"sat there" - grammar

I think I will always be a bit of a snob then as I'm not so fond of the Yorkshire dialect.  I don't mind it in 'old' people but it just makes me cringe in younger people.  I won't pick it up I'm sure of that.  I'll still drop a Philly phrase or colloquialism once in a while just for laughs, but you'll never catch me saying "I were on the bus" *or* "I wa on the bus".  Sorry to be mean but sometimes it sounds as if some of the younger ones are speaking with four fingers shoved in their mouths. 

Snobby, I know. 

but you'll never catch me saying "I were on the bus" *or* "I wa on the bus". 

Yaye, Andee! Don't apologise for it! 

but it's how people talk in real life - so eh, whatever.

Not all people do, though. And not my friends or family. I might hear someone in passing while shopping say it, but that's about it. So, no, I kind of don't feel the need to copy them. 

I guess I shouldn't apologize chary you're right.  I just don't want to seem snobby.  But I am who I am (or as Popeye says, "I yam who I yam"). 

The linguistic variations are interesting though.  One thing that's funny is the way I say 'vase' (vaze), is the posh way here, but the posh way from back home (vahz) is the working class way here (for lack of a better description).  So I've been teased about that.

Ha ha, I knew it wouldn't be long at all before someone came on to chastise. 

Oh Mrs. R I hope you don't think I'm chastising!  I do like the northern accent in general, but some of the stronger dialects etc just don't do it for me.  And some of the young ones *do* have marbles-in-the-mouth to my ears sometimes. 

Ha ha, I knew it wouldn't be long at all before someone came on to chastise. 

Not chastising either! Just mocking! 

Not chastising either! Just mocking!  

It's okay - the plummy mouth accents are the ones that get mocked up here!  If I hear one on a train or something, I usually giggle to myself a little bit.  

And some of the young ones *do* have marbles-in-the-mouth to my ears sometimes.  

Yes, I do agree, but then so does one of my Jamaican friends at work - to hear her speak on her mobile, you wouldn't think she is actually speaking English! But she is speaking her dialect.  And the stuff I was talking about anyway is broad Yorkshire - both young, old & in between.

I think it's a mistake to assume that when one picks up approved-of (standard, grammatically correct) linguistic things in British English - words & expressions, then 'it's only natural, you're fitting in, when in Rome etc'.  But when one picks up non-standard, grammatically incorrect things from a dialect, then you are trying to copy...  Completely incorrect assumption.  Andee knows that I speak with about as American an accent as you can get, yet - sometimes - when I'm around my mates who speak broad Yorkshire, other things unintentionally fly out of my mouth.  I don't have any problem with this at all.  And I love these real people - my broad Yorkshire dialect speaking friends...wouldn't trade 'em for a plummy mouth ever.  And I love the Geordies & the Mancunians & the Scousers & the Weegies & my lovely little Smoggy friend & my hubby's family's Norfolk etc.  It's the plummy Received English that sounds put-on & affected pronunciation to my ears.

It's the plummy Received English that sounds put-on & affected pronunciation to my ears.

Maybe you need new ears? 

Just kidding, MrsR. But, to be truthful, I find reverse snobbery just as bad as snobbery. So nobody's right!

Maybe you need new ears? 

Just kidding, MrsR. But, to be truthful, I find reverse snobbery just as bad as snobbery. So nobody's right!

Exactly. Why is it snobby to want to speak properly? And when I say properly, I mean grammar-wise, not accent of course! To me it's the equivalent of dressing sloppy vs dressing appropriately. Why would I want to walk around looking like a slob? I understand that language should be functional and its basic reason is to communicate. So as long as you get your point across, no big deal, right? But with the current trend to not use even basic words/syntax incorrectly (your/you're or their/there/they're anyone?), I think communication is actually being lost. No, I actually DON'T always understand when something is spelled incorrectly. Nor do I always "know what you mean" when you use the wrong word when speaking. Language is so, so rich and expressive. I don't want to "dumb down" (for lack of a better phrase) because people think I'm snobby. Imagine poetry or other literature where the author can't spell or write properly. It would lose its effect and meaning. (And, no, I'm not talking about purposely using dialect in literature like Mark Twain does in Tom Sawyer, for instance.) Why should every day communication not be important enough to want to communicate effectively?

And yes, I know this sounds rant-y. Sorry about that. (Or "soz" as DH says. )

So language can only be rich & expressive if it's standard use? And dialect is only okay if used deliberately in literature? Unless it's completely fictional (made up by the writer), the dialect came from somewhere - but the real-life speaking of it is not ok?

 

These are elements that make language richer, to me. How would language evolve, or should it always be spoken same as it ever was?

Lolz! 

Lolz

So language can only be rich & expressive if it's standard use? And dialect is only okay if used deliberately in literature? Unless it's completely fictional (made up by the writer), the dialect came from somewhere - but the real-life speaking of it is not ok?

 

These are elements that make language richer, to me. How would language evolve, or should it always be spoken same as it ever was?

Lolz! 

My response is simplified, but I don't see saying "I was sat" or using the wrong your/you're as language evolving. Inventing new words and phrases such as Shakespeare did is language evolving. Or adding and dropping the U in -or/-our words is evolution. If I start saying "I dided" something and all my friends start saying it, that doesn't mean language is evolving. It means I have incorrectly used the past tense.

Soz.

I come from an area where 'y'allses' is used for plural possessive, so I can't be too snooty.

I come from an area where 'y'allses' is used for plural possessive, so I can't be too snooty.

I'm from New Jersey. We use mostly yelling, profanity, and a lot of hand gestures to get our point across. I can't get too snooty either.

Soz.

 

The improper usage of your/you're and there/their/they're stuff bugs me too!  Other stuff (sat etc) doesn't, especially if it seems dialect related.  And I'm okay with text speak in its context.

Tomoz!