AIBU to expect a barrister to talk properly?

[justdiscoveredyoucanchangethis]

For my work I transcribe court cases, and I just did one where the barrister said "you was" several times and continually said "aks" instead of "ask".

Surely to become a barrister you have to have a high level of education and should not be talking like some kind of teenager from a rough estate? Am I being snooty? It's not that I think only posh people should be barristers but if you choose to go into a profession where your job involves speaking in a very formal context you should learn to speak in the correct way for that job.

Teenager from rough estate ??
That isn't very nice.

Were they Carribean? Sounds more dialectal tbh Carribean being one where this is normal correct speech. Surely what matters is they achieve the goal for their client?

Does it really matter? Are they good at their job?

YANBU. I would expect a barrister to speak correctly too.

YANBU

"Aks" is my pet hate. One of many.

YANBU. Teachers do it too they fink instead of think! I mean what is going on?!

Good grief, imagine people having local accents! Shocking behaviour. If you wish to appear in a court of law then you better talk with a plum in your mouth. It's the only way to gain respect, don't you know?

Yabu.

Paul There's a difference between a local accent, or even a local dialect, and not speaking properly. "Aks" could be a Caribbean accent I suppose. But "You was" is just wrong, and not attributed to a specific region.

OTOH it is connected with social class so we're both terrible snobs, OP

YANBU; it sounds uneducated.

It is patronising to assume that only 'posh people' can use English correctly

I would wonder if English is their first language and, if not, how long they had lived in the country. English is DHs 3rd language and he gets those things right without fail. He has lived in the U.S. for 12 years now. Never lived in the UK but visited customers a lot. He can put on good scouse and Geordie accents.

"But "You was" is just wrong, and not attributed to a specific region."

www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/regional-voices/grammatical-variation/

It's also historically correct dependant on context.

Mmm, I am a translator in Mexico, where all things legal are written. I had to translate documents for a lawyer who had obtained his degree from one of the most expensive private universities in this country and his writing was full of spelling mistakes. To my mind that is unforgiveable. I wouldn't be a quarter so critical of an engineer or a scientist, but a lawyer!

Was the barrister young? my uncle is a QC over the years his voice has got increasingly posher[ is that a word?] you would think he had been brought up with higher classes not in a flat over a shop in lancashire!

The head at my DCs school says 'you was' and 'free' instead of 'three'. It grates.

People around here look to be offended. YANBU OP, as a barrister you should really be speaking formally and in standard English. No one is saying anything about having an accent, aks and you was are simply incorrect not regional.

YABU. Sometimes it's just a slip of the tongue. I used to read back court transcripts and cringe, as did my friends.

Also "teenager from a rough estate" - don't be so prejudicial.

I should add - my friends and I are barristers/solicitors.

My dh is a south Londoner and cant say "th" We have tried the "thirty thousand feathers" and he cant say it all. I then realised dd has the same impediment when she was telling me about a film called "Four" which I hadn't heard of. She was insisting I must know it and it turned out to be "Thor"
Unfortunately although "Aks" is part of the Caribbean dialect, it has seeped into other dialects in London, when the kids are trying to be cool.

You are not being unreasonable. I couldn't take a barrister saying "you was" seriously.

You are not being unreasonable. I couldn't take a barrister saying "you was" seriously.

Ditto.

I know a partner in a very large international law firm who says "one, two, free" etc. Its awful and gives really bad impression.

Of course people are free to speak in any way they wish but if they work in law they will be judged.

Bruffinyou can ask you DH to say a long f sound in front od a mirror and then place his tongue wherehis lower lip is (ie. Very close to or touching the bottom of his upper teeth) and then continue to say ffffffffff. I'd be surprised if a th sound doesnt come out.