Bleeding Edge - A Rolling Assessment

[Laura Kelber]

I don't think this is specifically a NY thing. I agree with Kai that its probably more prevalent in women, either because of insecurity, or to mask assertiveness.  But I know plenty of New Yorkers, male and female, who just fucking say what's on their mind, no question about it. In fact, offhand, I can't think of anyone I know who uses that rising  inflection. Certainly, that classic Brooklynese question: "Whaddya think I yam, stoopid or sumptin?" barely registers as a question, as spoken. I agree with Bekah that the rising inflection originated with the Valley Girl culture, then spread all over the country. Don't pin it on us, motherfuckers!

Laura


On Sep 27, 2013, at 7:35 PM, Markekohut <markekohut at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I believe that is TRP's point...
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> On Sep 27, 2013, at 7:33 PM, Fiona Shnapple <fionashnapple at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Wtf, tons of New Yorkers talk this way, they did then and they do now. It's my business to know this. 
>> 
>> On Friday, September 27, 2013, Markekohut wrote:
>>> And, according to Wikipedia on ' high rising terminal' thanks, Bekah, some linguists' research says its use often does two other things 1) sets up a verbal barrier to being interrupted 2) involves the listener in acknowledging they have listened. 
>>> 
>>> New York City, yes...
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>> 
>>> On Sep 27, 2013, at 9:25 AM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> It is predominantly a girl thing. It is a way of asking permission, or even apologizing for the words one speaks.
>>>> 
>>>> On Friday, September 27, 2013, Bekah wrote:
>>>>> I think it's ackshully like, you know, Valley Girl?   (Not that it necessarily came from the SF Valley,  though.)     The question mark intonation at the end is called the "rising terminal"  and is  requesting a nod of positive response like - "..,  you know?"  "..,  you understand?"  "Capiche?"  This intonation also appears frequently in Spanish speakers,  "Verdad?"
>>>>> 
>>>>> It was around here in the 1980s - movies,  people (usually women),  etc.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Bekah
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Sep 27, 2013, at 3:47 AM, Kai Frederik Lorentzen <lorentzen at hotmail.de> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Over here this way of talking has become endemic during recent years. A secondary Anglizismus (or: Amerikanismus) is what local linguists probably would call this. Actually it drives me mad ... it's like, you know, not sounding very, um, intelligent? They even dub old movies with this way of talking now, which sounds really strange and brings me to the the following questions: Since when are people in New York  lifting the phrases in case of sentences which actually are simple statements or fragments thererof? (You can also hear this way of talking in 'Mad Men', so it is, assumed the serial's authenticity, not that new, is it?) Is this way of talking also common in other regions of the US? Other anglophone countries? And: Is there a gender dimension in it? This seems to be the case in 'Bleeding Edge', 'Mad Men' and the contemporary German reality: It's mostly women who talk that way. So if it's really around since at least 1960 my thesis would be that it originally was kinda compromise formula for women entering male job domains: Like still sounding sweet while making statements and, you know, claims?
>>>>> >
>>>>> > If you think that I sound like a sexist grammar fascist you're probably right.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> > On 27.09.2013 00:01, alice wellintown wrote:
>>>>> >> The talk is zapping and yapping along at a new york minute. Notice too, the interrogatives, the lifting of the phrases that get question marks.
>>>>> >> New York Runs on Dunkin and Dots ...?
>>>>> >> Taylor mali poem
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >
>>>>> > -
>>>>> > Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
>>>>> 
>>>>> -
>>>>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?listpynchon-l
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