INTENSITY²
Start here => What's your crime? Basic Discussion => Topic started by: Walkie on July 04, 2020, 11:51:36 PM
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A few years ago , I started trying to to wean myself off my usage of "huh" in writing, basically because some forum denizens had misread aggression into my usage the word, and had assured me that the word is used aggressively in the States. Oops! Not my intention. Fortunately, i knew a pretty much exact verbal equivalant: "' Eh" most often written with a question mark, eh? (are you with me?) Never known anyone to take offence at that . My only reservations re. adopting "eh" were that, for one thing, i'd never heard Americans using that one, as i recalled. and thought it might possibly be a bit too British to be comprehensible outside Britain. ...though , hang on, what's to comprehend about a verbal tic, eh? Also, thought it might sound a tad old=fashioned nowadays, as I've noticed it's usage diminishing in England. It's the kind of thing my (cockney) grandad would say all the time.... and not because he was deaf. But younger Brits? not so much. I think it's gradually being superceded by "huh", "'ýeah", "right?" etc.
But NOW I've been stunned to learn that the word ëh"is supposedly uniquely Canadian, and that nobody knows where it came from? Possibly the north of England? See this:
“Eh” is still used in Scotland and in Northern England, but it’s used in a much more limited way, primarily to indicate that the listener hasn’t heard the speaker—it means “what?,” or “pardon?” In Canada, it’s mutated into a much more versatile interjection.
Huh? I mean eh?
Let me make it clear: I'm familiar with all the many "Canadian " usages of "ëh"'cited by that author... just by dint of growing up in the South and Midlands of England. I should think its a pretty fair bet that we developed all of those usages first.
Anyways, here's the full article. Can anyone tell me if the writer is talking out of their arse? (English word for "ass") or if this is really the story on "eh" according to the rest of the World? eh?
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-do-canadians-say-eh?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB (https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-do-canadians-say-eh?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB)
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PS, Now, it occurs to me that the Canadians will be taking offence at my usage of "Eh". supposing that I'm takiing the piss out of them? not (as i am in fact) risking sounding like my Granddad (whom i never actually liked) just for the sake of keeping the peace?
Meh. Think I'll just start using language in an agressively "fuck you"fashion. if that's what you across-the-pond life insist on hearing :LOL:
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Brits who use "eh" don't tend to use "eh?" to finish every sentence or phrase like Canadians and Kiwis do, though.
I dunno, anyone who thinks this much about a 2 letter word is likely a bit nutso anyway.
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I dunno, anyone who thinks this much about a 2 letter word is likely a bit nutso anyway.
:autism: :green:
Interesting that Kiwis use it too, though. Who'd have guessed that the Ancient Canadians sailed that far across the world? eh? :zoinks:
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Huh. Interesting.
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It is possible that the word came originally from some population of Scots-Irish immigrants, a major early group in Canada.
So the article does posit that it may have come from immigrants.
Kiwis sometimes say it politely, sometimes a bit aggressively. Like daring you to disagree with them. In Canada it seems to be more a weird politeness thing.
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It seems the majority of people do something of the sort. Jack included. It only seems annoying when done too much. The more annoying ones for me are the word 'like', and the vocalized mental pauses 'um or uh'. Husband says, you know what I mean?, a bit too often. A friend of his once nicknamed him Vern. Though it's only annoying when it's obvious he's using it to enlist agreement from me for something he knows I don't agree. You know what I mean? Yes, I speak English and I know what those words mean. Still not happening. There's a woman in upper management at work who says, right?, way too often, but it's not annoying because she doesn't do it in a way that comes off as approval seeking or even rhetorical. She has an excited and authoritative way of saying it, so it makes me want to reply, yes that's right! :laugh:
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A few years ago , I started trying to to wean myself off my usage of "huh" in writing, basically because some forum denizens had misread aggression into my usage the word, and had assured me that the word is used aggressively in the States.
Have never thought of huh as aggressive, nor knew anyone else does. Though it's difficult for the nuances of tone to translate in text for words like huh, yeah, right, and eh, so maybe better to avoid things like that. Can easily see how any of them could send the wrong impression about the tone of voice intended.
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I have a tendency to make "I didn't catch that" noises, where a second or two later I process the words and do understand.
I never thought much about it, just as something I was occasionally aware of doing and needing to make a conscious effort not to do it.
Then talking to my niece, she has a similar issue which she has had therapy for, and she refers to it as "processing delays". Apparently there is nothing you can do to fix the delay, but being aware of it and learning to cope with being a couple of seconds behind where you should be in verbal processing is doable.
"Know what I mean" is common in England, but sometimes is run together like "Knarrroimeen" or something like that. Another thing that some people do in the UK is say "at the end of the day" before or after almost every statement.
My favourite, which I sometimes do consciously, is a bogan Australianism. Saying "but" at the end of sentences. Because it annoys the heck out of some people, which makes it fun.
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None of this is as bad as saying, "like," five times in every sentence.
Just STOP!
:bigcry:
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I stayed at a friend's place for a weekend many years ago and his new girlfriend was there. I don't know if she had a problem with her intellect but she kept saying "basically". It got to the point that I was very glad to leave.
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Everyone has those. Even the Beloved John Lennon had one that got to me, you know.
We all use utterances or even phrases to fill time or to maintain the floor while stealing and extra second to get our thoughts in a row.
I have seen people dramatize the intro, "Well, the way I see it is ..." and take thirty seconds doing so.
I try to catch myself and switch mine up.
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OMG I know, right? :zoinks: