Job Discussion Forums

JonnytheMann · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 337 Location: USA

Oops, sorry!

(No, Henry, that's not a cliche. I'm talking to Chris.)

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Jonnyboy,

This thread has consisted of many people posting one-sentence posts about cliches they don't like. You posted one sentence about Americans using 'mobile phone'. You didn't indicate whom or what you were responding to. So you were posting a cliche that you didn't like -- or so it seemed to non-mindreaders. On the other hand, the quote function is SO easy to use that even hillbillies can learn to use it.

Still waiting to know what you think of all the ESL books that people recommended to you AT YOUR REQUEST several months ago.... But I know you won't ever think of looking. You'd rather meet moonraven for a cup of coffee. Laughing

JonnytheMann · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 337 Location: USA

Dear Henry_Bowell,

I am truly sorry for not using the quote function. I would like to extend my apologies to you and to all people reading this thread. I probably confused many people. It's easy to understand how people would assume I thought "mobile phone" was one of my least favorite cliches.

Every time I offered up one of my least favorite cliches, I put it in quotes. I didn't do this when I wrote the phrase "Some Americans say mobile phone". This was an attempt to show that it wasn't a cliche, but then again, I have a terrible habit of assuming people can read minds.

Thank you so much for all the help, Henry. I've learned a lot from all the books you recommended. Thank you for suggesting them. Also, many thanks for teaching me about other cultures. I love how you've taught me that it's racist to look down on people from other cultures & countries, but it's okay to look down on people from the South and insult them regularly.

Much love,

JonnytheBoyy

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Cheers and all the best, Jonny. You are truly a noble and compassionate being.

sigmoid · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 1276

Another dreadful cliche to get back on topic:

We're not in Kansas anymore.

Cardinal Synn · Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 586

A popular one at the moment is, "I'm loving it", used for just about everything by mindless cretins and clearly taken from the spazy McDonalds ads. Grrr.
Eg. "I'm lovin' that new song by (insert naff artist's name here)"

Also, "So" used before "not".
Eg."You are SO not funny!"

"Whatever" ,arggh, I hate that.

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

"So" used before dates:

That is so 1987.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

This isn't a cliche, but for some reason I find it irritating when people make statements and use a rising tone at the end to make them sound like questions.

"The other day I went downtown? I ran into Mary Smith while I was there? She's the one who teaches at X School? She's was having problems with her boyfriend? Well, she told me . . ."

This trend seems to have become quite popular, at least in the States, since I moved away from there ten years ago. I really notice it on the rare occasions when I go "back home" to visit or when I overhear tourists and foreign-exchange students conversing in English.

Cardinal Synn · Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 586

Popular with some Brits too, but it seems to be really popular with Aussies. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's almost always woman that do it.

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:14 pm Post subject:

A phonology text book on one of my teacher training courses called it AQI. (Australian Questioning Intonation) Defined it as any use of question intonation where no question, grammatical or implied, exists.

Gets on my nerves, too, but at least I have a name for it now.

Justin

PS- I don't remember which book it was- it's been a few years, and I travel kinda light...

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

Yeah, almost all aussies do it. Unfortunately it's a really easy thing to pick up as well...after a year in australia it took 3 months of my family and friends taking the piss out of me before i finally got rid of it.

It's also something that people from Birmingham do as well, although nowhere near to the same extent. Whenever i go back up to the midlands to watch the footy i find myself slipping back into the brummie accent and intonation (which i pretty much lost when i went to boarding school at the age of 8 ). So, time for another cliche...

You can take the boy out of Birmingham, but you can't take Birmingham out of the boy.

That's grooit loike, innit?

darkhorse · Joined: 05 Jun 2005 Posts: 78

post deleted

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

darkhorse · Joined: 05 Jun 2005 Posts: 78

post deleted