General Discussion

Are_grits_groceries

(17,139 posts)

14. It is a cultural trait.

Fri Jun 28, 2013, 12:26 PM

Jun 2013

Using a different set of rules is not confined to African Americans.

When I am around my cousins, "proper English" goes out the window. You would assume we crawled out of the swamps and had no schooling, but we are college graduates. When in a different situation, we can switch to the King's English.

I know many people who talk differently when around people they know. It is technically wrong by English rules, but it is not an indicator of intelligence.

You have no idea how the 3 men you mentioned speak around old family and friends. Using an informal form isn't done with strangers around.

No it is not taught in schools. That is a stupid question to say the least.

If someone hasn't internalized the rules and form of a new language, they will probably use a form that is mixed with what they previously used. This is especially true if one is nervous.

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Trayvon Martin's friend and a key witness made a lot more sense than you think [View all] Are_grits_groceries Jun 2013 OP

I understood her warrior1 Jun 2013 #1

I had problems not with the speech nadinbrzezinski Jun 2013 #2

Yes... her volume was my issue.. I am surprised they didn't do something to improve the microphone hlthe2b Jun 2013 #5

yep, she doesn't have much dynamic range reusrename Jun 2013 #17

Adding compression Boom Sound 416 Jun 2013 #38

Exactly correct, I think. reusrename Jun 2013 #67

Ok Boom Sound 416 Jun 2013 #68

So is this "Black English" with "different rules" taught in schools? Nye Bevan Jun 2013 #3

wow... your post has so many ugly undercurrents, I don't even know where to start.... hlthe2b Jun 2013 #6

that one was the first I saw using 'Queen's English' bullshit yesterday. n.t Whisp Jun 2013 #9

Oh boy JustAnotherGen Jun 2013 #12

Thank you! +1 TeeYiYi Jun 2013 #21

Ditto that! tosh Jun 2013 #23

^ THIS ^ mac56 Jun 2013 #29

It is studied in linguistics courses KurtNYC Jun 2013 #8

The traditional Scottish brogue is pretty impossible. JDPriestly Jun 2013 #22

Were you born this racist or did you have to study for years to achieve it? n/t backscatter712 Jun 2013 #10

I don't give a shit about anyone's skin color. Nye Bevan Jun 2013 #64

yesterday you said you expected all of us to speak the Queen's English CreekDog Jun 2013 #72

There are plenty of Canadian and British DUers Nye Bevan Jun 2013 #74

you said it in a thread about Rachel Jeantel --are you saying she's British or Canadian? CreekDog Jun 2013 #82

So you're saying the female witness is a subject of the queen CreekDog Jun 2013 #94

Are you serious?! American dialect alone has numerous variations. North South East West. JaneyVee Jun 2013 #11

Like, whatever. Deny and Shred Jun 2013 #13

It is a cultural trait. Are_grits_groceries Jun 2013 #14

Yes, it is. knitter4democracy Jun 2013 #15

Interesting. Are_grits_groceries Jun 2013 #16

The answer is the same. knitter4democracy Jun 2013 #19

thank you...there is so much shame, fear, ignorance, misunderstanding and racism noiretextatique Jun 2013 #31

obviouly you know nothing about linguistics noiretextatique Jun 2013 #25

Well bless your heart. nolabear Jun 2013 #27

Yiddish is NOT a vernacular of English. aquart Jun 2013 #42

Agreed. But it is often spoken in combination with English as are the others I mentioned. nolabear Jun 2013 #57

It has different rules in England jberryhill Jun 2013 #30

Take any speech made by President Obama. Nye Bevan Jun 2013 #50

He's a Harvard grad. bravenak Jun 2013 #66

So you expect Rachel to take the stand and speak like President Obama? Scootaloo Jul 2013 #101

My, My... Jazzgirl Jun 2013 #60

I thank you sincerely for your blessing. (nt) Nye Bevan Jun 2013 #65

There are a lot of English dialects. HiddenAgenda63 Jun 2013 #62

you're asking why all black people aren't the same? CreekDog Jun 2013 #71

Why not attempt to train youself to keep your race hatred to yourself, Judi Lynn Jun 2013 #85

No, not a linguistics problem. COLGATE4 Jun 2013 #4

So you think she had a mastery of verb tenses and was lying about what she said? displacedtexan Jun 2013 #18

