Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be irritated when people on television say "Haitch"?

157 replies

ViscountessPetitLapin · 18/04/2007 22:59

This wretched woman just said "Haitch Emm Ess" (HMS) and it drives me NUTS!

OP posts:
DrDaddy · 20/04/2007 15:54

Alrigh' my luuurve!
And when you get off a bus, you must remember to say "Cheers Drive!" I love that...

FF - Essex girls tend to make me melt

Original poster
ViscountessPetitLapin · 20/04/2007 15:53

Well, corporate bankers FioFio. Most of the clients they would have been meeting are VERY old school, club tie etc. Their loss, some of those girls were extremely sharp.

I used to get fristrated when I worked for the Americans, because they were SOOOO politically correct, but at least it was meritocratic.

OP posts:
FioFio · 20/04/2007 15:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
ViscountessPetitLapin · 20/04/2007 15:48

Awroight moi loverr?

OP posts:
UnquietDad · 20/04/2007 15:47

I hate the way Blair says "the whole weld".

DrDaddy · 20/04/2007 15:47

Horrible estuarine English, perfected by Blair. I hope the people in Bristol never lose their regional accents.

VisocuntessPetitLapin · 20/04/2007 15:43

i like rod thingie off radio 5 live night time.

Original poster
ViscountessPetitLapin · 20/04/2007 15:42

Agreed, but there definitely IS a public perception. Received pronunciation and all that.

My favourite accent at the moment is that announcer on Radio 4. Neil Nunes . He has a spectacular voice!

OP posts:
DrDaddy · 20/04/2007 15:38

I think it's [sic] less to do with accent and more to do with the command of the English language. Just because people aspirate their aitches doesn't make them stupid....

Original poster
ViscountessPetitLapin · 20/04/2007 15:33

I agree with Xenia. I have definitely been judged on the basis of my accent, both positively ("sounds educated") and negatively ("posh snob").

I used to do a Tony Blair and deliberately try and be less well-spoken when I was talking to some of the traders, as I knew "posh birds" got their backs up.

Similarly we had some very bright female traders who would never have been sent to see corporate clients because of their broad Essex accents.

I am not saying this is right, BTW, just that that was the way things worked.

OP posts:
charliegal · 20/04/2007 15:27

The other thing that annoys me that I see on here is 'I could of done such and such'.
(Haven't read the whole thread)
Also, 'bare with me' and 'nothing to loose'.

Judy1234 · 20/04/2007 15:26

FF but you're not telling me people don't assess others at work or in general on the basis of accent, grammar, education and looks?

charliegal · 20/04/2007 15:20

Grr..the aitch thing annoys me too. Especially as my name begins with one and when I spell it out on the phone, I often get 'you mean HAitch..'.
No, I know how to spell my own name!!!!

FioFio · 20/04/2007 15:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Judy1234 · 20/04/2007 15:15

K, we don't comment but we notice, just as we notice who writes it's for its. Matters if you have job interviews, need to create the right impression with people at work etc but then I suppose it depends what work you do - I doubt call centres train them on that and nice employers would never comment - they would just simply not hire people in some areas, however wrong that is which is why my mother in 1950s rough Newcastle state schools could get all those 40 a class boys and girls knowing how they ought to speak even if they chose not to follow those grammatical etc rules - you was/you were etc.

DrDaddy · 20/04/2007 15:13

Don't be too hard on our friends across the pond. We must sound like pompous twats to them quite a lot of the time...

DrDaddy · 20/04/2007 15:12

I'd have to wholeheartedly agree, UQD

UnquietDad · 20/04/2007 15:09

Split infinitive isn't as horrible as some linguistic crimes. Some experts argue that it isn't even wrong, and that in terms of style it sometimes sounds better than the other options!

chocolattegirl · 20/04/2007 15:07

Well Captain Kirk started it all with 'to boldly go....'.

Obviously the scriptwriters had skipped lessons on split infinitives.

Original poster
ViscountessPetitLapin · 20/04/2007 15:05

well, I wouldn't say to you, KTeePee, but I think I'm OK to shout at the telly (they can't hear you, you know )

OP posts:
KTeePee · 20/04/2007 15:04

Was "haitch" where I grew up so doubt if I'll change my ways now!

And I was brought up to believe that it was very bad manners to comment on other's manners or ways of saying things!

UnquietDad · 20/04/2007 15:03

Yeash, well they are WRONG.

I couldn't believe it the first time I heard Captain Picard asking for a "BOO-EY" to be sent out. Oh, and having an "ink-werry". An ENGLISH ACTOR forced to mangle the language FGS!!

chocolattegirl · 20/04/2007 15:03

Or Berkeley Square

Original poster
ViscountessPetitLapin · 20/04/2007 14:56

And the River Thames ( as in )

When I was at uni in the States, they used to get me to say things like "aluminium", "tomato" and "oregano" and then just PTSL

OP posts:
chocolattegirl · 20/04/2007 14:54

English is a language designed to trip up the unwary and unnative speakers s as she remembers Americans asking for 'Lie-chester Square' in London. Cruel to laugh really - I'm sure I'd be stumped asking for some places in America.