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Post by the light works on Sept 26, 2016 1:59:38 GMT
Ugh... The "proper English" discussion... We've been having that one around here for a while now. Girlfriend has decided to go back to school and is taking English classes as part of her education. She's not quite as practiced as me, but she's certainly well above average as far as Danes go, so you'd think she would do pretty well in that class. Not so. Why? Because her teacher is so obsessed with "the Queen's English" that most of us here wouldn't get anything above a D grade in her class. The reason is that we apparently teach foreign languages backwards in our schools over here. You're supposed to learn the grammar before you learn to speak or even understand the language and, as a teacher in a system like that, she isn't interested at all in how the language is actually spoken or written on a day-to-day basis, but in how the grammar books say it should be done in "the Queen's English". That would more or less disqualify me from passing her class before I even walk into the room, because I've opted for American English early on and - as we all know - that doesn't fly well with snobby puritans like her. I helped Girlfriend out with one of her first homework assignments. Simple translations of everyday sentences from Danish to English. According to her teacher, I suck at the language and should never make another attempt at speaking or writing it again. Apparently, I'm a blasphemer. Not only because I spell the word that describes hue, saturation and brightness of light reflected off objects "color" as opposed to "colour", but also because I don't compulsively write "I am", "do not", "was not", "it is" and so on, but use the contractions of those words commonly accepted by any native English speaker ("I'm", "don't", "wasn't" etc). That is wrong. I am a repulsive, Americanized individual who does not have any respect for "the Queen's English" and had I been enrolled in her class I would not be permitted to persists with such heresy. I have not been properly trained in the usage of her beloved second language and therefore should not be allowed to utilize it. As soon as Girlfriend told me she was like that, I asked her to issue this snob a challenge: Go through the entire school year without ever handing out a text containing contractions. Once she fails that - and she will - ask her what all those weird little apostrophes in the texts are. Just tell her you do not understand what they mean because you are and always were under the impression that the only correct way to write the English language was to spell everything out all the time. After all, that is what she has told you, is it not? If that is the case, then why are all these professional writers breaking that rule? Don't get me wrong, I can see why it's important to know and understand which words are contracted in what way and why, but that's grade school stuff! My kid has been learning that for over a year now and he's in the 4th grade! By the time you're done with final exams in high school (US)/secondary school (UK), you should at least have a passing grade in G-level English. This is higher education B-level English, for crying out loud! It's one step away from the level that - provided you pass it with a B grade or better - grants you access to studying the language at the highest possible level at college/university! Wouldn't it be fair to assume - maybe even require - that someone who's deemed qualified to study at that level should not only know that "don't" is a contraction of the words "do not", but also how to use that contraction properly?! Can we agree that, "You have to learn the right way before you can take the shortcuts," shouldn't be a valid argument at this level of education, because you damn well should know the right way to even be allowed into that class in the first place?! If you ask me, it's nothing but linguistic snobbery! Some degree-carrying ponce who thinks she's better than everyone else because she's been to university and now she's an expert. The hell you are! If you're not willing to accept that there's a difference between what some puritan linguist at a university taught you and how the language is actually spoken and written in everyday use, you have no business teaching people who need to learn and use it out in the real world in jobs that actually produce something useful for the rest of humanity, you pompous, snobby [EXPLETIVE THAT RHYMES WITH "DITCH"]!!! better: have her produce a one page text, that you can upload here and us cheeky yanks will proceed to do a markup on it. and return her her final grade in conversational English.
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Post by silverdragon on Sept 26, 2016 8:21:39 GMT
Important message to take back. Anyone who is learning to talk like that will be discriminated against as "Posh twit/git/idiot/twerp" by the majority of the rest of the English people. Unless you move in them circles, and have the funds to be 6 star service everywhere, "The queens english" is reserved for either those who are that posh, or twits, which is less than 5% of the general populace.
If you are from a foreign country, we are already impressed that you learnt our language anyway, before you came here, and having a slight accent is just about acceptable as being from another county to anyone here, so stop trying to get yourself hated.
Where as it is welcomed with open arms by anyone who doesnt have to try and translate "pigeon" English [.. thats like pidgin english but less so?..] by someone who only knows two words and thinks they will work everywhere?..
Snobby puritans like here are hated by everyone. Well, everyone who is worth their own salt anyway?.. there are a few [deleted] who would see it as something, but they are less and less. And many people snigger at them when they leave anyway.
