Why can't we talk English

bikeralw wrote:My OH originates from quite a bit further north than myself, and she gets annoyed when London based TV presenters emphasise the 'H' when mentioning northern towns. She says to all the inhabitants it's always been Ull and Uddersfield.. 
Just ask Freddie Flintoff..
Al.

My great great grandmother, from South Yorkshire, was housemaid in a rather grand London house. On the census she appears as Helen. We know she was baptised Ellen. I can imagine the scene when the householder, filling in the household census return, called her into the drawing room and asked her full name : " Ellen, my Lord ".  He then presumably made allowances for her northern accent and wrote her down as Helen.

Gromit wrote:Wonder if I'll get another "exclusive offer" from BT today.

A new phone deal offered "exclusively" to me . . . and everyone else on their mailing list!!

Which if you shop around you can get for the same price or even less elsewhere.

So it is not only not "exclusive", it's not even a special "offer"

The one that still gets my teeth grinding is, "I was like . . . . "

It doesn't even make any sense!!

The other current "in" phrase that I really don't understand is "Person of colour"???

In linguistic terms I can't see any difference in meaning or nuance between "Person of colour" and "Coloured person", but it seems the latter is now considered offensive.

Why?? 

I am genuinely baffled by much of the recent ultra PC movement. Surely referring to someone as a coloured person is perfectly respectful, and not at all racist, supremist or demeaning. It's just a simple description of someone who is not white??

I quite agree Dave. I'm baffled by the recent controversy over what's considered 'offensive' language. I have a personal friend who is a person of colour, and she considers both terms are not in the least racist. She jokingly calls me a non-coloured person..
What she can't comprehend is that the N word is rightly abhorrent in general conversation, but is perfectly acceptable when repeated constantly in current rap songs.. What are young folk expected to make of these double standards?
Al.

I don't understand rap either Al, and never listen to it so I wasn't aware of the N word being used in that context.  

But does "Person of colour" even make sense??

I'm with your friend here. It seems to me that most of the "offensive" language you refer to is a manufactured means to an end by those who actively look for ever more ways to be offended.

Or more likely, to be offended "by proxy"!

Should I refer to my 5' 6" shooting mate as "A person of limited altitude" just in case he may be offended by being called "short"? 

Does anyone ever ask those who might be offended if they are actually upset by certain terminology, much of which has been in general, and completely inoffensive use for centuries?  

"Black" is back in favour now, but only a few years ago there was a hell of a furore over it's use, to the extent that "Baa baa black sheep" was banned!

Baffled, I am!! 

Don't dare mention a person's country of birth either.
Who remembers the case of the inept teacher being awarded £15,000 compensation for hurt feelings when a colleague called him an Irish prat?
 Just prat would have been quite acceptable then..
Al.

Most army nicknames tended to be based around ethnicity, size, origin, distinguishing features etc., all probably frowned upon with todays sensibilities.

Doesn't mean a squad wouldn't fight for each other.

It's not the words but how they are said.

The latest phrase that really irritates me is "anytime soon".
Why can't they just say "soon"?

A young lad I worked with about 7 years ago when proclaiming to be telling the truth would state “I swear down” this had most of us rolling around laughing, it seems it’s now a common phrase used in TV drama’s

Just joined and loving this thread - the one that really gets me is 'new and improved'  It can't be both, surely it's either new or it's improved? (apologies for calling you shirley  )

Improved means ..... made cheaper so the only improvement is to the manufacturer 

Pete

Kdc wrote:The English language is a bit odd sometimes,A fat chance and a slim chance both mean the same thing ???

Pricey is less valuable than priceless ...

Or the footballers favourite - saying 'you know' in the middle of a sentence.

Askit wrote:I thought the notorious inclusion of the word "like" randomly in sentences was annoying but the latest fashion for doing similar with "yeh" is really getting on my wick 

No, the inclusion of the word " like" inappropriately throughout every sentence is the one that angers me the most. " If you like know what I mean like"