Emma Thompson: Stuck up cah or what?

We should all speak in Pitmatic.

y’knaa, wi yer marra’s n’ tha’!

I taught both my children exactly the same. My son sounds like me, received with a slight Lancashire edge, my daughter has a local accent. I say ‘cup’, she says ‘coop’ 🙂

people are acutely aware of the contextualisation of language and modulate it on a person-by-person basis, however the young may rightly reflect back the contempt in which they are held in this way

That assumes a frame of reference. It’s one thing to be able to recognise that a particular style of speech is not working for a particular person. It’s quite another to be familiar enough with a style of speech that would work and to use it to make a clear point. That’s where schools can help by encouraging practice of the styles of speech that may be of use in a more formal setting.

No they do, fair cop.

That story’s been edited since it first went up. Amongst other things removing a quote saying something like ‘risk sounding like a knob’. Now to me she was having a bit of fun there, using some slang. Shame the edit removed the irony. The whole thing’s just a bit of fluff surely, nothing too serious?

Elf – is there only one eastend in the whole country?

That annoying thing scott mills does where instead of saying I am from London, he says i am off of london – just awful.

See, you allow yourself to be wound up by that. Why? You know he’s only doing it for effect.

Thing about teenagers, is that one day they will be adults. And they will have to moderate their language accordingly. The vast majority have no problem with this. But the more their behaviour is demonised by older folk, of course the more they will rebel. It’s a teenager’s raisin d’etre to rebel ffs!

I don’t have a problem with her speaking about the importance for decent linguistic skills; I have a problem with her assuming anyone who uses slang is ‘stupid’. It’s just snobby stuck up attitude.

I speak to far more people who use slang than Ms Thompson does. Including youngsters. I have no problem communicating with them. I judge someone on what they say, not how they say it.

Also accusing rap of a negative influence isn’t fair.

The rap I grew up with like PE, NAS and so on are some of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard delivered in a fantastic way.

Innit.

I recently met a girl from New york who was over here for a linguist convention all part of her degree or what ever her course was..

Every sentence included the word ‘Like’ and i found it very annoying to the point of me having to laugh else i would of slapped her.

Rather like this, i was like, looking for a youtube clip like, of someone like using like the word ‘like’ like alot. However i kinda like couldn’t like find one.

Elfinsafety blood you gan go ra ra ra but you ain’t feeling what she is speaking.

Elf – is there only one eastend in the whole country?

No, but there is only one East End. 😉

I have a problem with her assuming anyone who uses slang is ‘stupid’.

which isn’t what she said:

“.. it makes you sound stupid and you’re not stupid.”

I totally agree with her. eg. “somethink”: people who say that may not be stupid, but they really do sound stupid.

Good on her.

She used to babysit a friend of ours in Hampstead and is a lovely person.

I hate hearing thickos bastardising our language. Instantly makes me switch off; the rapid spread of the mockney and the pseudo gangsta style of speech grate the most.

What’s wrong with being able to speak and write properly?

Crack on. The ability to effectively communicate is going to grow in importance as more and more people are unable to do just that. Seeing the school and college-leavers enter the workplace is shocking. They are often used to communicating (other than in assessed work for college) in txt spk and slang and are stunned when their colleagues expect sentences and basic grammar. Seeing them suddenly outside their peer group and trying to match adult expectations is something to behold. Slang and regional variation can be healthy – when they obscure meaning and hinder understanding they become dangerous.

elf – you claim to be well versed in fitting in and adapting your language to suit. However, you always revert to type on here and can’t help yourself. You are only kidding yourself.

You know he’s only doing it for effect

And 8 million children around the country listen to this and adopt it.

That story’s been edited since it first went up. Amongst other things removing a quote saying something like ‘risk sounding like a knob’.

He’s right!

http://www.newssniffer.co.uk/articles/364251/diff/1/2

LOL Fred, yet more drivel, nothing in that article backs up what you say, you’re just using it to back up your pathetic point.

Listen to Frank Zappa’s Valley Girl, written 28 years ago and most of the kids hanging about outside the Spar sound pretty much the same today.

Trouble is those that can’t speak in any other way are going to struggle to get on well in the business world…. What grade GCSE can they get with that language? It’s a problem as it broadens the class divide or whatever.

old people in “i cant understand the young people” shocker 🙄

i bet i’m younger than most of you, but i still had to spend time looking up what most of the acronyms and abbreviations you use on this forum meant. i initially guessed that the forum was populated by 16-21 year old downhill rebels who have wasted their time when not riding on msn, myspace and facebook.

little did i know the forum was full of old middle managers who buy expensive bikes and never ride them to their potential, who seem perfectly happy to use a language thats been created recently and god-forbid… use slang words and local sayings.

then in true stw style they forget and jump on an opportunity to have a go at people who are different.

its not your language, its everyones to develop and use as they please.

cheer up goths!

(young people annoy me, but not as much as dumb people, ginger people and people with tattoos and piercings, none of them would get a job in my photocopying palace of dreams!)

EDIT: need to point out i’m trolling (ohh look there’s a new word) with this post. i agree with a few points made, but i also think its very easy to forget that you were young once and probably used words your parents frowned upon which are now part of your everyday vocabulary.. for me that word is “cool”, dad used to laugh at me for using it saying “you’re not american”

Da footure!

elf – you claim to be well versed in fitting in and adapting your language to suit. However, you always revert to type on here and can’t help yourself.

