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Previously on "Now let's sort the gents from the chavs..."

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  • Sysman
    replied
    Originally posted by Bagpuss
    Everyone spoke with an accent until the invention of queens English
    The real change came with the advent of Received Pronunciation (RP).

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Received_Pronunciation

    I used to speak it, but got peed off with being called a Southern Wooftah when I went back home to Yorkshire, so dropped it sharpish.

    Leave a comment:


  • Board Game Geek
    replied
    Ok , thanks for that!
    My pleasure.

    Leave a comment:


  • Bagpuss
    replied
    Originally posted by SallyAnne
    How do you know? Are you THAT old?!!
    Reminds me of the answer on one of those stupid teatime BBC quiz shows to a history question "How could I possibly know that ? I wasn't born then!"

    I wonder if you get bonus marks for that in GCSE history these days

    Leave a comment:


  • Bagpuss
    replied
    Originally posted by Board Game Geek
    It means you walk up to the judge panel, they give you a handout, you walk on to the stage and have 1 minute to mentally read the material. The judges ring a bell, and then you speak to the morning assembly.
    Ok , thanks for that!

    Leave a comment:


  • Board Game Geek
    replied
    What's an unseen public speaking competition?
    It means you walk up to the judge panel, they give you a handout, you walk on to the stage and have 1 minute to mentally read the material. The judges ring a bell, and then you speak to the morning assembly.

    Leave a comment:


  • SallyAnne
    replied
    Originally posted by zeitghost
    Ah yes, reading on the train.

    I used to do that.

    But I haven't been on a train since the end of BR...
    Really?!! Because of your principles against privatisation?
    or did you just become posh and employ a driver around that time?

    Leave a comment:


  • SallyAnne
    replied
    Originally posted by zeitghost
    That's a "no" then?
    I'm not much of a reader - I dont know how people find the time!

    I'd probably read on the train if Suduko's hadn't been invented!

    Leave a comment:


  • SallyAnne
    replied
    Originally posted by Bagpuss
    PS: Everyone spoke with an accent until the invention of queens English
    How do you know? Are you THAT old?!!

    Leave a comment:


  • SallyAnne
    replied
    Originally posted by zeitghost

    Not read "Trouble with lichen" by John Wyndham?
    Take a wild guess

    Leave a comment:


  • Bagpuss
    replied
    Originally posted by Board Game Geek
    Next !

    (I had Elocution lessons and did unseen public speaking competitions at school).
    What's an unseen public speaking competition?

    BTW: What's wrong with essex boy accent (the cockney accent while chewing gum)?

    PS: Everyone spoke with an accent until the invention of queens English

    Leave a comment:


  • SallyAnne
    replied
    Originally posted by threaded
    You'd have us believe you're a heifer...
    I refuse to google it - I'll believe you're being kind

    Leave a comment:


  • threaded
    replied
    Originally posted by SallyAnne
    Terpsichore
    lichen
    Melpomene
    enamour
    transom
    Foeffer
    heifer
    skein

    I've never heard of any of these!!

    And wtf is phlegmatic? That can't be a real word surely!
    You'd have us believe you're a heifer...

    Leave a comment:


  • SallyAnne
    replied
    Terpsichore
    lichen
    Melpomene
    enamour
    transom
    Foeffer
    heifer
    skein

    I've never heard of any of these!!

    And wtf is phlegmatic? That can't be a real word surely!

    Leave a comment:


  • threaded
    replied
    This one pops up quite regular at various clients as a bit of a laugh. I find the Danes get caught out by the Greek rooted words and especially goddesses: Terpsichore, Melpomene, Psyche.

    threaded in "spot the odd one out" mode

    Leave a comment:


  • Euro-commuter
    replied
    Originally posted by chubba
    http://bertc.com/english.htm

    Try this after the lunch time pint or two. Aloud though, while standing on your chair in the middle of the office. Yes, even if you are working from home.
    I don't see anything in there that an educated native speaker shouldn't be able to pronounce at sight; allowing that one or two words have regional variations.

    Equally, if it were read at slow speed, every educated native speaker should be able to write it down without spelling mistakes. But I fear it might not be so.

    Leave a comment:

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