From: Simon Palmer <simon-AT-illustrated-history.net>
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:13:40 +0000
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] the changing tides of language


Degeneration of the English language? I came across this just  
yesterday, a Punch and Judy performer talking about his art:

"The great difficulty in preforming (sic) Punch consists in speaking  
with this call in the mouth-cos it's produced from the lungs; it's  
all done from there, and is a great strain, and acquires suction-and  
that's brandy-and-water, or summat to moisten the whistle with.  
'We're bound not to drink water by our purfession, when we can get  
anything stronger. It weakens the nerves, but we always like to keep  
in the bounds of propriety, respectability, and decency. I drinks my  
beer with my call in my mouth, and never takes it out, cos it exposes  
it, and the boys (hang 'em!) is so inquisitive. They runs after us,  
and looks up in our face to see how we speaks; but we drives 'em away  
with civility."

Shocking grammar for a purfessional! Oh, hold on - no, that's from  
Henry Mayhew's "London Labour and the London Poor," 1851. Seems like  
the poorly spoken are always with us...

"Protecting" the pure baby of language from the bath water of reality  
is, and always has been, a pointless exercise. Let the baby play and  
it will grow.

Judy: Where's the baby?
Punch: (In a melancholy tone) I have had a misfortune; the child was  
so terrible cross, I throwed it out of the winder.



Simon Palmer
Illustrated History
+44 (0) 161 611 0739
+44 (0) 7944 804414
www.illustrated-history.net
www.doodleblog.co.uk




On 18 Mar 2010, at 13:39, Simon Palmer wrote:

> Hey Robert, no biggie, just chillax!
>
> Simon Palmer
> Illustrated History
> +44 (0) 161 611 0739
> +44 (0) 7944 804414
> www.illustrated-history.net
> www.doodleblog.co.uk
>
>
>
>
> On 18 Mar 2010, at 13:18, Robert Rogers wrote:
>
>> Whether puppeteers use a little or a lot of spoken dialogue in our
>> productions, we should be concerned about the deterioration of the
>> English language and try not to succumb to its lazy seduction.
>> After all, when we work in front of the public, and very often, in
>> the schools, isn't it our responsibility to communicate correctly
>> with our audiences and students?  Sadly, I hear many certified
>> teachers making mistakes; read mistakes in newspapers, and hear
>> terrible errors on TV newscasts and talk radio shows.  We
>> puppeteers should not follow the crowd.  Here are some observations:
>>
>> The word "an" has largely replaced "a" when used before the word
>> "historical."  It is now becoming correct to write the awkward
>> sounding "...a historical occasion" instead of "...an historical
>> occasion."
>>
>> On puptcrit, I often read "I'm going to work on a sculpt," instead
>> of "sculpture."  Or, I'm in the middle of a "build," instead of
>> "I'm in the middle of building something."
>>
>> I hear this all the time: "...he disrespected her," instead of
>> "...he was disrespectful of her."
>>
>> Or this violation: "...if every person would pick up their
>> coat..."  when it should be "...if every person would pick up his
>> or her coat..."
>>
>> Here's another all too common mistake: "Me and John went to the
>> movies."  No.  It's "John and I went to the movies."
>>
>> Another one: "I know a woman that works in a store."  Sorry.  It's
>> "I know a woman who works in a store."
>>
>> Finally, a word usage, that to me is the equivalent of fingernails
>> across a chalk board: "Sorry, it's my bad."
>>
>> Yes, the popular vernacular changes, and phrases come and go.  But
>> as we live in an age of incredible scientific achievement and
>> discovery, so must we not throw correct grammar to the wayside.
>>
>> Robert Rogers
>>
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