And what ‘type’ is that, pray tell? Have you ever met me? I find it interesting and amusing that you seem to think you can categorise me into a ‘type’. You have no idea who I am, mate. No idea. So, don’t be so quick to judge, eh?

What I object to, isn’t so much the problem that some areas of Britain face with literacy and linguistic skills, but with Ms Thompson’s arrogance and blinkered attitude. ‘People will think you’re stupid’. Well why would they? Intelligence isn’t necessarily something that is revealed in speech.

Ms Thompson went to Camden Girls’ School. A place, according to a former pupil I know, that is a ‘bit posh’, in comparison to other comprehensives in London. A high-achieving school that’s pretty difficult to get into. Have a look at house (should that be ‘hice’?) prices in the immediate surrounding area to give you a clue. Now, many of that school’s pupils come from relatively affluent Middle Class backgrounds, as did she. Although I’m sure the school is pretty mixed in terms of culture and economic status.

So, I’m imagining she went in there, and was perhaps disturbed to hear some of the pupils talking in the current teenage vernacular, rather than the ‘correct’ manner that she’d been used to. This is probably what irked her somewhat.

Truth is, most of those kids probably live in homes where such vernacular is not used, and therefore will have little problem in moderating their language on leaving school. So, just let them do their own thing ffs, rather than force them to submit to rigid rules and codes of behaviour, no? Teenage is all about finding out ho you are, as distinct from the rest of the World. They’ll grow out of most of their teenage foibles in a short while anyway.

She’s a stuck up snobby cah who just can’t stand anything that represents the freedom that she herself never enjoyed. And therefore feels the need to attack that very thing she herself can never have.

Ha ha!

Notice how the only thing of note anyone on here has said about her is that she got her ‘babylons’ out in a film! 😆

I hate hearing thickos bastardising our language.

Whose language?

LOL Fred, yet more drivel,

Have you actually got anything intelligent to say, or are you simply more interested in hurling insults around as per usual?

i would………….. 😉

Have you actually got anything intelligent to say, or are you simply more interested in hurling insults around as per usual?

I’ve already made my points, which you have ignored.

There’s no point getting all chippy about it whatsoever. The facts on the ground are that people who speak ‘street’ lengthen the odds of landing themselves a halfway decent job a thousand times over.

I see it at work the whole time, suburban white kids who speak in that pathetic ‘Jafakecan’ patois. The UK is starting to get ‘lapped’ by other European countries, a lot of kids in places like the Netherlands and Denmark now have a better command of the English languages (in all of it’s forms) than native born Brits. That is an embarrassment.

Similarly, India is packed to the brim with millions of bright graduates and even high school leavers who speak grammatically correct English and know how to read and write it too. Either we sort this out fast or resign ourselves to full economic collapse.

D’yaknoworrimean, blud?

I would too.

MILF – Now there’s a decent bit of slang.

Oh did you? Sorry, can’t have been anything that interesting. Must have missed it.

‘pikey eastender’?

Please.

Capitalisation, people, come on.

‘Pikey EastEnder’.

😀

Whose language?

The ENGLISH language.

Comprenez-vous?

EDIT: need to point out i’m trolling (ohh look there’s a new word) with this post. i agree with a few points made, but i also think its very easy to forget that you were young once and probably used words your parents frowned upon which are now part of your everyday vocabulary.. for me that word is “cool”, dad used to laugh at me for using it saying “you’re not american”

I’m not sure it has anything to do with young vs old. I know a lot of 25+ year olds who have an awful vocabulary and are “lazy” in their use of words.

Typical cop-out Fred.

As usual, you’ve made it up to back up our own bizarre prejudices.

i would many times……….

Would you ride her more times than your bikes before swapping?

Thickos – think that is part of the problem assuming people who use language other than you are thick. Language evolves, we don’t sound like people from 100 years ago but neither group is thick per se. They may be thick they may not.
The real issue is when you don’t actually know what a person means when they do double negatives or split infinitives. If you don’t know what the words mean just ask them.
I have always liked Emma Thompson despite being an ubber posh oscar winning luvvie she seems relatively grounded. Was nice on Desert Island discs

and deffo yes next morning………..

What rubber for Emma Thompson’s fudge tunnel?

coffeeking, i agree, the young vs old thing was part of the trolling.

perhaps another example would be pointing out that once upon a time people went to balls, then years later they went to dances, then years later they went to discos, then years later they went to raves/clubs, then years later they got krunk

all generations chuckle at the older people being stuck in their ways, then moan at the younger generations for ruining what they understand by changing the rules.

I’m with ton – I don’t mean a threesome – but I think she’s propoh fit for her age.

Ha ha! All that university education, involvment in Footlights, Shakesperian plays etc, yet All people can come up with about her is ‘would ya?’ 😆

Good work, Ton. 😉

Usual pathetic defence of the lowest common denominator

Ooh, have I twisted someone’s nipple?

Explain ‘lowest common denominator’ please.

So far, I’ve suggested maybe people want to examine their prejudices towards others’ behaviour, yet no-one’s come up with any ideas as to how kids can be encouraged to use ‘correct’ language, without their own choices being belittled and devalued.

Gotta love Little England; sits there all content behind it’s nice lace curtains, until the Undesirables start making noise. Sadly the tutting can’t be heard behind the double-glazing…

derek_starship – Member
I’m with ton – I don’t mean a threesome – but I think she’s propoh fit for her age.

DS, i’m up for a roast……….me, you and mrs thompson…….. 😉

It’s gone wrong, it’s gone wrong. 😯