To hate certain things people say.......

[blondissimo]

Following on from this thread, I realised that the way other people speak sometimes really grates me!

My dp and all his family say things to my ds (who thankfully is not old enough to understand) such as:

"Was you a good boy, was you?"

"I done it as well"

"Free or four"

Aargh!

And to top it off, on my side of the family, my dsis (in Scotland) says:

"Hunners" (hundreds)

"I'll no be doin' that" (no = not)

"Ye canny do that" (canny = can't)

I do worry about my ds!

Am I being unreasonable - yes, probably. But I don't care.

[MIFLAW]

"I also think it is a bit ridiculous to imply that the English you learn at school is not necessarily correct.

It's a bit like saying, "Who says 2+2=4? Well I say it equals 6.""

It's absolutely NOTHING like saying that.
And I don't think anyone is saying "the English you learn at school is not necessarily correct" - they are saying that the English you learn in school is not the ONLY correct one.

It's actualluy a lot more like saying, "well, I think it equals "quatre""...

[GibbonInARibbon]

Great posts MIFLAW

[Paolosgirl]

Really? Is that why you bought the child's intelligence into the debate? I think not. And why Tarquin or Tabitha?

Now, if you feel that you gave away your heritage and identity away just to please other peple who were "not particularly intelligent, thoughtful or (in many cases) even likeable", then you are making sweeping generalisations of the kind that you purport to dislike in others. Your heritage is not always defined by a local dialect - people move around so much now, not just between cities but between countries and continents. Losing your regional dialect may be more to do with how you develop as an individual than anything else. Futhermore, your 'heritage' in the context of your language is more about your family background that the area you come from. If your family doesn't use the local dialect because it's grammatically incorrect at a national or international level, then it doesn't mean that they don't understand or recognise their heritage or background.

[messalina]

It's not accents or dialects that annoy me. Instead, I have an irrational dislike of certain perfectly ordinary words in certain contexts - here are a few of my pet hates. They are mainly to do with food. I think at the heart of it is that the words are used by old gits (SAGA types) who don't really know the meaning of fun and so misapply "fun" words to eating some old crap in a Harvester, rather than say...threesomes or recreational chemicals.

to enjoy in the context of food. Enjoy is a word to which I am becoming increasingly averse, in fact.

beautiful - again, in the context of food, as in "a beautiful carvery" or "a beautiful salad bar" (N.B. carveries and salad bars are both hideous.)

indulgent - far too M&S. Hate those wretched ads. Not a word used by SAGA types, but in the M&S voiceovers.

luxury - for the same reason as "indulgent"

suite - as in ensuite, honeymoon suite, suite of leather furniture, executive suite

looking to, regarding, property (meaning a bloody house) - all used by estate agents.

There are plenty more words I hate but musn't rant too much.

Sorry, one more...uncomfortable, when used by women to discuss their bowels or reproductive systems. Usually accompanied by a dainty little wince and delivered in a dainty little whisper.

[Paolosgirl]

LOL mess, and so true!

My favourite is one that I heard in an American advert years ago for "feminine irregularity" - which meant constipation . Still mystified as to why they thought women needed a different type of laxative.

[chegirl]

Well I am pretty common but if I hear one more person say 'I'm goin a toilet' I may smack them.

Keckle and hospical make me wince a bit too. Because they do not make any sense.

[Pawsandclaws]

I am currently loathing the word "Luxe".

It's still crawling all over magazines. So 2008!

[messalina]

feminine irregularity - brilliant! Mind you, "Fed up of straining on the bog? Worried your turds look like rabbit droppings?" might not have sold as many laxatives. Don't you hate, hate, hate the Activia ads? Bifidus regularis - what a joke? Just some bacteria they have invented. And have you seen the Dulcoease ad? 'The easier way of going to the loo"?

[squilly]

My dd is now 8, living in Yorkshire and loving the fact that she can 'do' accents. I'm an ex-Brummie, well, Black Country bum, technically speaking, so I have a great Black Country twang which I can ratchett up into full blown accent.

She loves saying 'Yowm mad yow am' and other such delecticious delights.

I would love to say I'm proud, but I'm not sure. I think I may be storing up trouble for later

[blondissimo]

Sorry MIFLAW, but I think this debate all boils down to the fact that you changed your accent/dialect to "fit in" with society and that now you are regretting it.

It seems to me that some people on this thread think that myself, Paulosgirl et al are snobby and look down upon people who speak with a different dialect to "proper English".

Not the case at all.

I was simply trying to say that in my opinion, saying "you was" etc is incorrect grammar and that if my son were to pick these things up and, for example, write it in an exam, then he would fail.

End of.

[MIFLAW]

Paolosgirl

Yes, that really IS why I brought (as you are so keen on "correct" English, note the "r" in that word) the child's intelligence up. If you are not worried about your child's intelligence, you have no cause to worry about their use of dialect from a developmental point of view.

Most other countries with superior language skills to us (the Germans, for example) embrace and value dialect far more than we do. I wonder if their is a link?

I'm afraid I don't really understand the rest of your post.

Blondissimo - I don't regret changing my dialect at all. It was the right thing to do.

I regret HAVING to do so to "fit in".

[MIFLAW]

Paolo

Just deciphered a bit more.

Not making any generalisations - I am talking about specific people that I know and you probably don't.

[junglist1]

I don't talk Queens English to please others, I only judge people by how nasty or nice they are. I hate when posh tossers speak French for no reason. I hate that bourgeoise word. That's such pretentious cack, and says more about a person than dropping a few h's

[purplepeony]

I hate people who can't use the correct tense of the verb " to lie" . they say "I am going to lay down", instead of lie down, "I had a lay down," instead of a lie-down.

Hens lay eggs, we lay the table, but when we are horizontal, we are lying.

And why the extra "of" that has crept in somehow?

"Ifell off of the bed"- "off" is quite enough.

[junglist1]

off isn't enough for me sometimes

[fluffles]

kids will learn to make themselves understood if they travel outside their immediate area.

i am scottish and growing up could do 'miss jean brodie' or 'trainspotting' depending on the context.

i gradually anglicised my language through university then living in the south east of england.

having been back in scotland now for five years nearly i'm finding more and more words that i'd forgotten about coming back into my everyday language - 'brae', 'dreich', 'numpty', 'bonny'....

[purepurple]

Never mind British dialect, how about all those bloody awful Americanisms that all young people seem to use.
i work with a young girl who says "My bad" every 5 seconds.
It is really driving me mad.

[victoriascrumptious]

YABU.

The English language is fluid-always has been. There is something really knobby about people who get prissy about it.
Same sort who get het up about softplay areas and the like and refer to their 6x6 front room as the 'drawing room'.

y'know? ya get me?

[blondissimo]

I give up.

[KissMyAssDailyMailcentreplus]

Ya feel me? Vicky

[junglist1]

at the drawing room. Bet they NEVER drink red bull either

[victoriascrumptious]

I is feelin you in my ninkynonks Daily-mail-plus-centre-bird.

airee

[victoriascrumptious]

Is red bull bad now?

[zippy539]

I LOVE "stop getting all hiatus" and I'm going to start using it asap and as frequently as possible.

Tbh - I think YANBU. You might be be your baby's mother but your ds has a wider cultural heritage than just you - and in time he should be proud of that and not ashamed.

Over time it will all balance out but 'stop getting all hiatus' about the odd phrase/pronunciation that really doesn't matter - embrace it, find it endearing, keep saying things your own way - your ds will choose for himself in the end.

[Mumcentreplus]

Fi real Vicky..lol