Anorak Professor John Wells Explains The Nu English Idiom
A WORD now from Friend of Anorak Professor John Wells, who though not affiliated to Anorak speeks 4 mani ov us:
“Text messaging, email and internet chat rooms are showing us the way forward for English,” he said. “Let’s stop worrying if people sometimes spell ‘you’ as ‘u’, ‘your’ and ‘you’re’ both as ‘ur’, and ‘whose’ and ‘who’s’ both as ‘whos’.”
Anorak has been at the vanguard of Nu English for an age. Go on:
“Let’s rationalise the use of doubled consonants. If ‘ballad’ has double l, why should we not be allowed (if we wish) to spell ‘salad’ with double l too?
“If ‘barrel’ has two rs, why can’t ‘carol’ have them? If ‘poppy’, why not the same in ‘copy’? The teaching of literacy in schools is a major worry.”
Professor John Wells will be presented with his Anorak Dotrite dis Fryday…
Posted: 9th, September 2008 | In: Anorak Says Comments (23) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
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October 6th, 2008 at 3:38 am
WELLS, u tossa!
September 10th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I think some people have taken this beyond the original point ….the article was referring to spelling only, not grammar, prose or other formats or even the annoying vocal tics as mentioned by Magnetite.
good spelling is important - C&C is right about text speak being useful to condense messages, but surely in order to condense something, it has to be based on a standard original…?
September 10th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Exactly Val
At the moment we have people on Tv saying very often ”There’s more’ Instead of ‘we have more imformation for you’ Just as one of our 1970s comedians used to say
Completely altering the grammar of the sentence
September 10th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Dont you just hate some of the expressions “at this moment in time”, instead of “now,
“ticks all the boxes” instead of ………….what exactly?
English is being replaced by a kind of trendy “speak”, and I personally would hate it if
text speak became the norm for every day conversation.
September 9th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
John, I am an English teacher in America. I spent fifty years suffering from an inferiority complex, believing exactly what you’ve said above about the differences in usage in my country and your own. But then, about a year ago, I found this site.
Turns out you are wrong–your lot abuses the language every damn bit as much as mine.
September 9th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Like all American cars. Big engine doing nothing.
September 9th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Hi Mike Bidgway,
So you drive a rather large car? Wow! Congratulations. It a pity you wouldn’t recognize me when driving and wouldn’t stop…………… I’m an expert with modern tanks(rather bigger your car ) and, after flattening your car I would go for a few beers.
Well, from your brief mail……..no loss there either!
September 9th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
they should keep the spelling and ditch capital letters.
they’re just a waste of a finger using them.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Hyphens or dashes are a little habit of mine too.
Coco Sorry!!!!
September 9th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
John
Thank you for your answer. I live in France, yes.
I would say that if English is now considered “THE international language if you want success”, the Americans have something to do with it. I agree with you it would be perfect if all of them were articulate, and te same can be said of the English and of the French!
Best wishes to you, John.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
English must change, mutate and grow - discarding words that make little sense - or it will die. (note my use of hyphens as commas there - it’s because I’d rather be speaking this for money than writing it and I wan to to get across prosody, pace and metre to best give you a sense of how good the words taste on my tongue.
Vocal tics such as ‘you know’, ‘like…’ and many others can be hard on the ears of the learned, but they are more of an affectation than an ailment in our luvverly tongue.
Read Spenser’s Fairie Queene and tell me that Engerlish shouldn’t change. It’s f**king gibberish for the most part. Beautiful, clever gibberish, but gibberish nonetheless.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
S^
September 9th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
John
Don’t step out in front of my rather large car … I won’t recognise you and probably won’t stop. No loss there then!
September 9th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Hi Marie Nicholas,
My comments comparing American English to a hamburger were not directed at American writers.The Americans have plenty of talented writers who have written successful books, comedy programs and movie scripts.
The comments I made were more focused on how many Americans speak the language.It can depend on the individual of course, but to me they speak in a very casual manner.Examples: Wanna…..gonna…etc I know a young American girl who is from Long Island, and when speaking to me she constantly repeats in her conversation ….”oh, that’s cool ” almost every time she opened her mouth.
