US Military speech pattern

[Biggoals2bdone]

Might seem like a silly question, but I thought i'd ask it anyway, but with the caveat that i'm admitting this is an awkward question.

I've caught a few US military shows as well as news reports, and i'm just wondering if when they give orders and/or drill they purposefully try to sound incoherent or if that's exactly how they are supposed to sound/pronounce?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Might seem like a silly question, but I thought i'd ask it anyway, but with the caveat that i'm admitting this is an awkward question.

I've caught a few US military shows as well as news reports, and i'm just wondering if when they give orders and/or drill they purposefully try to sound incoherent or if that's exactly how they are supposed to sound/pronounce?

I laughed when i read that.

I had the odd experience of parachuting into Hawaii once (it's hell in the Airborne, I know) and the first guy I met was a truck driver who sounded like Charlie Brown's mum.  It was all 'jive' type blabber-nese. I had to ask him to repeat himself three times before I figured out that he was saying something like 'put your chute on the back and hop in'.

And he was from Minnestota. I just gave up on trying to understand the guys from the south.

 

[medicineman]

Ditto D&B - was at the USAF base in Little Rock Arkansas in the NCO quarters after a long flight on my Airevac course...dude knocks on the door, and I swear to God I thought it was Boonhauer from King of the Hill talking to me.  I literally shook my head, looked at him and said "I'm sorry, but do you speak English?"  Our American flight nurse explained it away simply by saying "Oh, he's  from Texas".

MM

 

[cupper]

It's the earthquakes!!!

Living around DC I've seen quite a few different ceremonials and it is damned hard to tell at times just what the hell they are saying.

In day to day situations I get called on about my "accent", and have to constantly point out the fact that I speak English, not American. :rofl:

 

[Biggoals2bdone]

So its just a case of them speaking poorly in general not, that their orders are supposed to sound like that, awesome...thought I was going nuts 

 

[Greymatters]

Its almost to the point where the local language in some places in America needs to be designated as dialect.

Of course, there are some parts of Canada where thats an issue as well - notably regions of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. 

 

[Journeyman]

Can't just point fingers at the Americans. My UK compadre in Afghanistan was from northern Scotland. Eventually....enough of us could understand him to translate for the others [it was an ABCA shop].

He came home from leave back in Scotland, and said "everyone thinks I'm retarded because I've....started......speaking......so.....slowly.....for you.....shitheads...."

 

[medicineman]

After years of listening to my grand dad's cockney, the crazy Welshmen that I had for teachers in high school, and watching lots of Brit TV, I usually don't have many problems with their range of accents - as long as they don't start speaking Welsh or Scots franglais.  Heck, I find a Scot easier to understand than some Newfoundlanders or New Brunswickers.

MM

 

[Journeyman]

After years of listening to.....

Actually, I just realized I referred to our camp as "home." Now there's a 'Kodak moment' for the shrink.  :nod:

 

[medicineman]

Sounds like you integrated into your unit well...I guess the question is "did you actually reintegrate when you returned to your current place of residence?"

MM

 

[cupper]

Heck, I find a Scot easier to understand than some Newfoundlanders or New Brunswickers.

So true.

 

[Kirkhill]

....as long as they don't start speaking ....Scots franglais.  ....

Have we met?  I often get the same comment.  No matter what language I try speaking apparently it all comes out Scots.

 

[cupper]

No matter what language I try speaking apparently it all comes out Scots.

I have that exact same problem when I reach a certain level of intoxication.  :rofl:

Used to be good for picking up the ladies at the Deck on Saturday Nights. ;D  :cheers:

 

[medicineman]

Have we met?  I often get the same comment.  No matter what language I try speaking apparently it all comes out Scots.

That sounds like an Acadian accent - Scotsman speaking French.

MM

 

[rmc_wannabe]

Can't just point fingers at the Americans. My UK compadre in Afghanistan was from northern Scotland. Eventually....enough of us could understand him to translate for the others [it was an ABCA shop].

He came home from leave back in Scotland, and said "everyone thinks I'm retarded because I've....started......speaking......so.....slowly.....for you.....shitheads...."

On my way to this current "vacation" spot, we had to go through Glasgow. The security guy at the gate was very much a Northerner and had very little patience. He did provide me with a quick lesson:

Apparently "tek ayr yer boords" is Northern Scottish for "Take off your boots"

"tek ayr yer guddum boords!" is well....you get it

"Fooken Can'ians" however, I can't seem to put my finger on  ???

 

[cupper]

"Fooken Can'ians" however, I can't seem to put my finger on  ???

Perhaps he was sayin' "God Damn 'Marikins"

I was taking an overnight trip across from North Sydney to Port Aux Basque, and was sleeping in the dorm style berths below. The guy in the berth across the way had such a thick Newfoundland accent that it took three tries to figure out he was saying "How much longer before we dock?" 

 

[medicineman]

I guy I went through Recruit School with then went on to language school was a Newfie from some deep dark fishing village...we pretty much had to teach him English so he could learn French.

MM

 

[mike63]

You guys ever watch "Generation Kill"?  The Sgt-Maj in that was pretty hard to make heads or tails of, I don't think even his own troops can understand him!  That was the way we had it when I was in Germany back in 81.  We were on EX with a US Army Tank crew...none of us could understand them and it was even harder over the radio!