speech trend

[funkyrich]

Does anyone else find it irritating when people's voices rise at the end of a sentence as they talk in Australia/America?

[Hippy]

Yes I do. I think it is an implied question at the end of a statement asking the other person in the conversation to convey their agreement with or understanding of the speaker's utterance. This demonstrates the speaker's lack of confidence in their thoughts. An assured speaker will make concise statements, linked arguments and even rhetorical questions (constructed as questions) to explain their position.

Whilst we are on the subject of annoying speech trends, let's attend to the mainly youthful use of the word "like". It is used as a preposition, but in a meaningless way, for example, "When I asked if I could like stay for a while, he was like dunno. Can if you want to". I think this use also demonstrates the speaker's insecurity, and invites the listener to draw similarities to the situation or idea being described, thus introducing vagueness so no criticism can be leveled at a poor description. It might also be a gibberish word inserted to allow the speaker time to think whilst remaining connected with the listener, other examples being, "er..", "you know", and "ahh..".

[Mortartube]

I also find the raised pitch at he end of a sentence most annoying, but my biggest pet hate in speech trends is when a customer asks a shopkeeper or barperson, "Can I get a (whatever the product is)? No, that's the job of the staff.

[incitatus]

yes. iits apalling an anyone doing it should be cattle prodded. I think what it is is that the yanks and convicts are desperate for approval, so they try to get you to agree with them at the end of a statement. (though in the yanks case they are quite likely just to send the troops in)

[Dave Potts]

I don't know about you but my voice sounds perfectly normal when I speak in Australia/America. Not that I go there often. Blimey we're an unforgiving bunch! I wonder if the affliction you refer to is region-specific, as I know several Aussies and Septics, some of whom speak like this and some of whom don't - I wonder also if our Transatlantic and Antipodean cousins find it irritating that *our* voices don't rise at the end of each sentence? Whilst we're being speech nazis my teeth always grind when people misuse the adverb 'hopefully' e.g. "Hopefully we'll get there on time" - grrrrrr.....and people who use 'e.g.' and 'i.e.' in conversation. Oh, and grocers who misuse the humble apostrophe for their tomato's. p.s. I don't like the Brummie accent. Or maybe it's just Jasper Carrott. Hmmm.

[Jenny Tools]

Shouldn't that be Jasper Carrott's ;-)

[Dave Potts]

urf urf :o)

[funkyrich]

Thanks for your comments. I've got a soft brummie accent but i will let you off mr potts!

[BenDToy]

Dave Potts - you may well appreciate this one. A local (well local to me anyway) sign post, professionally printed, starts as follows... "Builders lock up's for rent"

[coggles]

Dave Potts, so you don't shop as Sainsbury's then? It irritates me nearly as much as Toys R Us having the R back to front. That's really helping with teaching children how to write properly, isn't it? Sorry to post an answer that doesn't answer your question funky!

[Janetex]

Funky, how much time have you spent in Australia and America? The majority of people do not speak that way. What utter tripe you utter.

[incitatus]

so why do they send all the ones who do ( who are clearly suffering from some horrible speech impediment) over here? NHS tourism?