The "Annoying Phrase" Thread

[Diamondback]

You mean when it is uttered by anyone. Geez, I hate that one. They need to cut the advertising speak.

First, they need to quit glorifying the admen who come up with it--I don't care that they made a significant contribution to keeping the old family business afloat for 65 years with their 20th Century Limited patronage. (So I'm biting the hand that fed my great-grandfather... indict me!)

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Now playing: John Barry - Gunbarrel/Manhunt
via FoxyTunes

 

[cupcake]

All applications accepted!

"Easy peezy," especially when uttered by a grown man.

How about adding "japanesy" to the end of that

 

[reetpleat]

And as bad as FREE FREE FREE, I'd throw in "AN ADDED BONUS!" Wow, show me a bonus that *isn't* added.

Hey now, wait a minute Lizzie.

Don't be too hard on teh language of the infomercial. They come from a grand old tradition of Atlantic City Boardwalk pitchemen, and even further back to talkers of the old medicine shows, things we would likely all appreciate.

in the words of the greatest pitchman of the twenties, "why say one word when five will do?"

 

[grundie]

I hate it when people greet me with the word/phrase 'Howyedoingyarrright', or similar utterances caused by the speaker's inability to clearly demarcate their spoken words.

I just want to ask these people if they have suffered a stroke or somehow regressed to a primitive human form. It both rude and lazy - particularly when they get offended at my inability to understand what they have just said.

 

[Viola]

Are you serious, grundie?

 

[HungaryTom]

Ripley has invaded the language.

TSANTSALIZING poster - congrats to the placatier!

 

[John in Covina]

Out this way there are lots of locals especially in high school that have a version of speed mumble where all of the words meld into a long stream of connected sylables. They can't enuciate and speak clearly. I find they are often offered jobs at fast food places as the order taker for the drive thru so the intercom speakers are involved. :eusa_doh:

 

[grundie]

Are you serious, grundie?

Pretty much.

I've noticed more and more young people seem to have developed an affliction where all their words meld together so that one sentence effectively becomes one long word that is incomprehensible to anyone. Anyone, but their peers who also speak with the same affliction.

And it's not just young people, I see adult doing it too.

I have been in situations where someone has spoken to me like this and I have genuinely struggled to understand what they have just said and they have got angry because of this. They see mee as the one with the communication problem. And that's the worst thing about this, for the people who speak like this - it's normal. So when they speak to people who do try to speak clearly and enunciate their words - the word-melders think that the clearly spoken people are odd.

It probably seems like and odd thing to complain about, but it's one of those things I have noticed and just think that it's demonstrates the bad effects of our young not reading good literature and and learning good language skills.

(apologies for the rant)

 

[Mr. 'H']

I hate it when people greet me with the word/phrase 'Howyedoingyarrright', or similar utterances caused by the speaker's inability to clearly demarcate their spoken words.

A horrific turn of phrase, no doubt copied from English TV by those dimwits. "Am I alright?" What kind of a question is that? I get that when in a store here "Are ya all right?" :rage:

"Well, yes I am alright. But I want you to help me with something...."

 

[Dr Doran]

Out this way there are lots of locals especially in high school that have a version of speed mumble where all of the words meld into a long stream of connected sylables. They can't enuciate and speak clearly. I find they are often offered jobs at fast food places as the order taker for the drive thru so the intercom speakers are involved. :eusa_doh:

When I am teaching in front of a classroom, I over-enunciate. This is because I hate the horrible word "What?" from students. So I take pains to make my words very very clear. As a result, some morons think I am putting on an accent, or actually English (or Irish, or Afrikaans, or whatever).

Obviously they have never met anyone from one of these countries or they would not think this.

 

[Paisley]

Pretty much.

I've noticed more and more young people seem to have developed an affliction where all their words meld together so that one sentence effectively becomes one long word that is incomprehensible to anyone. Anyone, but their peers who also speak with the same affliction.

And it's not just young people, I see adult doing it too.

I have been in situations where someone has spoken to me like this and I have genuinely struggled to understand what they have just said and they have got angry because of this. They see mee as the one with the communication problem. And that's the worst thing about this, for the people who speak like this - it's normal. So when they speak to people who do try to speak clearly and enunciate their words - the word-melders think that the clearly spoken people are odd.

It probably seems like and odd thing to complain about, but it's one of those things I have noticed and just think that it's demonstrates the bad effects of our young not reading good literature and and learning good language skills.

(apologies for the rant)

I've noticed that too, and wonder if anyone but their parents and friends can understand them. I'm afraid I don't see how reading good literature would help them enunciate, though. Maybe record themselves reading a paragraph, play it back, and hear how garbled it sounds?

 

[Carlisle Blues]

I've noticed that too, and wonder if anyone but their parents and friends can understand them. Maybe record themselves reading a paragraph, play it back, and hear how garbled it sounds?

But if they can understand themselves they will not see anything wrong with the way they pronounce their words or the way it sounds and it will act to reinforce the poor enunciation...[huh]

 

[Paisley]

But if they can understand themselves they will not see anything wrong with the way they pronounce their words or the way it sounds and it will act to reinforce the poor enunciation...[huh]

I don't know for certain that it would work, but if the paragraph is unfamiliar, they might not understand what they just said. Hearing or seeing a recording of yourself can be eye-opening.

 

[John in Covina]

Spiro T Agnew had it right: "Permissiveness" if you let them get away with bad habits they don't go away they become entrenched in society. I blame parents and teachers. The parents & public school system in many areas seem hell bent on bringing mediocrity to new heights.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

I don't know for certain that it would work, but if the paragraph is unfamiliar, they might not understand what they just said. Hearing or seeing a recording of yourself can be eye-opening.

Yes you may be right . Also it will be a test to see if they can read as well...lol

 

[Paisley]

When I was in high school and college 20 years ago, we were required to take a class in making speeches. Is that not the case anymore?

 

[John in Covina]

When I was in high school and college 20 years ago, we were required to take a class in making speeches. Is that not the case anymore?

In many places the concept that a students feelings might be put upon struggling with a public speaking class makes for another dropped requirement.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

In many places the concept that a students feelings might be put upon struggling with a public speaking class makes for another dropped requirement.

In my part of the world "Public Speaking" is required. Actually it is very competitive and then the student is allowed on the debating team which competes nationally.

 

[Viola]

Fast, run-together talking can be quite vintage. I could source you some classic speakers of several under-enunciated regional/cultural English speaking dialects.

Vintage =/= '50s white-collar Midwestern with all other styles as shambling modern monstrosities blighting the landscape.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Keep in mind too that a run-together fast, slurry dialect can be an effective way of keeping "outsiders" outside -- think about how impenetrable something like stereotypical Cockney dialect can be to those who don't natively speak it. Perhaps for a lot of kids today they don't always *want* adults/authority figures to understand what they're saying.