She is talking shi----- Who the hell is she to correct you anyway?. For me, I would tell your G/F she is in the WRONG class. Unless she can translate a docker who just unloaded the wrong crate because some [fool] gave him the wrong numbers, she is wasting time. Watch the BBC, do all the presenters "talk like they have a large wooden spoon stuck up their posterior"?.. no. So the queens english is a load of [redacted] kept for twits who fink dat the queen is impressed by it... She aint. She prefers real people from all areas of her empire being "Themselves".
From a "Real" person of the UK who was bought up in an area that had the "Queens english" accent but quickly realised it was bogus, I can tell you, its all bogus, save time and money, quit that class NOW, and just stick to listening to the BBC. ALL of the BBC. Including the parts where people from other parts of England are speaking, without correction, in native dialect. And welcome to it they are.
BTW, I agree with you on the description of that "teacher", my opinion as a person from "Around these parts" is she is wasting time and money.
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Post by the light works on Sept 26, 2016 14:14:08 GMT
Important message to take back. Anyone who is learning to talk like that will be discriminated against as "Posh twit/git/idiot/twerp" by the majority of the rest of the English people. Unless you move in them circles, and have the funds to be 6 star service everywhere, "The queens english" is reserved for either those who are that posh, or twits, which is less than 5% of the general populace. If you are from a foreign country, we are already impressed that you learnt our language anyway, before you came here, and having a slight accent is just about acceptable as being from another county to anyone here, so stop trying to get yourself hated. Where as it is welcomed with open arms by anyone who doesnt have to try and translate "pigeon" English [.. thats like pidgin english but less so?..] by someone who only knows two words and thinks they will work everywhere?.. Snobby puritans like here are hated by everyone. Well, everyone who is worth their own salt anyway?.. there are a few [deleted] who would see it as something, but they are less and less. And many people snigger at them when they leave anyway. She is talking shi----- Who the hell is she to correct you anyway?. For me, I would tell your G/F she is in the WRONG class. Unless she can translate a docker who just unloaded the wrong crate because some [fool] gave him the wrong numbers, she is wasting time. Watch the BBC, do all the presenters "talk like they have a large wooden spoon stuck up their posterior"?.. no. So the queens english is a load of [redacted] kept for twits who fink dat the queen is impressed by it... She aint. She prefers real people from all areas of her empire being "Themselves". From a "Real" person of the UK who was bought up in an area that had the "Queens english" accent but quickly realised it was bogus, I can tell you, its all bogus, save time and money, quit that class NOW, and just stick to listening to the BBC. ALL of the BBC. Including the parts where people from other parts of England are speaking, without correction, in native dialect. And welcome to it they are. BTW, I agree with you on the description of that "teacher", my opinion as a person from "Around these parts" is she is wasting time and money. so there you have it, tell her she can tell the teacher that your friends in the UK and America have told you she can leave the class as useless for teaching english.
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Post by silverdragon on Sept 27, 2016 9:49:26 GMT
Completely agree.
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Post by OziRiS on Sept 27, 2016 22:17:35 GMT
I just had to laugh at this idiot English teacher today.
Girlfriend got an assignment today about the evolution of the English language. The main article the teacher has chosen for the assignment is written by a British linguist. Less than a third down the first page, this linguist mentions "Received Pronunciation", also known as "the Queen's English". She goes on to say that less than 5% of the UK population and less than 1% of the English-speaking world in general speaks like that on a daily basis and the ones who do are often perceived negatively by the general populace as "posh gits" (yes, the article actually says that).
In case you missed it, THE TEACHER PICKED THE ARTICLE HERSELF!!!
In other words, she knows 95% of the UK and 99% of the English-speaking world in general would consider her a "posh git" for speaking the way she does, yet she continues to insist it's "the only right way" and forcing it on her students as such.
When a non-native English-speaker admits to believing she's better than 99% of the people who speak the language every day, I don't think the word "snob" even begins to describe her!
