LL-L 'Quoting' 2007.02.08 (08) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 08 February 2007 - Volume 08

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From: Pat Reynolds <pat at caerlas.demon.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L 'Quoting' 2007.02.07 (03) [E]

In message
<57c981290702070740g60c396e2w488ffe375507094d at mail.gmail.com>,
Lowlands-L List <lowlands.list at GMAIL.COM> (i.e. Gabrielle writes
 >...
>This certainly rings a bell. In my American ex-husband's family, all the
>(generally very sarcastic) males will talk like that when quoting a man
they
>don't particularly like, or who they think has done something stupid.
 >....

This reminds me very much of the use of language and gesture which my
grandmother taught me was used in domestic service in the first half of
the 20th century in the English midlands.

Because one's words could be reported, the actual meaning of what was
said had to be 'un-newsworthy', but use of assumed accents, tone and
gesture left the hearers in no doubt as to the meaning - usually dislike
or scorn.   This was applied both to quoting, and to direct comments.

The kinds of things which are quoted remind me of this: they are
innocent in themselves (what's wrong with someone saying 'I don't know'
- wise words in many situations.  It's the intonation and gesture rather
than the content that shows the speaker's attitude (and invites us to
join the speaker in that attitude.  Saying 'so he's like ...' or 'so she
goes ...' may function to remove the allegation of (mis)quotation yet
another step.

Best wishes,

Pat

--
Pat Reynolds

•

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