Lord Vader

IMO, sometimes it is easier to understand someone who speaks English as a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) language than some accents from the UK. I guess it is because of the slang and the different meaning of certain words and the syllable that is stressed in certain words. Someone whose mother tongue is not English is more likely to learn from a text book without any regional slang, or perhaps more exposed to North American English through the media. Even when reading some of the posts here I will sometimes Google the odd word for it's meaning if it is unfamiliar.

I was speaking to someone from the UK the other day and I asked if they were ready for Christmas, she said yes and that she had "hammered her visa". Metamorphically speaking I know what that means, but the way she said "hammered" through me off and I asked her to say again because I didn't realize she had said "hammered". She thought that I didn't understand the metaphor, so I mentioned to her that I had bought some whisky and planned on getting "hammered" on Christmas eve.

I spend time in Newfoundland a few years ago and found many of the older generation in the small communities hard to understand unless they were speaking to me directly. I was having supper at a friends place who had a son named Carl and a brother named Harold (pronounced "are el" to my ears). We were opening an bottle of pickled beats in the kitchen but the top of the bottle was being a real bitch so my friend said that Harold (are el) knows how to open the bottle. I said Carl? he said "are el", I said oooookay and proceeded to the living room,,,,,too much laughter when I arrived back in the kitchen with 5 year old Carl.


as for the grammar, who cares. It is the internet, people post on blackberry's, lap tops, while working and doing other things online, there is a reason for abbreviated words, speed is usually a priority.

fish.01

That's rather presumptuous - the standard of English teaching in Australia is only slightly better than the UK.

Oink

montreal mike

I can't say I am in the least surprised!

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/national/100131/n013119A.html

jericho

Generally, I think I do an OK job with grammar and spelling- better than some, not as good as others. To be honest though, I really couldn't give a sh*t.
If this was work, I'd try a bit harder, use spellcheck/grammar check etc, and probably read it over.... but it's not. It's a casual internet forum, supposedly for people wanting help and to discuss moving to Canada.

What some people seem to forget on here, and I've said this numerous times in the past, is that this is an open forum. It's not owned by an illuminati of posters, despite what those specific few seem to think.
If you're gonna start having a go at peoples spelling/grammar, you better make damn sure you're own is in order.... as is evident on here, that aint the case.

gingnut

When a grammar slacker like me gets annoyed by the lack of standards then we know there is a grammar crisis. Sometimes I want to tell the younger generation that its not Wheel of Fortune, you don't have to buy vowels, but no one under 60 still watches that show.

Tangram

That's the second time today that particular phrase has been aired. Who are these super heroes of whom you speak ?

Alan2005

I prefer the term cognoscenti - that certainly applies to me, I know loads؟

Bali2010

you are loving that mark now, aren't you?

(spelling / grammar not checked - am too lazy at this time)

Alan2005

Yes - I'm using it ironically.

Bali2010

you did what‽



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrobang
(made me laugh - never heard of this one)

Alan2005

Who comes up with these things...