The language is mutating (and always has done)

[JimJay]

All very well being snobby about "soshul meejah" but you are indulging in it yourself! Pot calling the kettle!
All in all I think "soshul meejah" is a good thing and gives a voice to the otherwise unheard. More importantly it exposes them to alternative opinions which you won't find in the conservative MSM.

I also use public transport - does that preclude me from complaining about the idiots who p*ss in the carriages?

If you listen to most of what the "otherwise unheard" have to say and the dross they appear to believe, I'd say that being unheard stops them from making fools of themselves to a wider audience and does the rest of us a great favour. I'm all for the "right to free speech" but that includes my right to say what I think about what they say, and indeed yours to voice your thoughts on what I say - preferably without the chip, if that's possible, but with if it's really an integral part of your thought process.

 

[Jacob]

...... I'm all for the "right to free speech" but that includes my right to say what I think about what they say, and indeed yours to voice your thoughts on what I say .....

Exactly.

 

[Droogs]

The amount of communications via digital means has indeed increased exponentially but the vocabulary has definitely shrunk

 

[Yojevol]

my mate and I

Here's an example of how our language is changing; irreversibly it would seem. I even heard P. William, sorry, P. of Wales (does that make him a POW?) get it wrong recently. In Fergie's case above his 'I' is the, or one of the, objects of the sentence and should therefore be 'me'. I suspect Fergie used 'my mate and I' because he is aware that 'my mate and me' is usually used wrongly as the subject of a sentence.
My English teacher at school (so the problem has been with us for a long time) advised 'if in doubt remove the other person and the correct use of I or ME will be obvious.
At least Fergie got the order right; most people would use 'me and my mate'. It's more polite to put yourself after the other party.
Brian

 

[John Brown]

Here's an example of how our language is changing; irreversibly it would seem. I even heard P. William, sorry, P. of Wales (does that make him a POW?) get it wrong recently. In Fergie's case above his 'I' is the, or one of the, objects of the sentence and should therefore be 'me'. I suspect Fergie used 'my mate and I' because he is aware that 'my mate and me' is usually used wrongly as the subject of a sentence.
My English teacher at school (so the problem has been with us for a long time) advised 'if in doubt remove the other person an the correct use of I or ME will be obvious.
At least Fergie got the order right; most people would use 'me and my mate'. It's more polite to put yourself after the other party.
Brian

Funnily enough, we were just explaining the "I" "me" thing to our eight year old granddaughter. It's a very common mistake.
One of my pet peeves is "exponentially", which seems to have lost pretty much all of its original meaning. If you have money in the bank, and they're paying you 0.0001% interest, that's an exponential increase in strict terms. More interesting is the talk of exponential decreases.

 

[John Brown]

Genuine question: I reckon I speak home counties English, not RP to be sure(I don't say "tepra cotta",for example), but not "estry" either, but I think I pronounce "social" and "soshul" the same way(although I don't think I say "meeja"). Am I missing some subtle nuance of accent?

 

[Jacob]

Genuine question: I reckon I speak home counties English, not RP to be sure(I don't say "tepra cotta",for example), but not "estry" either, but I think I pronounce "social" and "soshul" the same way(although I don't think I say "meeja"). Am I missing some subtle nuance of accent?

Wos "tepra cotta"? Some sorta cheese or summink?

 

[Fergie 307]

I also use public transport - does that preclude me from complaining about the idiots who p*ss in the carriages?

If you listen to most of what the "otherwise unheard" have to say and the dross they appear to believe, I'd say that being unheard stops them from making fools of themselves to a wider audience and does the rest of us a great favour. I'm all for the "right to free speech" but that includes my right to say what I think about what they say, and indeed yours to voice your thoughts on what I say - preferably without the chip, if that's possible, but with if it's really an integral part of your thought process.

one of my all time favourites, " better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt", brilliant.

 

[Fergie 307]

Here's an example of how our language is changing; irreversibly it would seem. I even heard P. William, sorry, P. of Wales (does that make him a POW?) get it wrong recently. In Fergie's case above his 'I' is the, or one of the, objects of the sentence and should therefore be 'me'. I suspect Fergie used 'my mate and I' because he is aware that 'my mate and me' is usually used wrongly as the subject of a sentence.
My English teacher at school (so the problem has been with us for a long time) advised 'if in doubt remove the other person an the correct use of I or ME will be obvious.
At least Fergie got the order right; most people would use 'me and my mate'. It's more polite to put yourself after the other party.
Brian

Suitably chastened. I will take my place in the corner

 

[John Brown]

Wos "tepra cotta"? Some sorta cheese or summink?

 

[Fergie 307]

Ah, I see. You had me too with that one

 

[Jacob]

Tape recorder! Right. I'd never have guessed!

 

[John Brown]

Tape recorder! Right. I'd never have guessed!

That's because you're not posh, Jacob.

 

[Fergie 307]

Me neitherr guv (tugging forelock)

 

[Tris]

And *** is what posh people get their coal in

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's what Kiwis put their potatoes in.

 

[Noel]

It's when you have your evening meal.................

 

[JimJay]

Genuine question: I reckon I speak home counties English, not RP to be sure(I don't say "tepra cotta",for example), but not "estry" either, but I think I pronounce "social" and "soshul" the same way(although I don't think I say "meeja"). Am I missing some subtle nuance of accent?

No. The reference was more to the slurring and misspelling which are so prevalent these days. It'd perhaps be amusing if it were done deliberately, and sparingly, but that certainly doesn't seem to be the case.....

 

[Jacob]

No. The reference was more to the slurring and misspelling which are so prevalent these days. It'd perhaps be amusing if it were done deliberately, and sparingly, but that certainly doesn't seem to be the case.....

Better slurred and/or spelled badly, than not said at all. No reason to believe it's more prevalent today.
We want to hear what people want to say and there's plenty of smart alecs around to assist by pointing out their spelling mistakes!

 

[Jacob]

It's when you have your evening meal.................

After or before?