Friday, September 26, 2008

What happened to the "g" in "ing?"

Talkin. Negotiatin. Delegatin. Changin. Lobbyin. Votin. Electin.

When did it happen? At first I thought George W. did it because he was speakin Texan. His parents don't sound like that. His brothers don't sound like that. Did he talk like that when he was at Yale? "I'm goin out for a beer. Anyone comin with me?"

Drinkin. Druggin. Pukin. Partyin.

Okay, so I'm willing (yes, willing) to let it slide because there is so much about W. that I find vile and repulsive.

But now, as the debates play on the TV in the background, I hear John McCain using the same inflections -- spendin, deterrin, torturin, fightin, succeedin -- and I wonder, what the hell happened to the "g" in "ing?"

Does he think it sounds folksy? Does he think it makes him a man of the people? Did he choose his "runnin" mate because she has no idea that a "g" belongs at the end of "askin" and "parentin"?

Maybe her husband's last name is really Paling and she just forgot about that nasty "g"?

McCaing?

Who knows.

When did "politickin" ruin the English langauage?

When this election campaign started, I was thrilled to know that whoever became president it would no longer be W. I could listen to the president speak on the radio or television once again and not cringe every time he (or she) tried to put a sentence together.

But now...now we're on the brink of electing two people who have decided they no longer have to pronounce words correctly.

What would the world think if Obama talked this way? He can't sound too black and he can't sound too smart -- each would be death to his campaign. He'd be labeled "elitist" in one breath and too "inexperienced" in the next. But McCain and Palin can walk all over sentence structure and pronounciations and no one, NO ONE says anything about it.

Help!

I'm doin my best to ignore the debatin because it grates against my upbringin.

And yet, there it is again -- It's goin' be tough...bombin... cooperatin...employin...

Arrrrrggggghhhhhh!

1 comment:

Clear Creek Girl said...

Ah'm goin to remember this'n, fer shure. Yep, this is ther way we talk when we're talkin in 'Merica. But ya gotta 'member that TALKIN is hard. It's HARD. Cuz uv that up'n'down thing the jaw's gotta DO. So Some of us jess went 'n got these thangs ya pull instilled in our backs so them words jess come out our mouths without us havin to say nuthin. Ya know? And they don't know how to make the "ing" sound yet. OW. Ah jess now made the "ing" sound an it HURT. Dam. Talkin's hard cuz ya gotta theenk. Dam. Ah'll be votin with the rest of 'em in 'Merica and ah'm gonna go with the man who don't hardly move his lips at ALL cuz thass a REAL 'Merican lak the kind ah wanna be.