Grammar & Slang

disclaimer: at this phase in the existence of the globe, with the increased access and usage of technology as well as exposure to social media, it should be noted that this post is not restricted to any one demographical analysis


in my daily passage through cities and burbs, i always find it interesting how people decide to communicate with one another. and specifically, their "wordage." in the corporate world i always find it interesting how some folk (i would include myself) have two "voices" in the office. one is sort of a monotone with few peaks and valleys, and several poignant pauses... almost as if it was a book on tape. clear and concise, with little to no "common" words or vernacular speech included. and then there are the side conversations, water cooler chats that happen to the side. makes me think of hollywood shuffle or somethin... where the folk "on the level" chop it up and get their social politic'ing on.

the thing is, i am very conscious of these sides of verbal intercourse. it is important to understand time and place with how one expresses themselves to others, and especially in the workplace. but what about in the personal world... do you ever get tired of someone you're talking to/dating and the way they talk? ever try to build on some serious convo but all they're spittin back is like "wurd? they buggin like that?" OR... you're in a laidback zone flowin like it's brita and your mate either doesn't understand what you're saying or is tight nerdish with the responses. (actually, that shit can be amusing at times) lol

ever been in a scenario where the two of you were in a group discussion and you just thought to yourself about your mate, "dayum, you are in the wrong zone right now with the speech." like the convo could be deep and intellectual but they're just runnin off at the mouth with some basic shit that just ain't cuttin it. OR... the convo is light and jovial but they're bein all rigid and astute, almost like they're tryin to show off or some shit.

the funny thing is, and actually i find it to be either oddly entertaining or tremendously annoying... at times the stereotype of who is talkin in what way is totally reversed. like today at work i was discussing some business matters with an asian coworker and this guy is responding to me like we're sitting at a bar watching the nba. it was a lot of "nahm'sayin" and "mannn, sheeiiit..." after a while i just changed the subject because the tone and style didn't match the discussion. i'm trying to hash out details and troubleshoot a technical matter and this guy is yappin like we're playin spades. wtf.

ok, so i digress... the question is are communication skills, grammar and speech, important to you when it comes to your mate. or do you just work with whatever level they're on and fill in the blanks in your head. hmm... now that i say that, the follow up to the second part would be do you find yourself "translating" your speech to be understood at that point?

(yea, i am rambling at this phase... somebody stop me) :toimonster:

 

I'm like you, I think there's a time and place for everything. It's not about not being yourself, but having tact and respecting whatever environment you're in.

I'm personally big on grammar and spelling when I see that my mate is using something in the wrong context or spelling something wrong. I remember this used to bug my ex and I curbed it, yet he didn't curb the shit that bothered me.

 

lol, well the last part is for another thread. but yea, sad how that works...

i like that word "tact". very fitting. thing is tho, that is a learned trait/skill, right? i mean some people just aren't blessed with it. and at first it doesn't seem like a big deal but after a while, dag... that shit can be nerve wracking! lol

 

Yeah, that is definitely something for another time...lol

I think so! It comes from your upbringing and having proper home-training. Some people could care less how they appear, be it speaking properly or putting your game face on in the office.

It is definitely annoying when you weren't brought up the same way. Not that you have to look down on someone for being different than you, but looking at it in a sense that they're just that - different from you!

 

ok, so i digress... the question is are communication skills, grammar and speech, important to you when it comes to your mate. or do you just work with whatever level they're on and fill in the blanks in your head. hmm... now that i say that, the follow up to the second part would be do you find yourself "translating" your speech to be understood at that point?

(yea, i am rambling at this phase... somebody stop me)

my mate and i would definitely need to be on the same level when it comes to communication, grammar and speech. i'm politely spoken, and do not have that "australian twang" that a lot of australians do, and to be honest, i dislike the sound of a really australian accent. i didn't go very far in high school, dropped out at 16 to start work as a secretary, so even though i do not have the education that most do, i do think that i have "smarts" and expect my mate to have as well. when i'm in the office or on the phone my voice is completely different to the one i use around friends. i give good plum voice

 

yea, that's what i'm thinking. because anything less would seem limited. like they weren't getting the full me in communication and understanding. and me all of them neither.

 

I always tailor whatever I say to the audience I'm speaking to. Just as I wouldn't speak to a small child in the same fashion that I would an adult, unless I can clearly see the child is capable of conversation on an adult level. I would never talk down to someone, or talk over their head, I think that's incredibly rude. I also wouldn't fault someone I was dating for being less or more skilled at communication than I am. My Ex could not spell for shit, and communication wasn't his strong suit, but we managed fine on that front. I didn't correct him, though he did get in a habit of expecting me to be his walking spellchecker. In my experience it's the people who feel that they are deficient that have a problem with it. I can't count the number of times I've had to listen to 'you think you're smarter than me, you're more articulate than I am' type comments, and I have never thought that or said that to anyone. I think it's their insecurity talking, so like IB mentioned, just because you don't make an issue out of it doesn't mean they won't.

 

oh, no doubt. i'm not thinking less of a person based on the difference, but i don't know how well i can gel (are you gellin?) with someone who doesn't have a round dialect to go with her fine round ass.

 

LOL @ are you gellin and round and round...

You definitely need some commonalities. If not, it will gnaw at you.

 

good points. fully agree that it's rude to talk over someone's head too. and i detest condescending tones.

 

yea, and gnawing is often not a good thing. unless it's some gristle on a well fried chicken wing. lol

 

exactly. now if we're talking about every day kind of people, well that's different. i have many different groups of friends from all walks of life, such as surfies, maori's, school mums, friends i've known all my life and with each group i speak differently around because they have their own way of communicating.

 

Absolutely, that's one thing that really sets me off. People who attempt condescension with me, or try to belittle me, well that just never ends well. That's completely inappropriate and rude IMO. I was raised in an environment that encouraged and required debate, and there were only 3 rules, and that was one of them. You didn't have to like or agree with the other party, but you were never to belittle their beliefs.

 

A little nibble on someone is nice too...lol

 

"my, my, my... my-my my my..."

 

true indeed. hangin wit da homies, i'm not trippin off how we chop it up. but my girl, she's gonna need some flexibility. (yes, i'm still on topic there) lol

 

My turn to pull an IB... I can feel the e-love brewing between you two. LOL!

 

i don't like it when i see strangers handling each other in this rude and insensitive way neither. like people in lines at stores, just cuttin up on the cashier. that shit is wack.

 

what size glass is that brew served in? wakka wakka... :smt026

 

lol...uh huh, i can see that as well...!!! :smt060