Standard English is Best

[Peloso]

How many barrels would we need for all the Kardashian sisters?

One giant colostomy bag would do it.

 

[EddMarkStarr]

If anything, this episode looks like a parody of hippie culture. It seems that television in general took a disparaging view of the current youth culture back then. Actually, this seems to be a takeoff of some of the most extreme elements of hippiedom. There were groups like this, which in all actuality were probably cults, and didn't really represent the rank and file of the youth counterculture.

Many of my favorite conversations in school, with teachers from 1965 to 1970, involved that fact that television, in it's totality, was a medium created, recorded and broadcast by the World War II generation. There was little, to no, representation of contemporary popular culture anywhere to be seen on 60's television. And that may explain the universal acceptance of old TV shows in todays world.

The "un-reality" of 1960's television is entertaining all by itself. Many of my favorite TV shows were created by people who were grandparents, by the standards of the Mod Squad!

 

[gsdx]

^ I grew up watching every one of those programmes and could name them all, including 'Hazel' with the wonderful Shirley Booth. (By the way, Mickey Dolenz is the only surviving 'Monkey'.)

 

[Latimer]

Is this about the Queen's English or the mangled, jarring version known as American English?

Please explain to me why in every contemporary British television series I watch, including those portraying "educated" middle- and upper-class characters, the actors routinely speak lines such as "me and my wife" or "me and you", etc. A number of years ago I heard an interview with the Queen's grandsons, William and Harry, in which one of them stated,
"It may not seem like it, but my brother and me are very well-educated." I have the sense that this usage is now common in the United Kingdom.

The princes and I are close in age. I understand the proper use of personal pronouns, as do my partner and members of our respective families. We are upper-middle class Yanks, born and educated in the US. Why is it that, while we speak the Queen's English, it seems to have been abandoned--or never learned (learnt, if you will)--by many middle-class and upper-class British anglophones?

 

[gsdx]

^ I still have trouble knowing when to shout 'Gryffindor win!!' of 'Griffindor wins!!'.

 

[Latimer]

^ It's still a mystery to me why single nouns take plural verbs, as in "Chelsea are", or why articles are dropped before the generic names of institutions, as in "he went to hospital". And don't get me going on posh U pronunciation in which letters are scrambled (Althorp=Althrup) or swallowed (Cholmondeley=Chumley). Once, during a personal tour of Syon House I mentioned to the Duke of Northumberland's curator that I was headed up the Harewood and, after a withering look, was told it wasn't pronounced as written, but "Harwood", adding for good measure, that Lascelles--the earls ofr Harewood family name--had two syllables not three.

 

[EddMarkStarr]

^ It's still a mystery to me why single nouns take plural verbs, as in "Chelsea are", or why articles are dropped before the generic names of institutions, as in "he went to hospital". And don't get me going on posh U pronunciation in which letters are scrambled (Althorp=Althrup) or swallowed (Cholmondeley=Chumley). Once, during a personal tour of Syon House I mentioned to the Duke of Northumberland's curator that I was headed up the Harewood and, after a withering look, was told it wasn't pronounced as written, but "Harwood", adding for good measure, that Lascelles--the earls ofr Harewood family name--had two syllables not three.

When it came to proper language, Rowan & Martin's "Laugh-In", became famous for its battles with NBC network censors. The re-writes were legendary and the re-takes were amazing.

 

[unloadonme]

Please explain to me why in every contemporary British television series I watch, including those portraying "educated" middle- and upper-class characters, the actors routinely speak lines such as "me and my wife" or "me and you", etc. A number of years ago I heard an interview with the Queen's grandsons, William and Harry, in which one of them stated,
"It may not seem like it, but my brother and me are very well-educated." I have the sense that this usage is now common in the United Kingdom.

The princes and I are close in age. I understand the proper use of personal pronouns, as do my partner and members of our respective families. We are upper-middle class Yanks, born and educated in the US. Why is it that, while we speak the Queen's English, it seems to have been abandoned--or never learned (learnt, if you will)--by many middle-class and upper-class British anglophones?

