That weird way of speaking..

Fourteen

This has become more and more common. What I'm talking about is people speaking in a tone appropriate for asking a question when making a statement.

I know it's been around ages, but it's actually annoying now I've noticed it properly.

WTF is this all about?

later12

Oh yeah, my friend does that?
who spent a summer in Boston?
like on a J1?
It's really.... pathetic?
I once sat beside a girl on the luas?
I had to ask her if she was from California?
Or Cabinteely?

Babybuff

American intonation........?

AngryBollix

Its not as bad as people who knowingly mispronounce words.

Growth as gross

Three as Free

etc

MrStuffins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmDgl-Y-kiU

The King of Moo

Even worse, I've noticed a lot of people now typing a question mark at the end of a statement.

I think it might be laziness: people not being bothered to express their own puzzlement at something contained within the statement, or not bothering to write the question they think the statement begs.
I think they're basically using it like the "confused" smiley.
Though of course it's also probably largely a case of simply replicating the way they speak.

It's really annoying?

Hande hoche!

It's all the violent films/video games.

stupidusername

The french do that. blame the french

MrStuffins

stupidusername wrote: »

The french do that. blame the french

Yeah, in Spanish too, The way of asking a question in Spanish is to make the statement but with a rising intonation at the end.

Pretty standard?

Iwannahurl

It's a symptom of our unhealthy relationship with all things American.

That and the wall-to-wall US-produced material clogging up the TV schedules in this country.

Some much so that I think I should be paying my TV licence in, like, dollars?

Dotrel

Fourteen wrote: »

This has become more and more common. What I'm talking about is people speaking in a tone appropriate for asking a question when making a statement.

I know it's been around ages, but it's actually annoying now I've noticed it properly.

WTF is this all about?

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/30/messages/1700.html

Mr.Biscuits

Too many people brought up on Neighbours and Home and Away.

Like when an Australian says something like:

"I'm going to the BEACH!"

You feel like the reply should be:

"How the fcuk should I know where you're going!"

Stephen Fry spoke about it I'm sure - maybe it was on QI.

stupidusername

MrStuffins wrote: »

Yeah, in Spanish too, The way of asking a question in Spanish is to make the statement but with a rising intonation at the end.

Pretty standard?

:mad: I said blame the french!

there's one voiceover guy on Irish tv, he says every sentence in the same variation of tones. and his voice is really irritating. but the opposite of what we're talking about here... his sentences finish from high to low

MrStuffins

Iwannahurl wrote: »

It's a symptom of our unhealthy relationship with all things American.

Like, totes magoats!!!

Fourteen

I've always thought it started in Australia actually. Maybe I'm wrong.

I find it most annoying when people use it as if they're really laid back about something.

newmug

And some of the weather forecasters. What the hell is a clyde?

Gyalist

Babybuff wrote: »

American intonation........?

It's Australian actually. I once read a paper on how the prevalence of Aussie soaps in the UK had influenced their inflection.

etchyed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OluCvL0lRnI

The King of Moo

newmug wrote: »

And some of the weather forecasters. What the hell is a clyde?

You only find them in the skies above ArrTÉ.

Fourteen

etchyed wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OluCvL0lRnI

I remember watching this, fair play to him!

dave3004

i do this alot.

I normally put "is it" at the end of the sentence but sometimes I omit it.

Babybuff

Gyalist wrote: »

It's Australian actually. I once read a paper on how the prevalence of Aussie soaps in the UK had influenced their inflection.

my very ex partner lived in LA for 14 years and that's how he speaks.

WindSock

Sentences in question form to see if you are on board and agree?

Prompts more 'mmmhmm's' from the listener instead of interjections?

MrStuffins

Babybuff wrote: »

my very ex partner lived in LA for 14 years and that's how he speaks.

I'm off to start a thread on this.............

etchyed

Also, Wikipedia.

marcsignal

AngryBollix wrote: »

Its not as bad as people who knowingly mispronounce words.

like those who pronounce the word 'Marketing' as 'Morketing' ??

