And so I was like, "No way!" And he went, "Way!"

[TXlib]

Another grammatical pet peeve:

People who use 'like' and 'went' when they mean 'said'.

Especially in writing. I'll let it slide in informal conversation, but not in formal discussion, or writing.

I taught a writing class for several years, and I always had to explain to the students that poor (or lazy) grammar, to most people, signifies poor education.

Same thing with strong regional dialects; I feel you need to make an effort to speak in the Standard American Dialect in formal/business situations.

On Edit, for clarification:
I have no problem with people speaking conversationally in informal conversations -- people should not sound like books all the time -- but in a business setting or other professional setting, I think excessive use of local colloquialism and contemporary slang creates an unprofessional image.

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. yo, that's like, not cool, yo

Like, how can you mock my grammar, yo?

[VelmaD]

2. Standard American Dialect - blah

How very boring. Sorry I don't sound more like a white guy from the midwest. :eyes:

[Bertha Venation]

5. But you can!

Just go getcha some Wonder Bread & Velveeta.

I'm with you, Velma. In writing, I clean it up. But I'm going to speak in natural cadences, and if that includes slang, so be it. I force no one to listen to me speak.

[VelmaD]

7. One of the nice things about living in Texas...

is that a certain amount of the local dialect isn't just acceptable in business meetings...it's practically required. It puts people at their ease I think.

One of the things that I'm most concerned about when I leave the State is that people here my drawl and immediately deduct 30 IQ points.

And re: Velveeta and Wonder Bread...eww, just eeeeeeeeewwwwww.

[Bertha Venation]

18. Well, then, you don't even want the recipe for

Five-Can Casserole. ;)

"One of the things that I'm most concerned about when I leave the State is that people here my drawl and immediately deduct 30 IQ points." -- I learned an extremely valuable thing when I fell in love with Mrs. V. She's from Tennessee; I'm from California; we met on line, and got to know each other very well before we ever spoke on the phone. The first time we spoke, my first, instant, involuntary thought was -- "hick?!" inferring to myself without ever thinking it that she must be stoopid. I was instantly ashamed of myself and learned in about three seconds that (1) I held an insane prejudice and didn't even know it, and (2) that that prejudice is absolutely ignorant and completely idiotic. I was so ashamed.

[VelmaD]

21. I think it takes a really big person...

to own up to that kind of thing in public. Takes an even bigger person to admit it and then move past it. :hug:

Do I wanta know what's in 5 can casserole or am I better off not knowing? :)

[Bertha Venation]

24. Five-Can Casserole

1. Put a big pot on the stove.

2. Open your pantry and grab the first five cans you see.

3. Open the cans and pour the contents into the pot.

4. Throw in a one-pound loaf of Velveeta to glue it all together.

5. Heat, stir well, serve.

Just a li'l recipe from my fantastic PWT upbringing. ;)


(BTW, I am a really big person, until the end of April, anyway. Ha. :D)

[GOPisEvil]

25. You need some meat with that casserole...

...might I suggest baloney, fried in butter? :9

[Bertha Venation]

27. It's got meat. Vienna Sausages.

Generic, of course.

[GOPisEvil]

29. LOL! No Underwood Deviled Ham?

:D

[Shrek]

38. No, no, no, that's all wrong.

Vienna sausages are WAY too upscale for this recipe.

You need to get some "potted meat product" for it to realize its full potential.

[Bertha Venation]

40. my bad...

My mother must not have paid attention in Home Ec for PWT class. ;)

[VelmaD]

28. That is the most disgusting thing...

I think I've ever heard. Eeeeeeeew. What if you end up with chili and beets and peaches in heavy syrup? Blech.

[Bertha Venation]

30. Take what you get, hon!

:bounce:

(Psst... it's not real...)

[TXlib]

16. I don't mind an accent.

What I mind is grammar so bad it makes me wince.

[dolo amber]

3. Some of us

grew up where it was like all NORMAL to say these things, y'know... :P

[AspenRose]

4. Dude!

That's like, you know, so uncool!
(sorry I couldn't resist...and my degree is in English);)

[Mikimouse]

6. You are SO, like 60s...

but then again, so am I.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

8. People who speak perfect english...

Obviously feel like they have something to prove. It's one thing to speak properly in a formal setting. Everywhere else though, just be yourself. Ultimately, I don't trust people that feel compelled to speak perfectly in normal conversation. They are either overcompensating for something or have an inferiority complex.

[pagerbear]

15. For what, pray tell, do you imagine they are compensating?

[TXlib]

19. I never said don't be yourself.

Just don't shoot yourself in the foot in an interview, or in a professional setting by insisting on being yourself, when that might lend an air of unprofessionalism.

With friends and family, hell, let your freak flag fly.