I think the answer is that dialogue on TV is dumbed down to mirror the language spoken by the morons who watch it. William and Harry should know better, but Harry in particular could never claim to be well (as opposed to expensively) educated.

- - - Updated - - -

Please explain to me why in every contemporary British television series I watch, including those portraying "educated" middle- and upper-class characters, the actors routinely speak lines such as "me and my wife" or "me and you", etc. A number of years ago I heard an interview with the Queen's grandsons, William and Harry, in which one of them stated,
"It may not seem like it, but my brother and me are very well-educated." I have the sense that this usage is now common in the United Kingdom.

The princes and I are close in age. I understand the proper use of personal pronouns, as do my partner and members of our respective families. We are upper-middle class Yanks, born and educated in the US. Why is it that, while we speak the Queen's English, it seems to have been abandoned--or never learned (learnt, if you will)--by many middle-class and upper-class British anglophones?

I think the answer is that dialogue on TV is dumbed down to mirror the language spoken by the morons who watch it. William and Harry should know better, but Harry in particular could never claim to be well (as opposed to expensively) educated.

 

[unloadonme]

^ It's still a mystery to me why single nouns take plural verbs, as in "Chelsea are", or why articles are dropped before the generic names of institutions, as in "he went to hospital". And don't get me going on posh U pronunciation in which letters are scrambled (Althorp=Althrup) or swallowed (Cholmondeley=Chumley). Once, during a personal tour of Syon House I mentioned to the Duke of Northumberland's curator that I was headed up the Harewood and, after a withering look, was told it wasn't pronounced as written, but "Harwood", adding for good measure, that Lascelles--the earls ofr Harewood family name--had two syllables not three.

I used to live in Yorkshire where the locals say "Harewood" for the place, even if His Lordship calls himself Lord "Harwood". Lascelles for the record is pronounced "Lass-suls".

You mention the Duke of Northumberland. His main residence is Alnwick Castle, pronounced "Annick". Unlike Harewood/Harwood, however, that pronunciation is universal for both town and castle and would not appear to be a ducal affectation. There are many similar English place names, including Barwick in Elmet (pronounced "Barrick"), Barnoldswick ("Barlick") and Appletreewick ("Ap-trick"). Try asking an American to say "Loughborough" or "Gloucestershire".

 

[gsdx]

When it came to proper language, Rowan & Martin's "Laugh-In", became famous for its battles with NBC network censors. The re-writes were legendary and the re-takes were amazing.

I remember one of my favourites, Judy Carne (the one in the beige and black stripes) doing a Sock-It-To-Me. She gets hit in the face with a pillow or something which knocks her wig off, exposing a 'skin-head'. She said, "This is the first time I ever got bald on television." The censors cut that part out and just showed her wig getting knocked off.

 

[cityboy-stl]

I used to live in Yorkshire where the locals say "Harewood" for the place, even if His Lordship calls himself Lord "Harwood". Lascelles for the record is pronounced "Lass-suls".

You mention the Duke of Northumberland. His main residence is Alnwick Castle, pronounced "Annick". Unlike Harewood/Harwood, however, that pronunciation is universal for both town and castle and would not appear to be a ducal affectation. There are many similar English place names, including Barwick in Elmet (pronounced "Barrick"), Barnoldswick ("Barlick") and Appletreewick ("Ap-trick"). Try asking an American to say "Loughborough" or "Gloucestershire".

We have a "Loughborough" street. It is pronounced phonetically with the accent on the first syllable 'Lawf-ber-oh'. I have no idea how you pronounce it, but it probably is not the same.

 

[unloadonme]

We have a "Loughborough" street. It is pronounced phonetically with the accent on the first syllable 'Lawf-ber-oh'. I have no idea how you pronounce it, but it probably is not the same.

We say Luff-burrer.