Nemo · « **Reply #70 on:** December 12, 2015, 07:23:49 pm »

Quote from: Netleyned on December 12, 2015, 07:01:16 pm

Whilst the TV speak is going down well, bring on the hand gestures
Clasp your hands, spread your hands, wring your hands.
What the merry H is that?Ned

Ned, that has annoyed me for years now. I call it the 'invisible concertina' that TV news reporters are given when going on assignments. Drives me mad.

Why do they have to emphasise every word with hand movements?

dodes · « **Reply #71 on:** December 12, 2015, 08:18:23 pm »

You know when I was at school, I was told by my English teacher that the Queen actually speaks a completely different style/language to what is taught at the best schools, also I read a good report on the English language that across England there is at least 20 variations of English used and between the main dialects there are mixtures of. With all the recent immigration there is now !! more types of exotic languages. Myself I speak N.E. Kent.?????????????????????????????????????????????? Traditionally anyone born outside of Kent is referred to as a foreigner.

roycv · « **Reply #72 on:** December 12, 2015, 08:47:51 pm »

Hi I don't believe the Queen went to school.
Roy

Arrow5 · « **Reply #73 on:** December 12, 2015, 09:07:42 pm »

Neither did Prince Charles...he went to Stalag Gordonstoun !

derekwarner · « **Reply #74 on:** December 12, 2015, 09:22:12 pm »

Roy....did not QEII go to a motor mechanics school in earlier years?......saw a documentary years back with Lizzie ......'bum' in the air & head & arms in the engine bay of an oldish Land Rover.......

Also beg to differ Arrow5.........as Charlie spent a school year at Timbertop in the Victorian highlands of OZ........mind you, I am not sure if he actually learnt anything

..... Derek

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Author Topic: Correct use of the English Language (Read 73959 times)

inertia

inertia

inertia