From: tld@moon.base.bellcore.com (Terry Davidson)
Subject: Re: California is NOT representative of the US as a whole
Keywords: language
Reply-To: tld@cosmos.bellcore.com
Organization: Bellcore
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 21:13:51 GMT

In article <2JAN199315271515@elroy.uh.edu>, st1ns@elroy.uh.edu (Ault, Russell W.) writes:
|> In article <i3558.725901920@newsie>, i3558@newsie.dc.dk (Soren Michael Roug) writes...
|> >I seems to me that this discussion is mostly, if not completely carried
|> >out by americans. My advice to you is that if you want to improve your
|> >english language then learn the King's english, not those barbarian dialects
|> >the yanks choose to utter. It is my understanding that the yanks find a
|> >properly spoken UK accent "cute". Well, I won't call myself an expert, but
|> >I have been to USA several times, and some of those wordings one get to
|> >hear notably in California make my toes curl. And behold; In some restaurants
|> >they don't give people utensils to eat with.
|> >-- 
|> 
|> Only a Californian would call California a part of the civilised world.  The 
|> rest of us know that not everything "edible" is palatable, and that inventing 
|> a new (and illogical) usage for an existing word or phrase (or an equally 
|> illogical construction for an existing usage) is neither a profitable activity
|> nor one which is likely to increase the degree to which one is making himself
|> understood.  I dread the prospect of having to visit California.  For all 
|> their slurred and slang-infested modes of speech, I prefer talking to someone
|> from southern Louisiana than a vacuocephalic Californian.  (I sometimes wonder,
|> though, if that designation is not redundant?)
|> 
|> The worst part of the situation is that the disease (Californitis?) seems to
|> be spreading.  It has even shown up in such isolated places as Cut & Shoot, 
|> Texas (a real place, just north of Houston), much to the dismay of many.  If
|> it continues, I may have to establish a new detoxification program to deal
|> with the afflicted, something along the lines of a Californiacs Anonymous,
|> with classes in Getting On With It, Differentiating Between Gratuitous
|> Criticism and Actual Insult, and Eating Without Analysis.  I welcome any
|> suggestions for additional items to add to the curriculum, and there is 
|> some urgency involved since there is a small danger that I may have to move
|> to California this year.  Fortunately, I've already been immunized.  And
|> even more important, I have discovered that there are still enclaves of the
|> unafflicted even in the L.A. basin, although they often adopt the outward
|> appearance of the multitudes as protective coloration.  
|> 
|> Sadly, I doubt that I will be able to pass as a Californian myself at any
|> time in the near future.  I refuse to wear clothes that do not fit properly,
|> I don't wear footwear that is designed to be used without socks, I loathe
|> beaches, I keep my skin untanned and my hair unbleached, and my voice is 
|> at least two octaves too low.  
|> 
|> I guess I'll just have to get my groceries in Nevada.
|> 
|> 
|>   My wife went to Harvard and all I got was this lousy .sig!
|>       Russ Ault, aka st1ns@jetson.uh.edu 
|>       (For the moment, anyway.  I reserve the right to
|>        polymorph myself into something more formidable.)
|> 

Small point:  82% of adult (18 years and above) `Californians' were born
              and raised outside of California....  Check the last census...

              73% of Californian vehicle (car/motorcycle) accidents
              were caused by people who moved to Cal. from out of state,
              and a full 85% of *those* accidents were caused by people
              from the tri-state area (NY,NJ,CN)  - Survey reported on KYA
              (San Fransisco) and repeated on CBS news about 3 years ago...
-- 
 # include disclaimer.lib   //* All standard disclaimers apply *//
 My wife let's me think my opinions are my own.  Bellcore doesn't care
 either way, and doesn't claim them anyway...
 Terry Davidson - tld@cosmos.bellcore.com / tld@cosmos.bae.bellcore.com