[Mrs. Venation]

34. Overcompensating? Inferiority Complex?

Maybe it's just that some people have an appreciation and respect for the language. There's nothing wrong with that, sir.

[mr blur]

35. like, er... bollocks!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

37. Or else they were brought up by parents who spoke that way

as I did.

My parents always spoke standard English at home. That's why I don't have to think about whether it's "lie" or "lay," and I don't say things like, "between you and I."

[ret5hd]

9. waell, i sez thet enywun...

whut don't lak ma grammur kin just kiss ma suthern ass. an if'n you'se don't lak that you'se kin kiss ma suthern ass agin.

:>

[felonious thunk]

10. I find it irritating in all professional situations

Even when you hear someone interviewed on the radio, "and so like, um, I was all like." The language has really been pop culturized. I don't have a problem with the regional dialects, in the sense that people grow up with certain language patterns, but there's a wholesale slanging of the language. I think caused in large part by pop culture, since sounding unintelligible isn't really a dialect, but laziness.

[VelmaD]

The "um" thing drives me NUTS

I don't care which accent or dialect a person speaks in. But the constant "um...um...um" makes me insane.

[SOteric]

31. Yeah, it's a little frustrating if it's excessive, but I can cure it

in my students.

The occassional 'um' I let go. It's mostly a sign of discomfort with public speaking. Someone letting slip sufficient 'ums' in a short blurb of speech I diagnose with a serious case of 'um-disease.' I tell the student I'll give them 50 bonus points on their grade if they cease using 'um' or any substitute conversational crutch by the end of the quarter. But for every instance where a classmate reports their usage of 'um' during our class period, the classmate is awarded one point out of that 50.

[Bertha Venation]

36. how about "you know"?

Do the contracts of professional athletes contain a bonus clause -- $500 for each time one utters the phrase "you know" in a post-game interview? :eyes:

[Bucky]

11. Totally, dude! I'm all, "whatever," to that shizit in my philosophizzle

[utopian]

12. And what is the standard american dialect?

It would be pretty boring if everyone spoke the same way. Personally, I enjoy dialects. They are manifestations of local cultures, adding color to local palettes. In our Wal Mart-strip mall culture, dialects are one of the few things left that tell us where we are. Of course, code switching is an important ability. Most people can switch gears between levels of formality. Those who don't are definitely in danger of looking bad or out of place. Still, they shouldn't have to sound like Dan Rather to succeed in a formal situation.

Just my opinion.

On edit: I do agree that using "like," etc. in writing is not good, but that is one of those situations where we need to know our audience. It's less a case of using dialect than a case of bad writing.

[thom1102]

13. A study on those speech patterns actually revealed...

That "like" and "he went" are actually being used in a fashion consistent with thier meaning, meaning that they are used to indicate that they didn't actually, verbatim say that but what they said was approximately this. For instance "he was, like "no way", and I went like, "duh!"" actually says "he said something to the effect of "no way," and my response was something like "duh!"" and is much more efficient at conveying the same thought.

[utopian]

14. good point

Still, too many "likes" sounds pretty air headed. I guess it's all a matter of context.

[bkcc]

20. "like" is bad...

what really drives me INSANE is when people send out formal correspondence using "they're" or "there" instead of "their"...

or "to" instead of "too".

*and just a note: the plural form of words are not created by adding an apostrophe followed by an S!!

grrrrr.

[TXlib]

17. For clarification

I have no problem with people speaking conversationally in informal conversations -- people should not sound like books all the time -- but in a business setting or other professional setting, I think excessive use of local colloquialism and contemporary slang creates an unprofessional image.

[mac56]

22. "I'm all.. "he's all.." "she's all.."

Those are the variants that make me nuts.

[ScreamingMeemie]

42. and one step further..."He was all like..

:)

[arwalden]

23. Dude! What About Question-Speak?

There are these people? And they drive me crazy? Because everything they say? Sounds like a question?

Even when it's just a sentence? They make it sound like a question?

-- Allen

[bif]

26. When everybody knows the opposite of "No way" is "Yeah way".

My kids do that all the time. Drives me batty.

[SOteric]

32. Phttt! Phurphoo.

It don't make no nevermind.

[SarahB]

33. I can understand that

Unfortunately, I have found the opposite problem with people asking me why I "use those $10 words and stuff" when I talk just how I normally talk and that it makes me sound "stuck up". :eyes:

[Nikia]

39. My language is geting bad

I went to college with very intelligent people, many who grew up in uppermiddle class or upper class households. In college, I usually used grammar well, little slang, and a bigger variety of words. Now I work in a rural Wisconsin food processing plant. My husband has commented how my grammar and language has deteriated. What am I to do?

[ScreamingMeemie]

41. And so Txlib goes,"stop talking like that." And so I go,

"talking like what?" Some people are just a mess, you know what I'm saying???

;)