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Post by the light works on Sept 27, 2016 23:40:43 GMT
I just had to laugh at this idiot English teacher today. Girlfriend got an assignment today about the evolution of the English language. The main article the teacher has chosen for the assignment is written by a British linguist. Less than a third down the first page, this linguist mentions "Received Pronunciation", also known as "the Queen's English". She goes on to say that less than 5% of the UK population and less than 1% of the English-speaking world in general speaks like that on a daily basis and the ones who do are often perceived negatively by the general populace as "posh gits" (yes, the article actually says that). In case you missed it, THE TEACHER PICKED THE ARTICLE HERSELF!!! In other words, she knows 95% of the UK and 99% of the English-speaking world in general would consider her a "posh git" for speaking the way she does, yet she continues to insist it's "the only right way" and forcing it on her students as such. When a non-native English-speaker admits to believing she's better than 99% of the people who speak the language every day, I don't think the word "snob" even begins to describe her! "Posh Git" might be better
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Post by OziRiS on Sept 27, 2016 23:51:53 GMT
I just had to laugh at this idiot English teacher today. Girlfriend got an assignment today about the evolution of the English language. The main article the teacher has chosen for the assignment is written by a British linguist. Less than a third down the first page, this linguist mentions "Received Pronunciation", also known as "the Queen's English". She goes on to say that less than 5% of the UK population and less than 1% of the English-speaking world in general speaks like that on a daily basis and the ones who do are often perceived negatively by the general populace as "posh gits" (yes, the article actually says that). In case you missed it, THE TEACHER PICKED THE ARTICLE HERSELF!!! In other words, she knows 95% of the UK and 99% of the English-speaking world in general would consider her a "posh git" for speaking the way she does, yet she continues to insist it's "the only right way" and forcing it on her students as such. When a non-native English-speaker admits to believing she's better than 99% of the people who speak the language every day, I don't think the word "snob" even begins to describe her! "Posh Git" might be better Which is pretty much Brit speak for "snobby idiot", so if "snob" doesn't cover it, "posh git" won't either.
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Post by silverdragon on Sept 28, 2016 6:55:49 GMT
I just had to laugh at this idiot English teacher today. Girlfriend got an assignment today about the evolution of the English language. The main article the teacher has chosen for the assignment is written by a British linguist. Less than a third down the first page, this linguist mentions "Received Pronunciation", also known as "the Queen's English". She goes on to say that less than 5% of the UK population and less than 1% of the English-speaking world in general speaks like that on a daily basis and the ones who do are often perceived negatively by the general populace as "posh gits" (yes, the article actually says that). In case you missed it, THE TEACHER PICKED THE ARTICLE HERSELF!!! In other words, she knows 95% of the UK and 99% of the English-speaking world in general would consider her a "posh git" for speaking the way she does, yet she continues to insist it's "the only right way" and forcing it on her students as such. When a non-native English-speaker admits to believing she's better than 99% of the people who speak the language every day, I don't think the word "snob" even begins to describe her! We have a special "place" reserved for people like that. If I should suggest that you dont want to know what goes on in the Kitchens of a decent restaurant that everyone else who isnt like that uses, especially if they get all "picky" over what goes on their plate, you know that the rest of us like to play a little "Catchup" behind their backs?.. No, seriously, I know people like that, and as my Dad in one of his first jobs used to deliver to Lord Spencer, Diana's Dad, I know not all rich people are twerps, because he used to take his jacket of roll up his sleeves and help my Dad unload. There are two types of Rich. Real rich who may have the best wellingtons money can buy, but you may see that they are well worn, because they like to get good value for money, or the plastic debt set, the loud brash over privileged twerps. The loud brash ones are the ones you hear and see most, and they are the ones that "push" the forced plumb accent. [you dont want to ask where the plumb was forced?.. ]
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Post by silverdragon on Sept 28, 2016 6:57:04 GMT
Its a strange irony that snob and snub are so close together...
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Post by OziRiS on Sept 28, 2016 18:39:07 GMT
Getting back to the original topic of the thread, am I the only one who feels the need to coin a new word for "so far beyond regular snobby it's ridiculous"?
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Post by the light works on Sept 28, 2016 23:54:41 GMT
Getting back to the original topic of the thread, am I the only one who feels the need to coin a new word for "so far beyond regular snobby it's ridiculous"? I suggest: Kanyecated; being so egotistical you can't comprehend people thinking you're an idiot. Supertentious: a case of being so far beyond pretentious, pretentious no longer works. altenate, hypertentious.
