Memphianisms
We moved from Portland Orgeon to Memphis Tennessee (we intend to move back) and we have had to make more than a few adjustments. We have had to learn that people here have no clue how to drive, there is no such thing as customer service and not the least of which is that we have had to learn a new language, ebonics.In our daily interactions with strangers we have listened for our favorite ebonic sayings. Last week we went to the fast food place, Wendy's. We have learned not to expect customer service and of course, did not receive it. There was a man in the line ahead of us. He had already ordered his food and was waiting for it. One of the "to go" bags was sitting in front of him but none of the employees had said who the food was for or even just what was inside. The man wanted to know if that food belonged to him so he asked the woman behind the counter. She obviously didn't know what was in the bag, so she turned to one of her colleagues and asked (here is the Memphianism) "What dis is?". Yes, that was a question, "What dis is?"
It almost made my ears bleed. There are so many things wrong with that! What is amazing to me is that two ebonics speakers can hold a conversation. If both of them are speaking jibberish- how can anything be communicated, much less accomplished!?!?
I was telling a friend about our new favorite saying and she told us about a time in Costco when the woman in front of her had been rung up and the total came out to $115. The woman actually said the following; "Eleventy-five dolla. Good Lord, that is a lot uh money!"
It's not like I was an English major or that I always speak properly and I occassionally say "fur" instead of "for", but at least I try. Besides, last time I checked, the language of this country is English, this shouldn't be that foreign to most people.
Am I being too judgemental? Because, I really don't think that it is too much to expect that people make attempts to speak their own language in a way that is some what comprehensable.
posted by Mrs. Andrea Wood @ 6/27/2005 09:10:00 AM
7 Comments:
To me, it shows how we have not done what we should as far as education goes. We have not pushed education in the way that shows families how important it is to be well spoken and "put together", if you will. Are these the people we want to use as ambassadors to foreign countries? Are these our future leaders? What are we showing the world about how important we think education is in all parts of the country, in all socio-economic classes? This also shows how divided we are as a nation. We have people being educated at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cascade :), and then we have people in this country who say eleventy five dolla and they aren't kidding. This is really sad to me actually!
It makes me sad too but what I think is worse is not that they don't know the English language, but that they don't want to and don't care. The culture these people are living in says that if you strive for something better than working at Wendy's (that was a grown woman- this was not a summer gig but a career) then you are trying too hard and somehow it makes you a bad person.
I just don't understand.
i was just hanging out with my friend isaac who recently moved back here (oregon) from tennessee. he was in nashville for a few years. he made a few comments about this same situation as well as the divided class and race situation as compared with how it is over here on the left coast. man. the south makes us look like saints when it comes to racial relations!
You don't even know (said as an emphatic, not to say that you literally do not know). I'm dumbfounded by the racial tension that is so easily accepted as a part of life and culture here. I realize that the South has been a literal and figurative battlefield for these issues for generations, but why can't they just let it go?
"I mean, c'mon." ~Jimmy
Hello. As a former Memphian and educated college graduate. I must inform all of you that though you make true statements about ebonics, you do not demonstrate knowledge or understanding of issues that go much deeper than the quality, or lack of, of speech 'these people' demonstrate. True, you are not passing judgement by expressing that Ebonics is, in my words, lazy speech. However, it is a judgment that they are not trying hard or that they don't want to know the language or don't care. There is so much more to be said and to be understood. Do you care? Are you guys just concerned about the language? It sounds like more than that. Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone and do more than roll your eyes or make passive statements on blogs? Those people are people and who a person is goes way beyond their race and their ability to speak intelligible English. And if you are so annoyed with the fact that America is becoming biligual, volunteer to teach someone english or educate yourself and learn another language.
Dancer- I realize that people are much much more than their speech. On the other hand, that is a large part of how you present yourself to the world. If a person's personality is that they really love people, she is a lot more likely to fill her language with questions that encourage self-disclosure, but if a person's personality is that she is mean, there is going to be a lot more yelling and probably cursing.
Stereotypes are not without some base in reality.
Personally, I want to be known as a woman of class. In order to be considered a classy lady, I feel that I should present myself that way to the world. That includes the way I dress, the way I speak and the way in which I hold myself. Of course there are times and situations where that is much more relaxed but I still make efforts.
I feel that too often people wanted to be treated with respect but never earn it and never act like a respectable person.
What you say is very true. Everyone's comments just seemed so...disrespectful
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