I've yet to meet anyone who does that, who wasn't a complete and utter, unadulterated, no holes barred, wanker.

Babybuff

MrStuffins wrote: »

I'm off to start a thread on this.............

my current partner doesn't

MrStuffins

marcsignal wrote: »

like those who pronounce the word 'Marketing' as 'Morketing' ??

I've yet to meet anyone who does that, who wasn't a complete and utter, unadulterated, no holes barred, wanker.

"And in other news, the Minister for FIN-ANTS called the GOOOOOTHEE.............."

PseudoFamous

I don't think I've ever heard anyone talking like that?

Liam Byrne

PseudoFamous wrote: »

I don't think I've ever heard anyone talking like that?

I did.....

.....just this one time ? In summer camp ?

--Kaiser--

It's called an upward inflection!

Carry on

xzanti

That's been around years... We have the likes of 'The Hills' and 'Laguna Beach' etc to thank for that.

vader65

The Australian thing is the accent, I notice that American teens and now our own have started to talk like that. Drives me crazy.

Lando Griffin

xzanti wrote: »

That's been around years... We have the likes of 'The Hills' and 'Laguna Beach' etc to thank for that.

and Fade Street??

The J Stands for Jay

Lando Griffin wrote: »

xzanti wrote: »

That's been around years... We have the likes of 'The Hills' and 'Laguna Beach' etc to thank for that.

and Fade Street??

I wouldn't thank fade street for anything. Not even the combined cure for cancer, aids, world hunger, religious intolerance and bad haircuts.

S.R.F.C.

I don't really get it, anyone have a clip to what you're on about?

SisterAnn

The clyde and morketing thing are a separate issue, only connected in that both annoyances are perpatrated by people with self-esteem issues who, in their desperation to be liked, will resort to feigning sophistication by mangling their intonation or vowel sounds.

The upward inflection at the end of sentences actually renders the speaker unsophisticated for me, ironically. I cannot trust them or place my faith in them. I place my faith in people who are sure of what they are talking about and who speak in definite assured terms. The upward inflection gang sound like they are never sure of the subject they are addressing with all those interrogative rising terminals.

Another potential pitfall for these speakers is ending up sounding patronising. It sounds as if they are saying in subtext that you are dumb and may not be sure about all this technical info they are trying to communicate to you:

So I went down to the bus stop? ("You DO know what a bus stop is, don't you?") and there was this really cute guy? ("Cute guy - can you picture that? - I don't know - are you capable? - Am I going slow enough for you here? Are you able to understand a complicated story regaled by somebody as sophisticated as I am?").

FTGFOP

marcsignal wrote: »

no holes barred ****

Sic(k).

JerryHandbag

newmug wrote: »

And some of the weather forecasters. What the hell is a clyde?

River Clyde, Glasgow is what always comes to mind when I hear the weather forecast on ArTE

opinion guy

I was always thought it was meant to a sarcasm thing.

bonzodog2

I believe it was known as the Australian Trailing Interrogative ?

dxhound2005

Another trend creeping in is the use of the word "So" unncessarily at the start of a sentence.

http://boingboing.net/2010/06/17/origins-of-using-so.html

charlemont

Shure tis all dem foriners faalt ...:p

InkSlinger67

Yeah no I understand what you are saying OP

Scamaill

RTE Presenters are big time into this. Listen to them today!

Immaculate Pasta

This is a gripe of mine and it's becoming increasingly common. American TV is to blame.

Fortunately I had an English teacher at school who had a vengeance against intonation and would punish anyone who did it. No one in my class dared speak with an intonation after a year's teaching by him. Did me a lot of good that :cool:

opinion guy

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Another trend creeping in is the use of the word "So" unncessarily at the start of a sentence.

http://boingboing.net/2010/06/17/origins-of-using-so.html

Thats hardly a new thing. If anything I'd say its fading out

Agricola

In otherwords, Miriam O Callaghan speak.

"I mean that, loike, genUINELY?"