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Post by unit4 on Oct 21, 2005 8:13:14 GMT
I use Earl's Court station everyday and at the risk of sounding particularly pedantic, I am going to share with you something which makes me angry virtually every day when catching the District Line.
Why is it that the Station Assistants who stand on the Eastbound platform, when announcing the approaching trains cannot pronounce UPMINSTER correctly. But rather they say UP-MIN-I-STER.
Whilst you may thing this is a strange thing to have even noticed, let alone let it make my blood boil daily, but its just totally unnessessary. Its not even like they are missing a syllable, they are adding one in. They manage to get Westminster right.
I understand mistakes can be made, but this has been going on for months, and its numerous different people doing it. I am surprised no-one has pulled them up about it, its gross misuse of the English language and if Upminster was written down and spelt wrong on a sign, it would have been corrected promptly . I fail to see how this is any different.
I have thought on numerous occasions about pointing out the mistake to someone in uniform, but I'm not sure they'd appreciate being told like that.
I think I should have written this in the rants section maybe. If anyone could suggest a suitable way of getting the individuals to stop this daily (well every few minutes actually) mispronunciation at Earl's Court, please please please let me know. Even better, if someone works at Earl's Court, please can you tell them all to stop. It makes me want to cry.
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Post by piccadillypilot on Oct 21, 2005 8:54:28 GMT
Try the westbound, you're likely to hear "Wim - bell - don".  I suspect they do it in the belief that they are making themselves clearer. It's not the first time I've heard people distorting place names when making announcements. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2005 9:12:41 GMT
If that's the biggest problem you have on your commute then you're doing well!  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2005 13:42:36 GMT
West Londoners always have problems with "Upminster" and "Plaistow". We have to forgive them for it |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2005 14:41:44 GMT
West Londoners always have problems with "Upminster" and "Plaistow". We have to forgive them for it And you wonder why? ;D |
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Post by q8 on Oct 21, 2005 16:10:33 GMT
And you wonder why? ;D
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Wonder why? Nah! You folk west of Charing Cross may live in the greater London area but you ain't cockneys 'cos you can't speak in the vernacular. It's when you can trot out the 'Gorn orf bang' that you is a proper Londoner.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2005 16:35:57 GMT
Unit4, I've actually corrected station staff before, but it didn't seem to sink in!!
There's also one of the older controllers who calls Westminster "WestminIster" and still refers to Temple as "The Temple" etc!
It's not so bad with the controllers, because at least we all know what he means (and he's a good controller!), but the station staff should pronounce the names correctly.
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Post by piccadillypilot on Oct 21, 2005 17:34:07 GMT
Wonder why? Nah! You folk west of Charing Cross may live in the greater London area but you ain't cockneys 'cos you can't speak in the vernacular. It's when you can trot out the 'Gorn orf bang' that you is a proper Londoner. <Adopts frighfully well spoken, educated style> Awfully sorry to disabuse you of that notion old chap, but Cockneys (as you're likely to be aware) come from the City of London, born within the sound of Bow Bells which are in Cheapside. That is the bells of St. Mary-le-Bow church. Since the City of London is (historically) in Middlesex Cockney's are not from Essex. <Ends frighfully well spoken, educated style> So stuff that in yer bleedin' pipe an' smoke it! ;D |
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Post by q8 on Oct 21, 2005 19:07:24 GMT
So stuff that in yer bleedin' pipe an' smoke it! ;
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Duly smoked and spat out. Now you get it right as well. Bow bells as you say are in Cheapside and you also quote rightly that Cockney's are born within the sound of them. That sound my friend will carry a long way (or did in the days the rhyme was written) and could be heard in Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Bermondsey. So there!!
AND I ain't from Essex either although I lived there from 15 onwards. I was brung up proper in Southwark at the Elephant & Castle to be precise and you COULD hear Bow bells from there when it was quiet.
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Post by Colin on Oct 21, 2005 20:07:11 GMT
Unit4 - (welcome BTW) I used to work at Earls Court as an SA, now as a train operator; and I too have noticed this. Without trying to come across as racist or anything, have you noticed the ethnic majority* of the station staff these days? I think this may go some way towards explaining the change.
*=Now if anybody thinks what I have said is wrong - I'm sorry you feel you have been offended. My intention is merely to state what I believe to be fact, and is in no way intended as a dig at any one group of people.
Unit4 - If you want to make an issue of it, you'll need to write to the Duty Station Manager at Earls Court station.
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Post by citysig on Oct 22, 2005 12:15:16 GMT
I use Earl's Court station everyday and at the risk of sounding particularly pedantic, I am going to share with you something which makes me angry virtually every day when catching the District Line. Cockney or otherwise, there is a saying... Life's too short. Don't you agree? I have a cockney friend who pronounces a station on the Jubilee as "Canadian Waters" whilst another friend mocks me for the way I say certain words. Sometimes it's funny or quirky, other times it can become slightly annoying, but it's all part of the variety of life. Anyway, without some people being less than perfect, there would be nothing for those more perfect ones to correct would there? ;D |
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Post by q8 on Oct 22, 2005 16:20:43 GMT
Anyway, without some people being less than perfect, there would be nothing for those more perfect ones to correct would there? ;D ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Does your titfer fit old cock??  |
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Post by citysig on Oct 23, 2005 12:12:11 GMT
Does your titfer fit old cock?? ;D I had written: Anyway, without some people being less than perfect, there would be nothing for us more perfect ones to correct would there? But I reflected on this and (especially with such people as my learned colleague here) thought it best to be a bit diplomatic and not identify myself as one of the perfect ones ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2005 23:10:59 GMT
Well, I'm a Yellowbelly who came to London via the Lake District in 1970 and it was quickly explained to me (by a Cornishman and a Cockney) that I wouldn't be able to understand Cockneys because they had all been taught by Taffies  |
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