if they did then swearing wouldnt have been forbidden

and DONT tempt me

if swearing was considered good-you'd be the first person I'd let loose my French over :evil:

Ok. Ok. Back off.

Jesus !!

there are many alternatives to swear words

sugar, fiddlesticks, taking the biscuit.... or taking the mick

and "crap" and "hell" and "damn" are pretty mild and acceptable swear words too

Quote:

[size=18]Almost Before We Spoke, We Swore[/size]

...Yet researchers who study the evolution of language and the psychology of swearing say that they have no idea what mystic model of linguistic gentility the critics might have in mind. Cursing, they say, is a human universal. Every language, dialect or patois ever studied, living or dead, spoken by millions or by a small tribe, turns out to have its share of forbidden speech, some variant on comedian George Carlin's famous list of the seven dirty words that are not supposed to be uttered on radio or television.

Young children will memorize the illicit inventory long before they can grasp its sense, said John McWhorter, a scholar of linguistics at the Manhattan Institute and the author of "The Power of Babel," and literary giants have always constructed their art on its spine. ...

[url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/20/science/20curs.html?ex=1284868800&en=a... Times[/url]

"Constantine" wrote:

"Aphrodite" wrote:

"Constantine" wrote:

"Aasiyah" wrote:

i agree. the english language is vast enough to express oneself, without the need to swear. :roll:

I assent to your response, our shared vernacular is prodigiously satisfactory for personal articulation to such an extent profanity is unnecessary.

So, you just said what she said but you said it in an airy-fairy, arty-farty way? :roll:

lol I was proving her point

There are too many words in the English language

lol

i'm happy 2 say tht i've never used the F-word in my entire life. ever. its really not that difficult ppl.

"Aasiyah" wrote:

i'm happy 2 say tht i've never used the F-word in my entire life. ever. its really not that difficult ppl.

Wow never, but your right once you realise using disgustin language like that aint doin u any good, you do learn to control it.

I think most sane people here agree that swearing and using lingo like that is not good.

But what about language that is 'street' or 'ghetto'? I speak with a bit of a paki accent, ok with a lot of a paki accent, and some of my expressions are not what I would write down in an essay because much if not most of my speech is colloquial. Do you think its ok to speak in your own ghettoised version of english? I dont mind it myself but Im beginning to realise people only take me seriously when I speak in a well prononounced manner. What are your thoughts on this?

"Med" wrote:

I think most sane people here agree that swearing and using lingo like that is not good.

But what about language that is 'street' or 'ghetto'? I speak with a bit of a paki accent, ok with a lot of a paki accent, and some of my expressions are not what I would write down in an essay because much if not most of my speech is colloquial. Do you think its ok to speak in your own ghettoised version of english? I dont mind it myself but Im beginning to realise people only take me seriously when I speak in a well prononounced manner. What are your thoughts on this?

It depends who u speak to, if its any tom d.ick or harry then it dont matter cuz they will understand you, same goes for you friends they too will understand u cuz u are most likely to speak in the same way as your friends do but if your speakin to a snobby person then best to speak in a high posh manner cuz they wont have a clue what u talkin bout Everyone can switch over to suit certain situations (i can) as long as u dont talk slang with every word then its fine.

nowt wrong with it.

"Admin" wrote:

nowt wrong with it.

Unless it's a Manchunian accent.

Lol.

Thing is im at sheffield yeh and all the people on my course speak posh and theres me chattin in my own lingo to the few ppl that will bother to ask me anything.

I could try and put on an accent and managed ity pretty well cos thats how i passed my uni interview but i dont think itsme, it feels like im cheating myself or being someone else if i put on an accent.

If these people are supposedly educated and liberal blah blah blah then they should be able to accept my uniqueness, rite?

"Med" wrote:

Thing is im at sheffield yeh and all the people on my course speak posh and theres me chattin in my own lingo to the few ppl that will bother to ask me anything.

Almost everyone speaks with that fake posh gay accent at Uni.

