Fw: Teenage speak and beyond

Fri Jun 1 09:45:13 UTC 2007

Thank you for confirming my observation. I think "hitting the media" is a
vital point in the spread of this.  The media can instantly affect speech
patterns, especially among the young who are so hooked on it. I really would
like to know if there are any studies that have been done on this talk.
Although not universal, it is pervasive enough to be an annoying and
corrupting element in many American young people's speech.
(Don't forget "sax" or "sux" for "sex.")

Richard Vallis

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Zurinskas" <truespel at HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 10:42 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Teenage speak and beyond

> ---------------------- Information from the mail
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Tom Zurinskas <truespel at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Fw: Teenage speak and beyond
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
>
> Good point, Richard.  Interesting the dynamic of how accents start.  They
> can start with kids, just like clothing styles change.  If it hits the
media
> and can spread like wildfire - totally arbitrary and capricious and in
> violation of spelling conventions.   I hear "keds" for "kids" and "sex"
for
> "six".  My favorite is "chooldren" (Where "oo" is as in "wool") for
> children.
>
> Another favorite is what I call the California power purr.  (linguists
must
> have a term for this, hopefully not in greek).  It's a purring sound down
in
> the vocal chords that show a very relaxed casual, almost fay attitude,
like
> nothing is bothering me, I'm so above it all I'm purring
>
> Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL5+
> See truespel.com - and the 4  truespel books plus "Occasional Poems" at
> authorhouse.com.
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: Richard Vallis <rvallis at OPTONLINE.NET>
> >Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> >Subject: Re: Fw: Teenage speak and beyond
> >Date: Thu, 31 May 2007 21:05:20 -0400
> >
> >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >-----------------------
> >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Poster:       Richard Vallis <rvallis at OPTONLINE.NET>
> >Subject:      Re: Fw: Teenage speak and beyond
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
> >
> >  In my experience, the  individuals to which I refer, DO NOT speak this
> >way
> >prior to adolescence.  They acquire an affectation after the onset of
their
> >teen years.  Hence,  it is not a regional speech pattern.
> >It can be heard in Great Neck, Rosllyn, Scarsdale and New Rochelle in
the
> >New York City vicinity where I live, and in upwardly mobile
neighborhoods
> >of other metropolitan areas.
> >Perhaps you might want to dig a little deeper into this.
> >
> >Richard Vallis
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Michael H Covarrubias" <mcovarru at PURDUE.EDU>
> >To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 7:40 PM
> >Subject: Re: Fw: Teenage speak and beyond
> >
> >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail
> >header -----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       Michael H Covarrubias <mcovarru at PURDUE.EDU>
> > > Subject:      Re: Fw: Teenage speak and beyond
> > >
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >-----
> > >
> > > Better points than anything I was trying to make. Well taken.
> > >
> > > Michael
> > >
> > > Quoting "Gordon, Matthew J." <GordonMJ at MISSOURI.EDU>:
> > >
> > > > Both the lowering of /E/ and the backing of /ae/ are found in the =
> > > > California Shift and the Canadian Shift. People inclined to believe
in
> >=
> > > > chain shifting might chalk these movements up to the presence of the
=
> > > > low-back merger (cot=3Dcaught) in both these regions. But, feel free
> >to
> >=
> > > > ignore such structuralist explanations and continue psychoanalyzing.
> > > >
> > > > Self-promotion: http://www.pbs.org/speak/ahead/change/changin/
> > > >
> > > > -Matt Gordon
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > >
> > > >
> > > > >  In what appears to be an attempt at speech sophistication, the =
> > > > adolescent
> > > > > girl (and occasional guy) characteristically distorts the vowel =
> > > > sounds,
> > > > > especially  the  "e" as in the word best.  Best becomes "bast" or
=
> > > > "bost" or
> > > > > "bus."  Better becomes "batter" as the mouth opens wide to
> >accommodate
> >=
> > > > this
> > > > > apparently classy way of enunciating.  Other vowel sounds are =
> > > > similarly
> > > > > affected by the sophisticatedly wide open mouth.  Bush becomes
> >"bahsh"
> >=
> > > > and on
> > > > > it goes, endlessly.  What's more daunting, is that the individual
=
> > > > continues
> > > > > this distortion into post adolescence and beyond when a young
> >person's
> > > > > apparent need for "fitting in" and peer pressure would seem to be
> > > > > diminished.
> > > > >
> > > > > Television personalities and actors have generally been purged of
> >it,
> >=
> > > > but it
> > > > > maddeningly rears itself, wide-mouthed, in commercials.  What's =
> > > > surprising is
> > > > > that most listeners don't seem to notice the bend in pronunciation
=
> > > > until it's
> > > > > pointed out to them....
> > > > >
> > > > > Richard Vallis
> > > > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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