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Post by OziRiS on Sept 29, 2016 0:32:26 GMT
Getting back to the original topic of the thread, am I the only one who feels the need to coin a new word for "so far beyond regular snobby it's ridiculous"? I suggest: Kanyecated; being so egotistical you can't comprehend people thinking you're an idiot. Supertentious: a case of being so far beyond pretentious, pretentious no longer works. altenate, hypertentious. Kanyecated - while certainly a good word - will eventually die because the person it refers to will hopefully be fully forgotten in about 5-10 years. I like hypertentious. Especially because it sounds a lot like hypertension and I imagine people who think that highly of themselves often get high blood pressure around "inferior specimens of the species".
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Post by the light works on Sept 29, 2016 2:28:41 GMT
I suggest: Kanyecated; being so egotistical you can't comprehend people thinking you're an idiot. Supertentious: a case of being so far beyond pretentious, pretentious no longer works. altenate, hypertentious. Kanyecated - while certainly a good word - will eventually die because the person it refers to will hopefully be fully forgotten in about 5-10 years. I like hypertentious. Especially because it sounds a lot like hypertension and I imagine people who think that highly of themselves often get high blood pressure around "inferior specimens of the species". I do agree on hypertentious. I think I'm liking hyper more than super.
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Post by OziRiS on Sept 29, 2016 8:25:35 GMT
Anyone else have some input on this? Perhaps a suggestion for an even better word?
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Post by silverdragon on Sept 30, 2016 8:09:54 GMT
Getting back to the original topic of the thread, am I the only one who feels the need to coin a new word for "so far beyond regular snobby it's ridiculous"? You mean beyond the normal "yuppie" or "posh twit" or other words I cant put here?..
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Post by the light works on Sept 30, 2016 14:33:25 GMT
Getting back to the original topic of the thread, am I the only one who feels the need to coin a new word for "so far beyond regular snobby it's ridiculous"? You mean beyond the normal "yuppie" or "posh twit" or other words I cant put here?.. yes, we're looking for something beyond the current epithets.
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Post by silverdragon on Oct 1, 2016 7:05:29 GMT
You mean beyond the normal "yuppie" or "posh twit" or other words I cant put here?.. yes, we're looking for something beyond the current epithets. Afluensic. Contraction of Affluent and sick with it.
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Post by OziRiS on Oct 1, 2016 22:19:51 GMT
yes, we're looking for something beyond the current epithets. Afluensic. Contraction of Affluent and sick with it. People can be affluent without being stuck up. They can also be stuck up without being affluent, as this one seems to be. The word "pretentious" means you have an undeserved sense of self-importance, which is true of the Brit thinking he/she is better than 99% of the English-speaking world because they speak a certain way, but when English isn't even your first language and you think the same way, your sense of self-importance is even less deserved. That makes you more pretentious than you could possibly ever justify. I'd go so far as to say it borders on delusional. Sooo... Pretusional...?
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Post by the light works on Oct 1, 2016 22:38:24 GMT
Afluensic. Contraction of Affluent and sick with it. People can be affluent without being stuck up. They can also be stuck up without being affluent, as this one seems to be. The word "pretentious" means you have an undeserved sense of self-importance, which is true of the Brit thinking he/she is better than 99% of the English-speaking world because they speak a certain way, but when English isn't even your first language and you think the same way, your sense of self-importance is even less deserved. That makes you more pretentious than you could possibly ever justify. I'd go so far as to say it borders on delusional. Sooo... Pretusional...? it flows well. it also has the quirk that it sounds vaguely like spitting, which seems appropriate.
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Post by OziRiS on Oct 1, 2016 22:58:10 GMT
People can be affluent without being stuck up. They can also be stuck up without being affluent, as this one seems to be. The word "pretentious" means you have an undeserved sense of self-importance, which is true of the Brit thinking he/she is better than 99% of the English-speaking world because they speak a certain way, but when English isn't even your first language and you think the same way, your sense of self-importance is even less deserved. That makes you more pretentious than you could possibly ever justify. I'd go so far as to say it borders on delusional. Sooo... Pretusional...? it flows well. it also has the quirk that it sounds vaguely like spitting, which seems appropriate. Didn't notice that until you pointed it out, but now that you mention it, yeah it does bare a vague resemblance to the noise someone might make while spitting and yes, that does seem very appropriate. Also, there's the added bonus that we could easily fit in a "super" or "hyper" prefix if we ever came across anyone who was even more pretusional than this one Side note: I'm thinking of editing my second post in this thread to provide a dictionary-like list of all the words we come up with. You know, so we won't have to go through pages and pages of posts to find the one we're looking for if we need it.
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