Yeah, this "can" thing has crept into my vocabulary and I somehow cannot temporary suspend this word when travelling abroad even.kookaburrah wrote:Can! Also can! Uncle, NETS can?

That'll be the ... 'High rising terminalBrah wrote:I've been trying to find a way to explain the unfortunate US lilt things, one is when people, more often women than men, and usually under 45, end sentences as a question, or, when enumerating points, do that annoying up-tone thing.
There has got to be Urban Dictionary entries for these things.
+1.Brah wrote:"What "Singlish" has crept into your vocabulary?"?
Easy - not one effing thing. And I aim to keep it that way.
I doubt it, the pidgin proudly rules.Wd40 wrote:+1.Brah wrote:"What "Singlish" has crept into your vocabulary?"?
Easy - not one effing thing. And I aim to keep it that way.
I was about to write exactly this.
I hope it works the other way around, i.e. locals interacting with me, learn some better English speaking skills after talking to me for a while
"AQI"?!!!JR8 wrote:That'll be the ... 'High rising terminalBrah wrote:I've been trying to find a way to explain the unfortunate US lilt things, one is when people, more often women than men, and usually under 45, end sentences as a question, or, when enumerating points, do that annoying up-tone thing.
There has got to be Urban Dictionary entries for these things.
The high rising terminal (HRT), also known as Uptalk, upspeak, rising inflection, or high rising intonation (HRI), is a feature of some accents of English where ostensibly declarative statements are uttered on a rising note of apology or inquiry.
Empirically, one report proposes that HRT in American English and Australian English is marked by a high tone (high pitch or high fundamental frequency) beginning on the final accented syllable near the end of the statement (the terminal), and continuing to increase in frequency (up to 40%) to the end of the intonational phrase.[1] New research suggests that the actual rise can occur one or more syllables after the last accented syllable of the phrase, and its range is much more variable than previously thought ...
...It has been noted in speech heard in areas of Canada, in Cape Town, the Falkland Islands, and in the United States where it is often associated with a particular sociolect that originated among affluent teenage girls in Southern California (see Valleyspeak and Valley girl).
... it is used more than twice as often by young generations as by older ones, and particularly by women.... [continues]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_rising_terminal
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'Want a promotion? Don't speak like an AUSSIE: Rising in pitch at the end of sentences make you sound 'insecure'
Inflections added to the end of sentences are called high-rising terminals
The language trait is common in Australian and American accents
As a result, the trait is also known as Australian Question Intonation (AQI)
UK publisher Pearson surveyed 700 men and women in managerial roles
More than half said if a Briton used AQI it would hinder their prospects
While 85% said the trait was a ‘clear indicator of insecurity’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... z3BvSWT43W
Not this guy though: http://www.youtube.com/user/marquesbrownleeMax Headroom wrote:They do that because they're worried they sound monotonous if they don't pitch up every few sentences or so. You won't hear it from news readers, politicians or commentators. But a lot of the Youtube dime-a-dozen presenter wannabes resort to it. Yeah, slap-worthy.
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I find this whole not a hidden-enough world absolutely annoying .JR8 wrote:AQI: A summary - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPIeOezvLgo
Uptalk (aka Valley-girl), some academic study: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJo7T8ietaM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjKMNyZ2oTc
'Uptalk, Like and Creaky Voice (Vocal Fry)'
7.5minutes, BUT I finally get to find a label for that strange thing ... 'Vocal Fry!'. I once had a young American intern who did that the whole time...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVEDc466XvI
'Ep. 46 "What's The Vocal Fry" - Vocal Fry Trilogy Part 1- Voice Lessons To The World'
... [9.5mins] wow, learn something new every day...
p.s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aoj4HZlLQBY
'Questions and Intonation: Up or Down? -- American English
Pronunciation'
I find this whole subject something of a hidden world, and absolutely fascinating![]()
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