Sunday 21 October 2012

Autumn Leaves



The sight of a park bench covered and surrounded by a mass of bright fallen leaves brings to mind the days past when such a sight annoyed me.  That was at the Maida Vale Hospital where several trees lay at the front of the building, and a couple more in the rear.  This meant muggins and mates would have to sweep the blessed things up day after day.  However as I passed this lot I could not resist a picture, which is not as bright as in real life, and chortled at the man who has to sweep this up.  I'd love to help but.....


I bet this great man refers to Autumn with the rather direct term 'fall.'  No doubt with people like Max & Jerry in mind the American language long ago chose an unsophisticated route (pronounced 'root') rather than the more complicated English language.  By 'English'  I refer to what is called 'The Queens English,' that is the language as spoke proper like by Liz.  As you know I personally speak ''Lallans,' which while similar to 'English' English developed amongst the lowlands of Scotland many years ago, and is not English in any manner whatsoever, it also sounds better when spoke than that found over the border.  "Know whit ah mean pal?'  For some reason this crossed my mind while watching QPR play Everton on a dismal Sunday afternoon, although the cause of this now escapes me.  Language is merely communication, yet for some exactness is imperative, but who really knows what is right here?  Language is a flowing changing thing and what is correct today is not correct tomorrow.  At school we were told never begin a sentence with 'And.'  Today this is acceptable.  But is it right?  Football has its own language, terms used there may sneak into everyday use, and all society is similar.  Business, sport, politics, churches all have words that belong to them alone, and people use them, often like sheep.  This helps those involved understand what is meant but can be a barrier to those outside the 'in people.' The language I speak (the correct one, as Mike will agree) is very different spoken by Max and Jerry (Unintelligible I suspect in real life).  RDG & Soub must spend time translating one another before they begin to argue, and those with experience of Australia would understand that out there the only clear word is 'Beer!'  I think I might attempt to learn Latin (again).



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14 comments:

alan1704 said...

Great Photo - I love park benches the best place in the world to stop and think and contemplate life.

Kay G. said...

I love the signs on the park benches in England..."For Mavis Brewer Who Enjoyed The View"
I always read them, every time.
And I know you are not supposed to start a sentence with "and", but I am naughty and sometimes do things I am not supposed to! :-)
Americans are beginning to say "autumn" for "fall", I think they are copying my husband!

Relax Max said...

I don't pronounce it root.

the fly in the web said...

I've just read a book about growing up in Galloway where the stories had me hooting...not just because they were funny but because I could hear the exact cadences of the speech of the men who worked my grandfather's farm there...
My father told me Lallans was different...there a boy was a gosse and a girl was a quienie, while a plate was an ashet.
You can no doubt enlighten me...

red dirt girl said...

We do, from time to time, misunderstand one another. I'd argue, however, that love is a universal language and needs no translating!

Great park bench!
xxx

Adullamite said...

Mametz, I liked it too.

Kay, Donated Benches are everywhere, and a very good memorial they are. Glad to see Peter is doing something useful in the US!

Max, See! Badly educated!

Fly, Galloway would be very different. Many Rabbie Burns words were not understood in Edinburgh.
http://www.firstfoot.com/dictionary & http://www.scots-online.org/ might be worth a look.

RDG, Hmmm I suspected as much.

Adullamite said...

Fly, Check Max out, re his Guatemala post.

Unknown said...

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but leaves do FALL at this time of the year! On second thought, I must admit that a Scotsman would be well versed in sophistication--especially when it came to the fine art of clear communication. (Snicker.)

Adullamite said...

Jerry, Ken whit, see yous pal nowotahmeanlike?

the fly in the web said...

Thanks on both counts.
Super post on Guatemala.

Kay G. said...

Pe-ter is my father in law and Richard is my husband.
And guess what, I didn't pronounce Richard right either! (The last bit should not rhyme with NERD!)

Adullamite said...

Fly, Thought you'd like that.

Kay, So many men you have!!!!!

Jenny Woolf said...

Cant believe how quickly the leaves have changed colour and started to fall. A few days ago I was thinking you'd hardly know it wasn't a (rainy) summer

Adullamite said...

Jenny, It;s frighteningly quick! Several trees here are nearly bare already.