But then, I'm not one to complain.

i talk how i want to in my Uni

its a Uni in London so obvioulsy everyone talks like me anyway

i cant stand people who "try it" with the I'm-so-posh-I know-big words apprach

but its tru that the area that ur frm does play a big part in the way a person speaks

in east London, small heath in bham and longsight in Manchester everyone speaks common english

"MuslimSisLilSis" wrote:

in east London, small heath in bham and longsight in Manchester everyone speaks common english

Or so we're led to believe.

"MuslimSisLilSis" wrote:

i talk how i want to in my Uni

its a Uni in London so obvioulsy everyone talks like me anyway

i cant stand people who "try it" with the I'm-so-posh-I know-big words apprach

but its tru that the area that ur frm does play a big part in the way a person speaks

in east London, small heath in bham and longsight in Manchester everyone speaks common english

I beg to differ. I was born in Birmingham and raised in East London. I am most certainly not common *hmph*

"irfghan" wrote:

"Admin" wrote:

nowt wrong with it.

Unless it's a Manchunian accent.

:evil:

dont get me started on you mister.... :evil:

"Darth V-Hayder" wrote:

"irfghan" wrote:

"Admin" wrote:

nowt wrong with it.

Unless it's a Manchunian accent.

:evil:

dont get me started on you mister.... :evil:

Are you a Manchunian, Darth? Nowt wrong with Mancs...

im an oldhammer

but were pretty much Mancs

and ive read somewhere....Mancunians are the best of mankind

joke

"Darth V-Hayder" wrote:

im an oldhammer

but were pretty much Mancs

and ive read somewhere....Mancunians are the best of mankind

joke

I don't mind Mancs

But you're from Oldham? Ok, that's a whole other kettle of stinky fish....

"Darth V-Hayder" wrote:

"irfghan" wrote:

"Admin" wrote:

nowt wrong with it.

Unless it's a Manchunian accent.

:evil:

dont get me started on you mister.... :evil:

What you gonna do? Burgle my house? :roll:

nah im sure the car out front will do.

You'll find it in Bradford in three days.

oldham is one of the worst places in UK-after bradistan :twisted:

nothing beats London

Somewhat off topic

Ever try to kill your accents and conform your speech patterns to those of other localities?

"Constantine" wrote:

Somewhat off topic

Ever try to kill your accents and conform your speech patterns to those of other localities?

What for temporary fun or permanent?

"Constantine" wrote:

Ever try to kill your accents and conform your speech patterns to those of other localities?

yep

in Manchester I try to copy their accent/slang

and in B'ham I automtically pick up their accent

i do that when I go further up north too

its easier to conform-

and anyway everyone always laughs at the cockney London accent :evil:

lol I turn mine off outside the South - but that's because i'm aware of it and it's always been slight.

Anyway the reason I asked is I got caught a little while ago.

Apparently there are boundaries to this - for example copying a New York accent is "mocking them" but copying a Pennsylvanian accent is acceptable.

Weird...

I automatically copy my mates accent who comes from virginia, its so annoyin but i think her accent is really strong which makes me just pick it up, seems so rude, duno if she has noticed cuz she hasnt ever said.

I love takin the mick out of my uncles, they from walsall, the most ugliest acent ever. I also copy my cuz's from aylesbury, they have a funny accent.

"Constantine" wrote:

Somewhat off topic

Ever try to kill your accents and conform your speech patterns to those of other localities?

All the time. I spent the weekend in Scotland and i came back with a bit of a scottish accent and that was only after 2 days in Scotland. Its the same with when im in Manchester.

Funny story with me and accents ... i seem to have a half-decent American accent ... but ... wait for it ... it only ever comes out when im really nervious. Dont ask why.... dunno myself... not bothered either as it also separates me from other people when it happens at interviews.

"angel" wrote:

I automatically copy my mates accent who comes from virginia, its so annoyin but i think her accent is really strong which makes me just pick it up, seems so rude, duno if she has noticed cuz she hasnt ever said.

I love takin the mick out of my uncles, they from walsall, the most ugliest acent ever. I also copy my cuz's from aylesbury, they have a funny accent.

lol a hybrid of virginia and scotland.

I think i'd pay to hear that.