Red Ring Tupperware Party, Unabashed (17)

In2Photos wrote in post #10662235
I blame youtube!

Heh! Nooooooo! The scary thing is that so many people now communicate through texting/tweeting that it carries on to forums like this! Now what would happen if we allowed people to post videos of them talking as well!

Greg mentioned cable TV from America as an influence, and I second that. This hit home to me during the first Gulf War -- late '80s, was it? I remember watching the war via CNN but also realising that CNN was being watched there in Iraq and in fact all around the world. That made me realize that English was having a global effect more than ever before, because people were hearing it spoken conversationally on a daily basis. Of course, add to that the fact that most people talking on CNN had a flat "mid American" accent and you add that "American English" spin.

Imagine if everyone on CNN back then talked like they were from Brooklyn? Or, for you Brits, say Liverpool or some other place with a very distinctive accent? Wouldn't that be a holler?)!

Funny thing is that we don't seem to have the vast differences in accent that England and the US does. We do have some differences, I can pick someone who has grown up in the bush - their speech is slower. But then I can also pick someone from a lower socio-economic area also. And we always have to make fun of the Kiwis - fush & chups anyone.

It's amazing how different one language can become...

When the Endeavour replica made it's around the world cruise in 1997-1999, I had occasion to crew on it for a week in Southern California waters. While I was able to understand the mixed accents (British, Canadian, American, Australian and some latin) reasonably well, a lot of the slang and especially the humor went right over my head...

Thalagyrt wrote in post #10658626
I may know a few people who would be interested, let me know what you're asking and I'll pass it along.

Chet wrote in post #10659871
Probably still outta my price range, shoot me some PM numbers anyway.

mtnphtgrphr wrote in post #10662062
This nobody would love a 5DC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:p

Ok, let me get home tomorrow and decompress a little and then I'll get in touch with folks. If you don't hear from me, drop me a PM as a mental jump start.

JWright wrote in post #10662735
It's amazing how different one language can become...

When the Endeavour replica made it's around the world cruise in 1997-1999, I had occasion to crew on it for a week in Southern California waters. While I was able to understand the mixed accents (British, Canadian, American, Australian and some latin) reasonably well, a lot of the slang and especially the humor went right over my head...

Slang is one area of our language that is changing faster. A lot of the older Aussie slang is disappearing.

tonylong wrote in post #10661684
Hey all!

I had a novel question today!

I just listened to a brief interview via satellite with a businessman in the UAE -- he is a major tech retailer and was taking questions related to the Blackberry ban in the UAE and the fact that he is having to provide iPhones to the Blackberry user base there.

Anyway, it was an informal, conversational interview and he spoke fluent conversational English in a heavy "Arabian accent" -- something we've gotten used to in the decades of the "global economy" where many countries are teaching English as the "primary secondary language" or whatever you call it, anyway teaching English from childhood so that if I saw the transcript of the interview I'd have no idea that he was from a non-"western" country. We see this all the time in forums like this. "Where is this person from?"

Anyway, a phrase stuck out. He was referring to the fact that the iPhone wasn't the big phenomenon there like it is in other places, although in his words "it's a cool gadget to have". What struck me is that this was not a phrase that you'd learn in an English class, in fact it's a phrase that would strike me as more "American English".

Now, I could be all wet here since I've never lived outside the US and maybe people in, say, Britain or Australia walk aroung saying "hey, that's a cool gadget!" and such, which is why I'm asking you guys with some representation of those places (Harm I'm thinking of you, and Greg, I'm thinking of you).

So my question would be, "What 'flavor' is global English becoming?".

This guy may have spent a lot of time in America and other countries to pick up his flavor, or maybe a lot of time just watching cable TV from various places...what do you all think? Is global English becoming "Americanized" or is it just the ruminations of my idle mind as I listen to the finance news and slug through my business day! Probably the latter but I thought it might be entertaining...

I'd say it and I've never been to the U.S.

It could just be that there is a proliferation of Americans abroad working as EAASL instructors.

Two of my former step sisters were overseas English instructors and both worked in several different countries.

Oh, and don't forget MTv...

why is thread called red ring tupper ware ?

Greg_C wrote in post #10663107
Slang is one area of our language that is changing faster. A lot of the older Aussie slang is disappearing.

"By crikey, I got into a bingle the other day. Anyway, turns out the other bloke was pissed. So the coppers took him off. Later he said he was bloody sorry and I said no worries. Now we're best mates. Fair dinkum."

Seriously, maybe in BrisVegas they're not using the old slang so much (and Sydney) but as far as I know (and I've been living outside Australia for about 10 years) people still talk like that.

Pity so many Aussies what to talk like Americans. It flippin' well irks me to no end when I hear an Aussie bloke (probably from Sydney) that sounds more like an American than a proper larrikin.

I miss Bob Hawke.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #10663773
It could just be that there is a proliferation of Americans abroad working as EAASL instructors.

Two of my former step sisters were overseas English instructors and both worked in several different countries.

Oh, and don't forget MTv...

I've never really seen MTV. I've seen Pimp my ride though. That show is off the hizzle (do I sound American?).

I reckon I pretty much embody the spirit of larrikinism.

picard wrote in post #10663785
why is thread called red ring tupper ware ?

Because blue ring would make no sense.

picard wrote in post #10663785
why is thread called red ring tupper ware ?

Bcoz' L lenses have that red ring on it.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #10663773
It could just be that there is a proliferation of Americans abroad working as EAASL instructors.

Two of my former step sisters were overseas English instructors and both worked in several different countries.

That's what my brother-in-law does. He teaches English to kindergartners in China...

JWright wrote in post #10664273
That's what my brother-in-law does. He teaches English to kindergartners in China...

He's doing a terrible job. I talked to a 4 y.o. the other day, didn't understand a word I said.

:p

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #10663052
Ok, let me get home tomorrow and decompress a little and then I'll get in touch with folks. If you don't hear from me, drop me a PM as a mental jump start.

Is it tomorrow yet?

Chet wrote in post #10664439
Is it tomorrow yet?

It's always tomorrow somewhere...