Wealth

You don’t need intelligence to become rich. In fact, intelligence, especially being sensitive and reflective, can be a distinct disadvantage. There are many, many boring jobs across the land that need and insensitive unimaginative people to make them their number one priority. These people can make a lot of money at those jobs. But many more sensitive and thoughtful people just cannot bring themselves to do those jobs, regardless of the money.

The descent of language

“Uptalk” (or HRT) is a manner of speaking whereby the speaker unnecessarily raises their tone at the end of statements, as if they were questions? You see what I mean. It is at once patronising, because it implies that the listener might barely be able understanding the speaker’s meaning, and it suggests that the speaker is not confident in their own ability to speak intelligible English. It is totally unnecessary and it is undesirable because it sounds affected and it blurs the distinction between statements and questions.

This meme seems to have come from the USA or from Australia, where it is endemic and apparently intrinsic. Along with this we also now have many American words being used by English people instead of their (often better) English counterparts. For example, people now want to use “cab” instead of “taxi”, “movie” instead of “film”, “store” instead of “shop”, and when asked how they are, they reply “I’m good”. This latter one is particularly inappropriate, as it suggests they are replying as to their moral quality of character. In fact, nothing was ever wrong with “I’m well”.

Another Americanism is saying “can I get” instead of “can I have” at a bar. People in England never used to say “Can I get”. You’re not getting it. You are having it. You are standing the other side of the bar and someone is getting it for you! Duh!

It seems crazy to have to spell this out, but here goes: there’s nothing wrong with language changing if it adds to accuracy of meaning (this is to be welcomed), but when it does not, and especially when it renders a statement factually incorrect, the change should be avoided. Otherwise we run the risk of sounding foolish and pretentious. Mind you, probably no-one around us would notice, because they’re all doing it too

London Underground announcements

It’s funny how London Underground sometimes makes announcements saying that the line is running properly. This should be the default state, and is nothing to boast about. You don’t get BT phoning you up to tell you that the phone line is working properly!