Re: [Lingo] British English

[Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com>]

On 6 February 2011 08:44, Lyle H Saxon <llletters@example.com> wrote:

> As for how people speak, it's seemed to me that
> UK-English speakers (from generic-London, for example), use more
> difficult vocabulary, but speak slowly and clearly, thoughtfully -
> actually pre-thinking what they're saying,

My two years in Dublin exposed me to two years of British television
(because, after all, what's good on RTE other than sports?). Having
had this traumatic experience, I beg to differ. ;)

BBC / Oxford / educated upper class Brits speak English as you have
just described. Whether they actually think a sentence ahead we cannot
know, but they certainly give that impression.

But if you happen to be watching, say, Hollyoaks (or even "Keeping up
with Appearances", one of the cream-of-the-crop BBC shows that PBS
runs in the US), you'll hear a very different sort of English. Not
unlike in America, where highly-educated people speak quite unlike
your average Burger King employee.

Luckily, Dr. Henry Higgins can fix us, one and all!

> From casual observations of typos and very bad writing making its
> way into US newspapers,

Ugh. You're right, there.

-- 
Cheers,
Josh