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[Steamport Southport]

Funnily enough I used to know a few Scots from a music forum I used to frequent and they did post as they spoke.

 

Sometimes it was almost totally indecipherable. 

 

 

 

Jason

[melmerby]

Am I allowed to comment on the word "plain" lol.

Of coarse ewe kan

 

Keith

 

I actually put plane to start with and "corrected" it because it didn't look right.

! should have left it as it was!

Edited October 4, 2018 by melmerby

[Pacific231G]

Perhaps it's a result of todays nanny state that well educated people are asked to 'dumb-down' their grammar so as not to make the lesser educated feel inferior. Strange things seem to be happening these days.

Are they really? Writing scripts has been a major part of my work for my entire career. I've never been asked nor thought it necessary to "dumb down" my grammar. However, writing for the spoken word can be different from doing so for the written word. It's mostly a matter of using simple sentences without sub-clauses and giving sufficient weight to how it will sound. Some of the worst English I come across is on certain television channels where they've obviously asked various historians to write their voice overs. These are in academic written English and not only sound stilted but can be as as difficult to follow as one of Sir Humphrey's longer expositions. However, if you're choosing to use words that the audience is unlikely to understand then you should probably ask yourself what it is you're trying to achieve.

[Alex TM]

Hi again,

 

Pacific231G makes some important, and valid, points.  I also have to write as a part of my job; some of it is to be spoken, while other texts are for others to read.  There can be a world of a difference between the same statement made for different media.  Professional writers need to consider their audience and media before committing fingers to a keyboard.

 

Here, though, I am not a professional writer but doing this out of interest, enthusiasm, and fun.  I find most people's (as I haven't read everyone's) contributions to this forum to be intelligible.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[tomparryharry]

I took the opportunity to reflect upon my most recent post on RMweb. We might consider that English is still a working, living language. The dialects, accents and pronunciations of perhaps only 50 years ago have changed, and will continue to change. I fully expect that by the time I bite the dust, anything we're writing & posting today will have changed. These changes are incremental; consider, for instance, the subtle change from 'railway station' to 'train station'. You might consider this to be an Americanism, but a change nonetheless.  

 

I like RP. In an increasing multi-cultural society, it helps to set me apart. A big building site in London will be one of the most language diversified places you can attend. Polish (no, not polish, Polish), Bulgarian, Italian, Chinese (Han), and a multitude of others all speaking their brand of English. A fine example of showing the language that continues to evolve. 

 

Whilst I mention RP, it does have its drawbacks. If you drop a hammer on my hand, I will revert directly to pure Anglo-Saxon, complete with all expletives, references and phrases so commonly found within this Spectred Isle.

 

"Orfft now, to study Rogers Thermostat" (an olde plumbers phrase).

 

Tootle Pip! Happy modelling,

 

Ian.

[PhilJ W]

Another annoyance is people who do not use capital letters. There is a different meaning to 'Helping your Uncle a horse' and 'helping your uncle a horse'.

[Colin_McLeod]

RMweb censorship makes it impossible to understand your post.

[dhjgreen]

The Uncle is a friend of Jill if that helps.

 

Censorship is unsurprising, therefore.

Edited October 8, 2018 by dhjgreen

[tomparryharry]

Another annoyance is people who do not use capital letters. There is a different meaning to 'Helping your Uncle ###### a horse' and 'helping your uncle ###### a horse'.

 

The term is 'uncle Jack'

 

he other term is 'jack', in the singular.

 

I'm sure that the broad church, such as the readership of RMWeb, can work that one out. No censorship, either!

 

Cheers,

 

Ian.

[PhilJ W]

The Uncle is a friend of Jill if that helps.

 

Censorship is unsurprising, therefore.

 

 

The term is 'uncle Jack'

 

he other term is 'jack', in the singular.

 

I'm sure that the broad church, such as the readership of RMWeb, can work that one out. No censorship, either!

 

Cheers,

 

Ian.

I think its the word 'off' after Jack that causes the problem.

[Steamport Southport]

So it's like the panda one. Entirely different meaning depending on punctuation.

 

 

A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and proceeds to fire it at the other patrons.

"Why?" asks the confused, surviving waiter amidst the carnage, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

"Well, I'm a panda," he says. "Look it up."

The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation. "Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eats,_Shoots_%26_Leaves

 

 

 

Jason

[tomparryharry]

I think its the word 'off' after Jack that causes the problem.

 

I was trying to be polite, Phil. I'm Ok with the vernacular, but I don't want a visit from the naughty police.

[The Bigbee Line]

When at school we had lessons on spelling the potential howlers..

 

Stationary and Stationery Using the 'E is for envelope' as the reminder, as a typical example.

 

However occasionally the use of words in different parts of the country will challenge.

 

When working at Toton I struggled on which pronunciation of Castle...

 

Then living in Eastleigh with a boss from Exeter, who would ask me "Where are you to?", which translated to "Where are you?"

 

Now living in Norfolk, I've started to say "I'm now going to the shops", instead of "I'm going to the shops".

 

These regional variations are fascinating.  Then throw in the variations of the different cultural backgrounds...

 

All in all a fascinating subject.  I always read my posts, but often spot the errors after posting....  I wonder how many I'll score out of ten for this one.

[Free At Last]

I find the use of 'brought' instead of 'bought' confusing...  "I brought that loco you brought"...

[tomparryharry]

Ones which come from South Wales;

 

"I'm off now in a minute". (I'm just about to leave).

 

"Puddit down by yeere". (Put it down here).

 

"Cheers, Butt". (Thanks very much, old chap).

 

"Look you now!" (Pay attention!).

 

"Up down there a bit". I remember this from a certain pub in Pontypridd, I'm sure it's not unique to South Wales, however.

 

Ian.

[PaulCheffus]

"I'm off now in a minute". (I'm just about to leave).

Hi

 

One of the Teaching Assistants at the school my wife works in is from Wales and she looks after a child with Autism. The phrase "I'll be there now in a minute" really used to confuse them but they have got used to it now.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[tomparryharry]

Hi

 

One of the Teaching Assistants at the school my wife works in is from Wales and she looks after a child with Autism. The phrase "I'll be there now in a minute" really used to confuse them but they have got used to it now.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Oh yes! I'd forgotten that one!

[Colin_McLeod]

Remember that in Northern Ireland there is a confirmation that comes at the end of each sentence so there is.

 

Don't worry I'll remember so I will.