Ok, every now and then I just have to pontificate on something that just bugs the hell out of me.

Is it just me, or have any of the rest of you noticed a relative new trend in vocal speech, especially among younger females where when going through a list of things, the last syllable of the word is not only accented, but spoken with a raised inflection on the end? I don't know why, but things like this tend to really bug me. Why would someone just starting talking like that? I find this as annoying as the deliberate misuse and mispronunciation of words.

Yes, it calls attention to you, but in an unfavorable way?

Not new my friend. I often find myself thinking, “Was that a statement or not?”

It's called "Vocal Fry ". I think that's what you're referring to.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UsE5mysfZsY

It's analogous to the "Valley Girl" speech trend of the 1980s and early 1990s. Someone famous starts to do it, it gets popularized, and all of a sudden nearly a whole generation of young girls start copying it.

Isn’t all speech vocal?

The trend is strong. And I also find it annoying. Does it perhaps have it’s origins in California “valley” speak? Another trend is starting almost every sentence with, “So,”.

Rising inflection. I’ll ask if they’re making a statement or asking a question. That fucks ‘em up even more

I had no idea what it was called and watched the you tube video Johnny3eagles provided.

I hear it everyday at work interviewing people, and I guess I have just blocked it out

Didn't this really start in the 80's and it was called Valley girl talk.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
It's called "Vocal Fry ". I think that's what you're referring to.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UsE5mysfZsY

I tried to watch that video to see what this was but couldn't get past the first 15 seconds. That laddy was super annoying.

Very annoying.

Another one I've noticed, also among younger females is short vowel substitutions.


Bag becomes "bog" bahg

River becomes "rever" rehver

Them becomes "tham" thahm

I don't get it.

“Uptalking” is term I’ve heard adding emphasis on last syllable. “Vocal Fry” is the gutteral drp at the end of a sentence. It was originally used a a vocal inflection to convey dimissive attitudes towards a subject due to unimportant or boring attributes. Imortant to teenage girls to demonstrate “being above it all”. Trouble in the professional world is that it makes speaker sound uninterested, dismissive, board and disinterested in others.

There are tons of people my age that use this type of voice with their children and it drives me nuts. As if they're asking permission for everything they say to their kids.

"Johnny we're going to stop playing Xbox now."

"Lucy no more than 12 cookies, okay?"

"Hey Princess Day-Day, stop hitting Mr. Veeper's van with the baseball bat okay?"


I hear what you're saying. Drives me nuts.

Yep, short vowll subs. Baby becomes bee bee. It’s a Kardashian characteristic. Great folks to emulate. Saying “baby” would be too plebeian.

quote:

Originally posted by Av8nShooter:
Isn’t all speech vocal?

The trend is strong. And I also find it annoying. Does it perhaps have it’s origins in California “valley” speak? Another trend is starting almost every sentence with, “So,”.

So, starting sentences with "so" is anything but new. I know this because every time I did it in front of my grandmother she would respond with "buttons on your underwear." before I got another word out. This was in the early '70s and I'm sure she had been doing this to others before I was born in the '60s.

That rising tone at the end of a sentence or phrase is annoying when women do it and down right aggravating when men do it.

I believe it is akin to adding subtle question mark to the end of a sentence or phrase to solicit acceptance by the listener.

The other one that annoys me is ending every conversation with "thanks so much".

quote:

especially among younger females

Yes, but not just that demographic in my experience. First noticed with my son in law (to be at the time) and my daughter picked it up next. Much more common, and the 40 YO man I just hired does the same thing. I'm learning to tune it out, make sure I don't start to do it.

People from england must work for $3.65 an our plus tips,

you can't go for more than 90 minutes w/o seeing some blithering idiot from england murdering the way we speak

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
It's called "Vocal Fry ". I think that's what you're referring to.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UsE5mysfZsY

The OP is talking about Uptalking, not Vocal Fry.

When the wife does it I point out she's talking "sing-song" again. She gets annoyed and shuts up....mission accomplished.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
It's called "Vocal Fry ". I think that's what you're referring to.

No, vocal fry is something else entirely. CBF used it often during her testimony in the Kavanaugh hearings.

I don't know what the term is for ending a non-question with a rising inflection, but it's not a "new" trend by any means. It's been going on for a good long while. Ten-twenty years, I think.

Found it: "High-Rising Terminal" (HRT), "upspeak," "uptalk," "rising inflection," or "High-Rising Intonation" (HRI). None of the docs indication when or where it originated.

I had to watch a training video the other day and the girl narrating was probably all of 22-23 years old and had that croaky vocal fry going 110% I kid you not.

My GOD, that is annoying!

I think the OP was talking more about people who talk like everything is a question and their voice goes up as they end their sentences? That crap is really annoying too, why can't people just speak normally?