Partner's slang language

[oreo2020]

My partner was born in 1970s and grew up in London. I am an immigrant.
He's now in his 40s and fairly professional and still uses a lot of slang language that he grew up with intermittently with friends and colleagues, for example:

Jack diddly squat
Brown bread
Bird (talking of me)
Snuff it
You get me
Bump off

And similar...

He also says 'Valentimes' instead Valentine's although he spells it correctly!

I don't correct him as English is not my native language but I find it somewhat stuck in 1980s and do think a grown up man would have grown his vocabulary as he was building up his life and career.
But maybe it's more common than I think?

Northern or midlands cover a lot of the UK, Pup. I'm definitely from north of the line that divides the north and south, but could pass as coming from the Home Counties if I lengthened my As.

@Plussizejumpsuit
So it will (wrongly in my opinion) effect how people view you
It may also affect how people view you.

@SoupDragon

I think "aks" is very common in Caribbean accents.

^^ this. It's dialect.

My grandad was a proper cockney. He was from stepney. Therefore my dad picked up a lot of cockney. He also spent time in yorkshire. My mother was a snob.
When I was 2 we moved to norfolk. My language was a mix of cockney, posh and Norfolk.
Even after I left home I could tell my mother struggled not to correct me. Both my children are Norfolk born and bred and they both have different accents.
All of those sayings were ones I grew up with and still say to this day.
Ain't nowt wrong with speaking like a local.

I think anyone who is naïve enough to believe there is any one right way to pronounce a word is themselves both 'uneducated' (as they do not take account of how language use evolves and changes) and unreflective (as setting white people's pronunciation, specifically rich white people's pronunciation, as some sort of bar against which to judge others is clearly problematic). Language is about communication. If you choose to use it as some sort of class or education signal then this is only speaking about your own insecurities or needs or defenses. I don't think looking down on others is OK no matter how good the grammar and spelling is in the documents in which you express how much better you are than others. OP your OH's language use is really normal and indeed adds to the colour in the use of the English language that is so good to be around.

Have you seen the BBC news in pidgen op?

It will freak you out I imagine.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/pidgin.amp

@KirstenBlest a neutral accent is a weird concept for me because I grew with a Scottish dad and Welsh mum and we moved around England a fair bit to places with very different accents. I'm not sure there's any accent that would be so neutral as it to be equally possible you were from Scotland, Wales, England and NI?

'Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar don tell di new United States President, Joe Biden, to help Nigeria for di fights against terrorism.

Atiku tok did one as e dey congratulate Joe Biden wey dem swear in yesterday, 20th January 2021 as di 46th President of America.

Oga Atiku say im get hope say Biden goment go mark new era of change inside America and di confirmation say US na di sign of democracy to di whole world.

"As President of di United State, Joe Biden begin im tenure as di 46th President of America, I dey confident say dis new era go mark America regeneration and di reaffirmation as di beacon of democracy to di world." Atiku tok'

I can understand it. Good that innit!

Views, OP?

Sorry but you sound like a horrid snob

I think RP was considered neutral in the past but it was used by barely anyone in real life I wouldn't have thought.

South East England accent is spreading much to the consternation of many.

TV spread slang and ways of speaking from other parts of the world, and the internet continues to do so.

We also have more than one language in the UK. And we enjoy adopting words and phrases from other languages eg we have a lot of Indian words, shampoo being an example.

I think that regional variation and variety is great. I love working with a Scottish colleague who has a wonderful array of slang at his command that I've never heard before!

My mum ditched her regional accent when she moved to London. She's a massive snob. So make of that what you will.

I've not lived in Scotland or Northern Ireland, but I can think of an acquaintance from one of those countries who also has a 'neutral' accent. I's probably from living in the SE for a long time.

Some regional accents are softer than others.

Heeyah man wha ye takkin aboot yer pyooa rajeee, git on yer honkers or yerl get well wrong off yer mam.

or 'excuse me, what are you talking about, squat down or your mother will chastise you.'

Both proper and normal English.

Well your own language will contain slang too OP, that's just the way of it.

Suppose he disliked your accent and your way of speaking, would that be ok?

Your post will be a haven for judgemental snobs to dredge up all the criticisms they have though. At least.

@KirstenBlest

I've not lived in Scotland or Northern Ireland, but I can think of an acquaintance from one of those countries who also has a 'neutral' accent. I's probably from living in the SE for a long time.

Some regional accents are softer than others.

A SE English accent is not a neutral accent. There is no such thing as a neutral accent in the UK.

Imagine if we all spoke the same. It would be so boring.

@KirstenBlest

I've not lived in Scotland or Northern Ireland, but I can think of an acquaintance from one of those countries who also has a 'neutral' accent. I's probably from living in the SE for a long time.

Some regional accents are softer than others.

That's not getting a neutral accent. It's an accent naturally moving from one region to another after spending time there.

@cateycloggs my partner is not in funeral business and I do notice myself the references to death. I really don't know why - those just stood out for me.

[quote oreo2020]@cateycloggs my partner is not in funeral business and I do notice myself the references to death. I really don't know why - those just stood out for me. [/quote]
You must have some interesting conversations. What I always say is, Who owns the language?

@oreo2020

Not a problem per say, but when it goes along with Valentimes and pacific (instead of specific) you do wonder about the vocabulary. Plus none of my colleagues in my professional field use that slang. But maybe they are not strictly Londoners.

The phrase is “per se” - from the Latin -not “per say”. Maybe you shouldn’t criticise until your own English is perfect.

Actually, perhaps you should just accept that most people speak regional or vernacular English with quirks and slang and stop expecting perfection?

I am sure your own language has its colloquialisms

Just as we have ours

@Thymeout

But in my head I still pronounce liquorice as lickerish

Eh? I thought everybody pronounced it like that! How do you pronounce it now?

Hello OP

Did you look at the pidgin BBC news link?

Language evolves.

I get that for a non native speaker it's annoying. I know lots of non native English speakers who know the construction etc and correctness much better than many of us. But in the end it's our language. We have a rich and diverse history. We've been invaded more times than you can count. We are a culture that adopts and adapts.

Local dialects have been under pressure for ages.

When was the last time you spoke to a Scot. Or a Welsh person. Or someone in some Scottish Islands who uses a dialect?

A bit of bog standard London speak is nothing.

[quote FlamedToACrisp]@Thymeout

But in my head I still pronounce liquorice as lickerish

Eh? I thought everybody pronounced it like that! How do you pronounce it now?[/quote]
I also say lickerish and I supposedly “talk posh”

Its colloquialisms like this that make the English language a very beautiful thing.

I think you need to do your partner a favour and leave him for a robot

cor bilmey, I'm fuckin glad I fand DH, he speaks proper, no wot I mean? him and dd talk posh and take the right piss outer me sometimes but they aint up their own arses and get its just the way I talk. DD has told me not to friten dgs with a kick up the harris, its 'bottom mummy' I tell her to fuck orf.