"a warning singsong"

[Laurence Horn]

At 11:30 AM -0400 3/16/11, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>It suddenly occurs to me that the suprasegmental in question was popularized
>in the phrase,
>
>"You'll be SORRReeeee!"

Then there's the teasing suprasegmental melody for "Sandy's got a
boyfriend/girlfriend".  Not a warning, but perhaps (depending on
Sandy's temperament) crusin' for a bruisin'.

LH



>
>which was in wide use in teh early '40s. (Though I can't find a prescise
>characterization of it quickly, it is usally styled something like the
>above. Whenever I've heard it, it's the typical "warning singsong.")
>
>I believe the phrase got started on a radio show. Did Red Skelton have
>something to do with it?
>
>At any rate, the questions remain. Is the suprasegmental a 1940s innovation,
>or (as I think) did "You'll be sorreeee!" simply exploit an
>established feature?
>
>JL
>On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 11:04 AM, Jonathan Lighter
><wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  -----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>>  Subject:      Re: "a warning singsong"
>>
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>  I don't think so. I don't recall that as being nearly as rhythmical and
>>  up-and-down as what I'm thinking of.
>>
>>  But even so, it would still have been in the early '50s.
>>
>>  Has anybody heard the "warning singsong suprasegmental" from speakers born
>>  before, say, the 1920s?
>>
>>  I get the feeling that it was invented by pioneering rug-rats and carried
>>  over into "grownup" life.
>>
>>  JL
>>   On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 10:50 AM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com>
>>  wrote:
>>
>>  > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  > -----------------------
>>  > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  > Poster:       Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
>>  > Subject:      Re: "a warning singsong"
>>  >
>>  >
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >
>>  > Was Desi Arnaz's "Lucy! You have some esplainin' to do!" a singsong?
>>  >
>>  > DanG
>>  >
>>  > On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 10:45 AM, Jonathan Lighter
>>  > <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:
>>  >
>>  > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  > > -----------------------
>>  > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  > > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>>  > > Subject:      "a warning singsong"
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  >
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  > >
>>  > > I mean that universally recognized singsong suprasegmental that people
>>  > use
>>  > > to suggest that you'd better stop what you're doing instantly. It can
>>  > also
>>  > > be used with "I told you so!" for extra obnoxiousness.  That would be a
>>  > > "triumphant singsong"; GB gives a 1906 hit - out of only nine exx. -
>>  but
>>  > > that one seems insufficiently sarcastic  (if that's the right word.)
>>  > >
>>  > > A "warning singsong (tone)" is about the best way I can describe the
>>  > > principal phenomenon.  GB's earliest relevant hit (and there are very
>>  > few)
>>  > > is from 1951, pretty recently from Hengest's standpoint.
>>  > >
>>  > > My mother used to use it on occasion, but I can't recall if she started
>>  > in
>>  > > my earliest childhood or later.  My feeling is that it was later, when
>>  > > everybody was using it, including me. But I can't picture my
>>  grandparents
>>  > > using it.
>>  > >
>>  > > Questions:
>>  > >
>>  > > 1. Is this feature common in other languages?
>>  > >
>>  > > 2. What's the earliest evidence for its existence in English?  Did
>>  young
>>  > > Will Shakespeare employ it?  (For that matter, did he go, "Nyah nyah
>>  nyah
>>  > > nyaah nyah"? I fear that history is mute on that question.)
>>  > >
>>  > > JL
>>  > >
>>  > > --
>>  > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
>  > > truth."
>>  > >
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>>
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>
>
>
>--
>"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
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