It’s also called the “rising terminal”, which is the better description in my opinion. Just as the punctuation indicates, a declarative sentence sounds as if it is an interrogative. I’m unaware of any proper use for the rising terminal. I think that people use it often to express some element of controversy, doubt or truth into a statement.
Upspeak and vocal grind are two common speech patterns that get under my skin. It’s somewhat new, in that a lot of young adults are guilty of this. I call upspeak arbitrary question mark placement.
Some people have driven me slightly mad with it, I’ll have to admit.
NPR’s Fresh Air had a great show on this, if you care to look it up.
Upspeak isn’t new – the term is. It has a longer history in that there has, and still is, a tendency for girls/women being socialized not to be, or come across as, assertive (i.e., a “bitch”), whereby they’d be explicitly or subtly taught to make their statements sounds like a question (‘lil ’ol me doesn’t really have an opinion, but may I ask…). Nothing a real man likes less than an aggressive female — so unladylike, sugar and spice, etc etc. (notice that the person using upspeak, either conscious or unconscious by Mx. Beals, is female.)Granted, not limited to girls/women, fortunately less of trend, and it is annoying, but seems a bit harsh / ignorant to be critical of women who have picked up the habit either unintentionally or strategically, out of practical necessity.
I find both upspeak and vocal fry annoying as hell. It seems as if it’s the way young people speak (both men and women) so I’d better adjust my attitude. It sounds as odd to my ear as the mid-Atlantic accent. Things change.
The growth of the practice of “upspeak” may be the fear of being definite on anything today. There is always some group quick to declare somebody a “hater” for stating a basic fact. For example, if you say that the Earth is a sphere, some member of the flat earth society will be offended.
Map_One about 7 years ago
Never heard of up-speak. Is that the latest verbal fad?
don.fitzsimons about 7 years ago
It’s also called the “rising terminal”, which is the better description in my opinion. Just as the punctuation indicates, a declarative sentence sounds as if it is an interrogative. I’m unaware of any proper use for the rising terminal. I think that people use it often to express some element of controversy, doubt or truth into a statement.
Stephen Beals creator about 7 years ago
Upspeak and vocal grind are two common speech patterns that get under my skin. It’s somewhat new, in that a lot of young adults are guilty of this. I call upspeak arbitrary question mark placement.
Some people have driven me slightly mad with it, I’ll have to admit.
NPR’s Fresh Air had a great show on this, if you care to look it up.
BubbleTape Premium Member about 7 years ago
Upspeak isn’t new – the term is. It has a longer history in that there has, and still is, a tendency for girls/women being socialized not to be, or come across as, assertive (i.e., a “bitch”), whereby they’d be explicitly or subtly taught to make their statements sounds like a question (‘lil ’ol me doesn’t really have an opinion, but may I ask…). Nothing a real man likes less than an aggressive female — so unladylike, sugar and spice, etc etc. (notice that the person using upspeak, either conscious or unconscious by Mx. Beals, is female.)Granted, not limited to girls/women, fortunately less of trend, and it is annoying, but seems a bit harsh / ignorant to be critical of women who have picked up the habit either unintentionally or strategically, out of practical necessity.
halvincobbes Premium Member about 7 years ago
I find both upspeak and vocal fry annoying as hell. It seems as if it’s the way young people speak (both men and women) so I’d better adjust my attitude. It sounds as odd to my ear as the mid-Atlantic accent. Things change.
banjinshiju about 7 years ago
The growth of the practice of “upspeak” may be the fear of being definite on anything today. There is always some group quick to declare somebody a “hater” for stating a basic fact. For example, if you say that the Earth is a sphere, some member of the flat earth society will be offended.