regard@ttidcc.UUCP (Adrienne Regard) (03/26/85)
(rude line eater) One often finds transferences in people who learned their language skills more from audible means (discussion, TV) than from visual means (books, newspapers). Friend of mine grew up thinking there was a time of day known as susmornin. "How are you susmornin?" And one of the people here at work has a wonderful story about her younger days at church when she was convinced that the priest was praying "Me a cowboy, me a cowboy, me a Mexican cowboy" instead of "mea culpa". And there is a wonderful transposition of words in the pledge of allegance, supposedly attributed to an asian youngster that ends "with liberty and just rice for all." I guess when you are 8 and bored out of your mind, anything makes sense.
jcp@osiris.UUCP (Jody Patilla) (03/27/85)
> (rude line eater) > > One often finds transferences in people who learned their language skills > more from audible means (discussion, TV) than from visual means (books, > newspapers). Friend of mine grew up thinking there was a time of day > known as susmornin. "How are you susmornin?" And one of the people here > at work has a wonderful story about her younger days at church when she > was convinced that the priest was praying "Me a cowboy, me a cowboy, me > a Mexican cowboy" instead of "mea culpa". And there is a wonderful > transposition of words in the pledge of allegance, supposedly attributed > to an asian youngster that ends "with liberty and just rice for all." > I guess when you are 8 and bored out of your mind, anything makes sense. Then there was the psalm William Safire wrote about in one of his books - "Shirley, good Mrs. Murphy, shall follow us..." -- jcpatilla "'Get stuffed !', the Harlequin replied ..."
colonel@gloria.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) (03/28/85)
[REPLACE THIS BUG WITH A SHAVING MUG] > One often finds transferences in people who learned their language skills > more from audible means (discussion, TV) than from visual means (books, > newspapers). Friend of mine grew up thinking there was a time of day > known as susmornin. "How are you susmornin?" And one of the people here > at work has a wonderful story about her younger days at church when she > was convinced that the priest was praying "Me a cowboy, me a cowboy, me > a Mexican cowboy" instead of "mea culpa". And there is a wonderful > transposition of words in the pledge of allegance, supposedly attributed > to an asian youngster that ends "with liberty and just rice for all." A more popular transference is "to the republic for Richard Stands." And any little Xmas caroler can tell you about Round John Virgin... -- Col. G. L. Sicherman ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel
cib@lanl.ARPA (03/28/85)
> Then there was the psalm William Safire wrote about in one of > his books - "Shirley, good Mrs. Murphy, shall follow us..." > -- And the children's interpretation of the line from "Oh, Susanna": "I come from Alabama with a bandaid on my knee." cib
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (03/30/85)
> > A more popular transference is "to the republic for Richard Stands." > And any little Xmas caroler can tell you about Round John Virgin... > My favorite was the word "elemenopy" from a popular children's songs
clelau@watrose.UUCP (Eric Lau) (03/31/85)
And I remember last christmas, a ten year boy came up to me after hearing the christmas carol, "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing", who this angel Harold was......
srm@nsc.UUCP (Richard Mateosian) (03/31/85)
In article <200@osiris.UUCP> jcp@osiris.UUCP (Jody Patilla) writes: > > Then there was the psalm William Safire wrote about in one of >his books - "Shirley, good Mrs. Murphy, shall follow us..." Don't forget "Gladly, the cross-eyed bear." -- Richard Mateosian {allegra,cbosgd,decwrl,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo}!nsc!srm nsc!srm@decwrl.ARPA
gadfly@ihu1m.UUCP (Gadfly) (04/01/85)
-- > Then there was the psalm William Safire wrote about in one of > his books - "Shirley, good Mrs. Murphy, shall follow us..." > > jcpatilla My favorite in that genre is "Gladly, the cross-eyed bear". -- *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 01 Apr 85 [12 Germinal An CXCIII] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-7188 ** ** ** ** ..ihnp4!iwsl8!ken *** ***
rlh@cvl.UUCP (Ralph L. Hartley) (04/03/85)
I distinctly remember trying to figure out what the song meant by "My country tis a V. Sweet land of liberty of the icing". Sung to the tune of "God save the queen". Ralph Hartley
chabot@miles.DEC (L S Chabot) (04/04/85)
My favorite is the subject matter of a core course I took at in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Interior Decorating: foyer transforms L S Chabot UUCP: ...decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-amber!chabot ARPA: ...chabot%amber.DEC@decwrl.ARPA
mathnews2@watdcsu.UUCP (mathNOOS [editors]) (04/14/85)
(This is for all the news systems that think they are Pacman)
You would nae believe just how true it be that some people learn their
English from largely aural sources. I grew up in a rather remote area
of Eastern Ontario (Canada) settled by United Empire Loyalists (those
who were smart enough to stay British after the American Revolution
(very :-)) ). I learned three versions of English in those days.
The first version was what was used around me home. She tended to
have a great deal of British phrases still in her, with a smattering
of joual (slang Quebec (Canada) French, which differs from the french
in Ontario, which differs from the French in New Brunswick, which
differs from the French in Nova Scotia, which differs from the french
in Manitoba, which differs from the French in Prince Edward Island.
Some versions of French are actually so divergent that often people
who speak one version don't even recognise the other as French!) at
some points where it fit un peu better.
The second version of English that I learned was from the telly. It
has proven useful in some ways, but it is far too *American* at times
for use in some areas of Canada, especially when you have certain
inflections like, you know, the stuff that is just totally, like, to
the max.
The third version was the school version, based on the great English
(British) and Canadian writers of our times (and we also did read John
Stienbeck's The Grapes of Wrath). I must admit that I am not all that
familiar with that many American writers as a result.
I am proud of my knowledge of English, which is much stronger than
most with my background, but I know full well that if I were to go
home and use it, no one would understand me. Someone had told me that
there were at least one hundred dialects of Chinese. I heard as well
(subject to confirmation) that India has fifteen official languages.
The diversity adds colour to the environment. If we all spoke as
though we were Oxford graduates, conversation would be exceedingly
dull (it might be a bit better if we were Cambridge graduates :-) ).
My many idiosyncracies in the way I talk make me a more interesting
speaker from what I have been told. I can communicate fully in my
hometown tounge in any situation and be understood with only the need
for occasional clarification.
From what I have found, while English is a terrific thing, remember
that it is a mutt in the languages of the world, and the many new
things coming into the language every day give it its life and vigour.
-- Scooter!
PS. The Oxford English Dictionary (being revised here at the
University of Waterloo) does not recognise the title chairperson.
Neither do I.
--
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