Priti Patel, PLEASE recognise and use the letter G!

Lin52

A word in point, cos.

Eh?
Why have you revived this old thread to say that?

A word in point, cos.

Come to Wales the letter ‘g’ doesn’t exist on the end of words.

Listen to a great example Huw Edwards!

It’s the vacuous rubbish she has to say rather than pronunciation that irks - Just meaningless drivel about pleecin and people floutin the rules- nothing to do with incompetent government. She also like to remind us we are in a “health pandemic” - is there any other kind? Does no one not know this?

I think the issue here (as I may have mentioned before!) is that the rest of her speech, apart from all the cliches, is standard. That’s why this ‘quirk’ grates so much (with some of us).

Phoenix you aren’t from Lancashire by any chance?

I agree

Apologies - her parents were Ugandan/Indian Hindus.

I still believe we shouldn’t be picking on people who don’t have generational English backgrounds.

Be careful Pantglas2 - she isn’t an immigrant.

Oh phoenix, it's not the most important thing about her but I do know exactly what you mean. I find it almost insulting (weirdly) it's so grating. I agree with those who find it out of sync with the rest of her diction. Maybe that's why it's noticeable.

Just one question to the really knowledgeable on what is, after all, a Pedants' thread. When I listen to it the sound that is missing isn't a "g" exactly (as in fig) but the completion of an ng sound which seems to be made with the tongue higher in the mouth. Could it be a palette issue?

Patel doesn't sound her "g"s? Gosh, I've not noticed. It must be awful to get so hung up on this quirk of her diction.

Nain1

Each time P. Patel speaks, I hear (the wonderful) Martin Jarvis vocalising William Brown of 'Just William' fame, and I start chortling, and then I cannot (political differences aside) take seriously anything our Home Secretary says. Desperately shallow, I know. (Snort .... )

Me too!

Pantglas2

If criticism of accents is deemed rude, surely the same applies to diction?

I’ll repeat my previous comment as I do believe that we’re in troubled waters on this one..... we really shouldn’t be picking on the way immigrants speak!

rosie44, please don't give up on us. This site can be informative, helpful, supportive, humorous, fun and nostalgic. I have one huge reason to be very grateful to it and many less important ones. Admittedly, you have caught us at a time when I think many are argumentative and somewhat unkind but I put this down to the current stress going on in general. Furthermore, you have the option to withdraw the minute you find anything intolerable and dip in again whenever it suits you. I practise this regularly but genuinely find there are more pluses than minuses here. Hope you decide to hang on in there.

I could forgive her speech if she said anything worth listening to.

Chortlin', surely Nain?
Patel's diction is the least of her issues.
As an aside, I have quite a broad Black Country accent. I know for a fact that strangers assume that I'm thick.
It's no laughing matter really.

Each time P. Patel speaks, I hear (the wonderful) Martin Jarvis vocalising William Brown of 'Just William' fame, and I start chortling, and then I cannot (political differences aside) take seriously anything our Home Secretary says. Desperately shallow, I know. (Snort .... )

Hardly anyone on the tv speaks well nowadays; Priti is the least of your problems. I guess you just don't like her.

Jane10

I give up. I'm not cross just very disappointed with you all. ?

You munna say tha' me duck, it inna polite

Were you by chance a headmistress Jane 10??

Sorry that you are disappointed Jane10, life is full of disappointments, but hey ho, we just carry on.

I give up. I'm not cross just very disappointed with you all. ?

Loving ‘cool your jets’ as an example of Scottish usage.
I absolutely know the difference between accent and dialect and the fascinating overlapping hinterland of Standard English (God knows, I’ve taught it for years).
Thinking about this particular case, I think that the issue with PP is that in every other respect, she speaks Standard English with a neutral accent. That’s why the ‘g’ issue stands out (with some of us).

Jane10 "cool your jets" as a Scottish friend of mine used to say!

Right, I have no problem with people using words such as "owt" or "nowt" that is dialect.

But Ms Patel dropping every G bugs me, because it is just plain lazy!

That would defeat the object, though, it seems.