Dumbing down of english

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I had an encounter today at a coffee shop that really irked me. The cashier doesn't understand english. I ordered my regular coffee and she asked anything else? I said, "That will be all." She didn't understand. Dumbfounded! She asked again and I repeated myself clearly 3 times! Still no clue at all. I gestured a "no". I got my coffee though. It was the only thing she got right.



This is not the first time at this coffee chain. The cashier was a middle aged woman of indian origin. From her grasp of english, she sounded like a competant english speaker. I wasn't speaking fast, nor slurring my words. She just didn't get it?



I've noticed if I'm not with my friends, I have to dumb down my english to basic english 101. I'm not some high minded literary guy. I generally read rags like Time, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, Fortune, Popular Science, Stuff, T3 etc....



Part of the problem is the large immigrant population whose first language isn't english. No big deal. But what's so hard to get, "That will be all." Should I stop speaking in sentences and just say yes and no?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    johnqjohnq Posts: 2,763member
    If you're going to go through life speaking in idioms to foreigners, then I suppose, yes, you'll have very frustrating exchanges.



    "That will be all" is essentially an idiom. You could have easily said "No, thank you." or even "No, that will be all." which would be more clear.



    Q: "Anything else?"

    A: "That will be all."



    Q: "Anything else?"

    A: "I'm all set."



    Q: "Anything else?"

    A: "Can't think of anything else."



    Q: "Anything else?"

    A: "Nah."



    Q: "Anything else?"

    A: "Nuh-uh"



    Q: "Anything else?"

    A: "Nafink else, darlen"



    All of them suck if you are not a native speaker. They are nearly meaningless.



    Better hope that when (if!) you ever go to other countries, people will be kind and speak more clearly for your benefit, unless you expect to already be fluent in the language for every country you visit.
  • Reply 2 of 11
    Quote:

    Originally posted by johnq

    Better hope that when (if!) you ever go to other countries, people will be kind and speak more clearly for your benefit, unless you expect to already be fluent in the language for every country you visit.



    That, my friend, hit the nail.
  • Reply 3 of 11
    johnqjohnq Posts: 2,763member
    I've started to think that "That will be all" might be more of a "stock phrase" than a proper idiom.



    Anyway, I don't think such a phrase is a fair one to expect a foreigner to be able to interpret as a "no".
  • Reply 4 of 11
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    We aint dumin' down da'languige' we remakein' it in r oun way - bioch! par chiznik! Damn! You feelin' me?[/fifty cent]



    I am conserned of loss of the language, for example, to "pimp" now means to enhanse, or modify in pop culture style. That word, to many, means something totaly differant!



    what about slang like "off the hook", "fly", "phat" and so on?



    I do have to say that the most frightening experiance that I had was seeing a final draft to be turned in for an English project that acctualy used LOL. I still wonder what grade they got on that one.



    How one responds to "wil that be all?" is sort of minor to me.
  • Reply 5 of 11
    kishankishan Posts: 732member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by johnq

    I've started to think that "That will be all" might be more of a "stock phrase" than a proper idiom.



    Anyway, I don't think such a phrase is a fair one to expect a foreigner to be able to interpret as a "no".




    all your base are belong to us
  • Reply 6 of 11
    Quote:

    Originally posted by johnq

    Better hope that when (if!) you ever go to other countries, people will be kind and speak more clearly for your benefit, unless you expect to already be fluent in the language for every country you visit.



    You don't have to leave the country to find differences in idiom. There's a really cool website that maps different idioms/usages for the same words/things across the US e.g. sneakers vs. running shoes vs. trainers etc.



    But I can't find it at the moment, anyone else seen it?



    edit: found it!



    http://cfprod01.imt.uwm.edu/Dept/FLL...lect/maps.html



    It starts of with pronunciations that vary, but I find the different terms later on more interesting e.g.

    What is your *general* term for the rubber-soled shoes worn in gym class, for athletic activities, etc.?



    Some other interesting stuff I found while Googling:





    Dialect map of American English Do you speak American? The great Pop vs. Soda controversy



    Also, to address the original question, I think that anyone who wants everybody to speak and understand the same static and limited dialect of English is the one that is dumbing things down. Languages grow and change, bits of them die, what's right becomes wrong and vice versa. Try to roll with it, communication is a two-way street after all.



    I regularly use the word 'outwith' to mean the opposite of 'within' e.g. 'outwith my control' and was surprised to find that it's not a 'real' word (it's in the OED but noted as primarily scottish) and that other's often have no idea what I'm talking about.
  • Reply 7 of 11
    Shouldn't English have a capital "E"?

  • Reply 8 of 11
    All I know is that the continuing misuse in both written and spoken form of the word "of" as if it has become some sort of mutant homophone of the contracted form of have, "'ve", will eventually lead me to try my damnedest to end this world. It's not "could of", it's "could've" you stupid motherfuckers.
  • Reply 9 of 11
    Hooray for JimDreamworx!



    Given the premise of the thread, that was bothering me too.
  • Reply 10 of 11
    toweltowel Posts: 1,479member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by stupider...likeafox

    I regularly use the word 'outwith' to mean the opposite of 'within' e.g. 'outwith my control' and was surprised to find that it's not a 'real' word (it's in the OED but noted as primarily scottish) and that other's often have no idea what I'm talking about.



    Isn't "without" a more common way to express that? Althogh I guess, depending on the context, you could confuse the "outside of" meaning with the "lacking" meaning. 'The team is without my control' isn't clear, but 'That factor lies without our control' is.
  • Reply 11 of 11
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by a_greer

    I am conserned of loss of the language, for example, to "pimp" now means to enhanse, or modify in pop culture style. That word, to many, means something totaly differant!



    what about slang like "off the hook", "fly", "phat" and so on?



    I do have to say that the most frightening experiance that I had was seeing a final draft to be turned in for an English project that acctualy used LOL. I still wonder what grade they got on that one.



    How one responds to "wil that be all?" is sort of minor to me.




    You should be "conserned".
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