Did you watch her testimony? I am an experienced COLGATE4 Jun 2013 #43

No. I think she changed her testimony COLGATE4 Jun 2013 #44

Do I think she was changing her testimony COLGATE4 Jun 2013 #96

wtf? reusrename Jun 2013 #20

or her Go Vols Jun 2013 #46

Sure, this and the lie about going to the doctor to avoid the wake. reusrename Jun 2013 #77

she dictated the letter to a friend TorchTheWitch Jun 2013 #87

No. I don't consider that a sin. But COLGATE4 Jun 2013 #47

Then you have no understanding of truth or honesty. reusrename Jun 2013 #63

Well, I've spent a whole lot of years watching COLGATE4 Jun 2013 #69

I apologize for sounding confrontational, but it is not a strawman. reusrename Jun 2013 #76

You're absolutely right that nobody tells the truth COLGATE4 Jun 2013 #78

Sure, and we know Zimmerman is a lying sack o' s____. reusrename Jun 2013 #79

I don't "know" anything right now, until I've COLGATE4 Jun 2013 #80

Sorry, I thought everyone knew the original judge was recused. reusrename Jun 2013 #81

another person who knows nothing about linguistics noiretextatique Jun 2013 #26

Please enlighten me as to the linguistic issues COLGATE4 Jun 2013 #45

Still waiting to be educated, 'studied COLGATE4 Jun 2013 #95

she never said the word "heard" TorchTheWitch Jun 2013 #84

+1 Saphire Jun 2013 #91

Chris Hayes had a linguistics professor on last night to address just this issue, and he K Gardner Jun 2013 #7

There is no such thing as black English and people need to stop saying mfcorey1 Jun 2013 #24

just because some black people reject reality noiretextatique Jun 2013 #28

It has little to do with color jberryhill Jun 2013 #32

acutally...it does. black people have a problem with the vernacular noiretextatique Jun 2013 #33

It is about "color" as much as poverty is jberryhill Jun 2013 #34

i studied linguistics in college noiretextatique Jun 2013 #40

You just made jerrybhill's point. What you describe above is culture not color. nessa Jun 2013 #73

noire JustAnotherGen Jun 2013 #36

then perhaps they need to listen noiretextatique Jun 2013 #41

Not going to happen! JustAnotherGen Jun 2013 #51

Exactly JustAnotherGen Jun 2013 #37

True linguistics study will tap Gullah and other real forms. However, what some like to refer to as mfcorey1 Jun 2013 #53

Is it just the word? JustAnotherGen Jun 2013 #58

it is a dialect of standard english noiretextatique Jul 2013 #99

Please, tell us more about what black people do Hugabear Jun 2013 #97

EDUCATE YOURSELF noiretextatique Jul 2013 #98

There damn well is. aquart Jun 2013 #48

Anyone here familiar with Nobel prize winner in linguistics, Noam Chomsky? Mika Jun 2013 #35

Thanks for adding this material. Very interesting. n/t Judi Lynn Jun 2013 #86

Nobel prize in linguistics -I don't think so. aikoaiko Jun 2013 #93

they jumped on her inconsistancies riverwalker Jun 2013 #39

That's awfully presumptuous of the writer to assume she was being disingenuous apples and oranges Jun 2013 #49

The early cattlemen of Florida were called Crackers csziggy Jun 2013 #54

All things considered, I too think she did OK... ReRe Jun 2013 #52

"He took advantage of her handicap and grilled her" COLGATE4 Jun 2013 #56

Yeah, for how many hours? ReRe Jun 2013 #59

He was more polite than she was (nt) Nye Bevan Jun 2013 #61

For the love of God, WHAT handicap? COLGATE4 Jun 2013 #70

He's a perverted human being, a total sadist. Judi Lynn Jun 2013 #90

I can not stop watching your sig line! I can't even be serious. robinlynne Jun 2013 #55

She's looking for her pony. nt Are_grits_groceries Jun 2013 #75

Just so I'm sure, is "cracker" racist or not? flvegan Jun 2013 #83

Instead of asking AGG to define it for you, you should take the time to make a case, Judi Lynn Jun 2013 #88

So you don't have an answer then? flvegan Jun 2013 #92

Acceptable by whom? You and a close gaggle of friends? LanternWaste Jul 2013 #100

Can't thank you enough for starting this thread. It needed to be seen. Judi Lynn Jun 2013 #89