Unnecessary Speech Affectations.

[servodude]

Things definitely change through use. Apparently the FT style guide has just announced that henceforth "data" is always singular, not plural - "the data shows that..." etc.

https://twitter.com/alanbeattie/status/ ... 2202291203

Scott.

Mildly irritating, but not half as gross as "datums" for a plural. Let alone pluralising words that are already plural!

But these aren't really affectations, they're abominations!

Yeah but fewer (given they are discrete) than half the listed affections have been
It's been folk getting stuff wrong or different

For a real... nails on a chalkboard... affectation in an English speaker I'll offer the "pause to prevent interruption"

We're tuned to the rhythm of our language and THIS affectation is intentionally designed to mess with the listener.. and specifically their chance of interjection
- I first noticed it in Tony Blair

It's pretty common now.

The UN... natural pause in... a sentence so that you... can breathe without letting some...one...get a word... in.

Obviously taught - much like my arteries when I hear it...

-sd

This pause thing really annoys me. Even in situations where there's no prospect of interruption - news stories or documentaries for example - there will be pauses....and then a final emphasis...on the last.... TWO WORDS!

None of us talk like that in real life, so why do they do it on the telly?

The opposite of the pause - much favoured by politicians - is NOT to pause between sentences, again to remove the opportunity to interject.

Watis

Yes indeed I forgot to stress that point.
It's done to remove the natural breath at the "full stop" by doing ..... it in a weird
place!...utter utter politicians

[Arborbridge]

Things definitely change through use. Apparently the FT style guide has just announced that henceforth "data" is always singular, not plural - "the data shows that..." etc.

https://twitter.com/alanbeattie/status/ ... 2202291203

Scott.

Mildly irritating, but not half as gross as "datums" for a plural. Let alone pluralising words that are already plural!

But these aren't really affectations, they're abominations!

Yeah but fewer (given they are discrete) than half the listed affections have been
It's been folk getting stuff wrong or different

For a real... nails on a chalkboard... affectation in an English speaker I'll offer the "pause to prevent interruption"

We're tuned to the rhythm of our language and THIS affectation is intentionally designed to mess with the listener.. and specifically their chance of interjection
- I first noticed it in Tony Blair

It's pretty common now.

The UN... natural pause in... a sentence so that you... can breathe without letting some...one...get a word... in.

Obviously taught - much like my arteries when I hear it...

-sd

This pause thing really annoys me. Even in situations where there's no prospect of interruption - news stories or documentaries for example - there will be pauses....and then a final emphasis...on the last.... TWO WORDS!

None of us talk like that in real life, so why do they do it on the telly?

The opposite of the pause - much favoured by politicians - is NOT to pause between sentences, again to remove the opportunity to interject.

Watis

I didn't notice it in Blair - probably because I like hearing him speak - but it reaches an annoying peak in people like Zahawi, Cleverly, Raab and no doubt many modern politicians who believe they are at the top of their game. Top dogs with loud barks - for which we have to pay heavily.
Some modesty, humility and a desire to converse with other people wouldn't come amiss from these verbal bullies.

Arb.