So, who else found this week’s reading bloody repetitive with the bloody word bloody!? Hopefully what you all understood from the Wiezerbicka reading is how OUR ways of everyday interactions may not transcend the same meaning in other parts of the world. Words, phrases and slang in general that may seem so natural for us to say may be misinterpreted within different cultures. An experience that pops into my mind when thinking of cultural identity in talk was when I went on a Contiki trip to the United States. As we were sitting on the bus anxious to leave for our first day of sightseeing our tour manager got all serious and began listing things that we SHOULDN’T say because American’s just aren’t as awesome as us Australians and probably wouldn’t get it. This list included things like Maccas, aircon, “you ‘right?” and vodka lemonade. Apparently, if you asked a bartender for vodka lemonade they would actually give you vodka….and freshly squeezed lemonade. Not saying Maccas when asking for directions to it, would probably have to be the hardest thing not to say throughout the entire trip. I also never knew that “you ‘right” was so Australian. It’s such an automatic phrase I go too when I want to ask if somebody’s physically/emotionally okay. The bogan accent that’s put on while saying it probably makes the problem of not understanding worse!
What I found interesting about an article written by Thomas Pack (2006) was how slang words came about and how different groups created these words and phrases making them relevant to their culture. Just like my experience in America, slang words and phrases could have no meaning whatsoever to a different culture or they could also be considered offensive in a different country. Also words which have double meanings (heteroglossia, I think is the correct term), for example the “rubber” means “condom” in Canada according to awesomely Canadian tutor Katie! So if you have any interest in checking out different slang words, definitely check out the article that also links you to different sites such as urbandictionary.com.
Comment for this week!
Reference:
Pack, T. (2006). LinkUp@Home. Information Today, 23(5), 41.
Hey Julia!
ReplyDeleteI really find your post interesting especially since I am from America I can easily relate to the slang language difference as well as how certain words have different connotations from culture to culture. I have never really thought about the implications of the word bloody when used in a phrase/sentence mostly because I live in culture where this word is not used. When I first arrived here in Australia, I struggled with the Australian English although it is English. When I go back home, I will be saying 'cheers', 'no worries', 'Maccas' and so much other Australian English words/phrases.
While on the subject of the difference in language between cultures, I would just like to address the 'C-bomb' as it is called here in Australia. In the American language this term has a variety of meanings. I personally do not think that the 'C-bomb' is as offensive in America as it has been claimed to be extremely offensive by my (female) classmates in SOC205. I believe that most Americans kind of toy around with the word and if they use it, it is not meant to be demeaning to women as it is here. Yes, there are some instances where it is used to degrade a woman, but typically that is not the case. I would say it is mostly used in the sense when someone is being mean, rude and/or obnoxious. I find it being equivalent to saying 'fuck off' or something similar to put that person in their place and make them understand that they are being ridiculous. Unlike Australian culture though, the word is just not that common in the States and I find 'heteroglossia' interesting as the meaning for particular words and phrases change from culture to culture.
p.s. Sorry for dropping the 'C-bomb' on your blog! Just though it would make for an interesting topic relating to the reading for this week! :)
-Lakan
SOC250 Weekly Blog 5
ReplyDeleteThis week I decided to comment on Julia Hamdan’s blog as I can also relate to being in another country and using words or phrases that I use at home in Australia, yet they have a different meaning in another country or were misunderstood.
In 2009/2010 I lived and worked in England and I found it quite fascinating that things I would say were at times misinterpreted. Working in a pool as a life guard my choice of footwear was on most days a pair of trusty thongs, yet on several occasions it became clear, from the looks on my fellow lifeguards faces, that when I asked “if anyone had seen my thongs” they thought I was asking for something completely different (and not something I would leave lying around, G –Strings) not a pair of flip flops. In a further example I asked a shop assistant where I could find the joggers and was directed to an isle with track pants in it, as joggers in the UK are known as runners, with further instances including chips/crisps, sweets/lollies and the list goes on.
Julia referred to an article by Thomas Pack and mentions that it talks about slang, and countless expressions and sayings can vary from culture to culture all across the world. For a majority of my stay in the UK I lived up north near Newcastle and for those of you who have watched Geordie Shaw, Geordies have their own unique accent and slang. Although I did not experience the tackiness of Geordie Shaw, this was a time when the tables were turned and I was left to interpret their phrases and slang where in most cases the rest of the UK did not understand, let alone the world. Champion is one example of a word that to me means they are the winners the victors, yet to the Geordies Champion is used to describe how they are, champion equals good.
Some further examples of Geordie Slang I picked up were:
• Ha’way man = Come on
• Canny Bairn = Lovely Child
• Wisht now had yer gob = Quiet now, stop speaking
Here is a Geordie Shaw clip where they interpret further Geordie words seen on the show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_26hBFdfGQ