I enjoyed reading your mail Marie , and think that your comments are fair. It is good to get a variety of opinions on Anorak. Years ago in London, I met an American citizen who was a wonderful public speaker and on return to the US, he was given an appointment by the president of the United States. His name was Richard Eyre, and his ability to speak the language made everyone in the room listen to every single word.
The most beautifully spoken woman that I have met personally was the actress and singer Julie Andrews, who starred in the “Sound of Music” and “Mary Poppins”.
To listen to Julie speak the English language was a real pleasure and special memory.
In the United States many British citizens have realized from experience, that many Americans just LOVE to hear a well-spoken English person. So much so that it is a form of social advantage and power. Simon Cowell, has made himself a very rich man and household name in the States by his exposure on”American Idol” and, Simon’s excellent, clear English voice has certainly played a key role in his success.
So Marie, you are French? Are you still living in France or another country?
Best Wishes to you, (from a very hot and sunny Brazil)
JOHN
September 9th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
John Blake
I am French and I love the English language, wether modern English or Shakespearian.
But I didn’t like your comparison of the American language to a hamburger as opposed to British English as being a 5 star-meal. Maybe I am not a good judge.
Yet, there are great American writers. I am not only speaking of Poe, Hemingway, etc… I also love American modern thrillers, not only because of the plots and of the atmosphere, but because of the language and style. Lawrence Block is an excellent writer, intelligent, witty, learned, and concise. Lehane and Crais write beautifully, and another one whose name I can’t remember (he wrote The Black Dalhia, and LA Confidential) has a great skill with words and the structure of sentences, even if you don’t like what he writes, or the way he writes it. They have a powerful style, which isn’t British English, true, but shows a real mastery of the language, as well as creativity.
Instead of comparing American English to a hamburger, I would compare it to some exotic, and spicy, but real cuisine! I am talking of the best writers of couse. By the way, the Americans know how to cook some first rate steacks and plenty of other delicious, typically American, and refined, dishes.
I would defend British English the sameway if it was attacked.
September 9th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
I wonder what is the text-speke for ‘There’s a black hole coming your way’?
September 9th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
And here I am spending time learning Chinese.
Oh well!
Back in the early 60’s I also learnt some Russian, I thought it might come in handy when they invaded. Luckily that never happened
But I figured that being able to say “Good morning/evening Comrade”; “I surrender”; and “Please dont shoot me” might come in handy. My friends and I also laid plans to form a resistance group, although I’m not sure what a bunch of grammer school boys could actually have done.
I’m glad we never had to find out
September 9th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Anokra is, of course, in the vanguard of the Nu Literacy Movement, displaying much the same levels of consistency in his spelling as Shakkesperre did, but there is a problem.
I don’t understand text-speke…
September 9th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Txt speak is useful when txt messaging because it compacts the message and allows more words and therefore more value for money.
Anywhere else? why?
we’ve managed all these years with a workable English language so it can’t be that bad!
September 9th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Thx 4 tht Jon. Do u find txt sp is ucfl?
No I don’t either, you should see some of the crap we get on here
September 9th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Your article says that “Text messaging, email and internet chat rooms are showing us the way forward for English……….I don’t totally agree with that opinion.
Text messaging can still be understood but I feel that casual ways to use the language will eventually lead to a decline in English language standards. People are becoming lazier when writing to each other and gradually, spelling and grammar will suffer because of it.
I’m often asked the difference between American English and British English.I reply that American English is like a hamburger and British English(at its best) is a five-star meal.
We lived in a changing world, but the English language for many people is the universal language.Those who have ability to speak and write it fluently will often have an advantage in business and employment opportunities.
How people communicate is a matter of personal choice but for me personally, show me a well-written letter or a person who can speak English beautifully…….and that’s someone who has my attention.
The English language, as a French politician said just recently…….is THE international language if you want success. Coming from a French person that is praise indeed!
September 9th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I must admit - that as long as something is thoroughly readable and understandable - it doesn’t matter about grammar and spelling anymore - Unless I buy a hard-back copy of a book!
And then I demand that a sentence does not begin with … And …..
And that hyphens are not used in the place of commas - lol!
September 9th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
thanx a llott prof J.Wells.