LL-L "Language varieties" 2002.04.15 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 15.APR.2002 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
 Rules: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/rules.html>
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Server Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 Archive: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html>
=======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
=======================================================================

From: "Pepijn Hendriks" <pepijnh at gmx.net>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2002.04.14 (02) [E]

"John M. Tait" <jmtait at wirhoose.co.uk> wrote:

> Also Tony Head, playing the very English Giles in Buffy the Vampire
> Slayer, saying 'someplace' rather than 'somewhere', which certainly
> sounded like an Americanism to me. Of course, I could be wrong -
> perhaps these phrases have become common in British English without me
> noticing. I've heard the butler in Fresh Prince of Bel Air (is that how
> you spell it?) pronouncing American English with an English accent too,
> though I can't give examples.

We also have to take into account the possibility that pronouncing
American expressions with a British accent may even be intentional.

These films or series are not primarily aimed at an American rather than
a foreign audience. And whereas the average American viewer can tell a
British from an American accent when they hear one, they might have more
trouble with 'strange' words.

Also, the script writers might simply not be aware of all the
differences and don't have them checked by a native speaker. (As someone
who knows Russian, I'm regularly amazed by what is intended to sound or
look like Russian in American films.)

Regarding the butler in _The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air_: he is played by
Joseph Marcell. According to the Internet Movie Database
(<http://uk.imdb.com>), he was born in Saint Lucia. Another site states
that he moved to England with his parents at the age of five
(<http://members.tripod.com/Jeep2483/joseph.html>).

-Pepijn

--
 pepijnh at bigfoot.com -- http://www.bigfoot.com/~pepijnh -- ICQ - 6033220

----------

From: Edwin Alexander <edsells at cogeco.ca>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2002.04.15 (02) [E]

At 08:04 PM 04/14/02 -0700, "Ian James Parsley (Laptop)" wrote:

  Certain really obvious Americanisms are creeping in which I find
  particularly interesting. Few Brits could tell you anything about
  baseball, yet they might quite happily talk about 'touching base' or a
  'ballpark figure'.

Including yourself, obviously.  "Touching base" has nothing to do with
baseball, but refers to "checking in" with a person.  In this case, "to
touch the base" means to call into the office or "base".  You're right
about "ballpark figure".  Do you also use the expression, "right off the
bat"?

Ed Alexander
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
BRUCE TRAIL 500 KM FUNDRAISER: http://www.deerhurst.com/fundraiser

----------

From: "W!M" <wkv at home.nl>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2002.04.15 (02) [E]

Don't worry, in Dutch it's even wors...

[Wim Verdoold]

----------

From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Language varieties"

> From: "Ian James Parsley (Laptop)" <parsleyij at ukonline.co.uk>
> Subject: 'Plain English'
>
> It is really quite remarkable how the phrase 'We haven't considered this
> yet' can be 'translated' to make 50 words in Civil-Servantese! Is this
> something that is easier in English, or is the whole world at it?

The classic essay on the reasons and remedies for this problem
is "Politics and the English Language", by George Orwell (1946).
It can be found at:

http://www.resort.com/~prime8/Orwell/patee.html

It would be nice if all civil servants (and technical authors,
in some companies) read this, though whether they would want
to take its advice is another question.

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
A dinna dout him, for he says that he
On nae accoont wad ever tell a lee.
                          - C.W.Wade,
                    'The Adventures o McNab'

==================================END===================================
 You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
 request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
 as message text from the same account to
 <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
 <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
=======================================================================
 * Please submit postings to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   type of format, in your submissions
=======================================================================