Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

Myleene Class and that bird with the poodle haircut. You would, wouldn't you?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[Flea]

 

[77dave]

red she is no minnie driver

no 1   no

no 2  yes

[RED-DOG]

red she is no minnie driver

Jim. I am no Jack Nicholson.

[Colchester Kev]

red she is no minnie driver

Jim. I am no Jack Nicholson.

 

[Flea]

red she is no minnie driver

no 1   no

no 2  yes

tbh I thought it was a 2 for 1 (you can't choose surely).

[77dave]

red she is no minnie driver

Jim. I am no Jack Nicholson.

 

No your Tom Selleck

[TightEnd]

oh yes

[RED-DOG]

red she is no minnie driver

no 1   no

no 2  yes

tbh I thought it was a 2 for 1 (you can't choose surely).

You don't really believe he wouldn't do you? He'd have a heart attack getting his vest off.

[77dave]

i win

action chick

[Karabiner]

Myleene Class and that bird with the poodle haircut. You would, wouldn't you?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

You are one cunning devil Tom  

But I doubt it will get past security

[77dave]

Dr from Prison Break is hot too though

[RED-DOG]

Myleene Class and that bird with the poodle haircut. You would, wouldn't you?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

You are one cunning devil Tom 

But I doubt it will get past security

 

[Robert HM]

Policemen.  Who teaches them to talk like that?

"I was proceeding along the M25 when I perceived a motor vehicle which had sustained a punctured rear tyre...."

They all do it. Why?

I would guess it's because back in the day, coppers were just ordinary people, with the same education and background as the general population (working class), but they had a position of respect in line with professions such as doctors and lawyers, who were generally 'better brought up' (ie posh) and had gone to university, so who would tend to use more florid language.

The coppers would try to sound more like the posh people, without the experience of using big words, and so said things like 'I was proceeding etc' because they thought that's how posh people spoke - they thought they were using better English, when in fact they were mangling it. I have to say I haven't noticed it much with coppers nowadays - they watch too much of The Bill.

You can see the same sort of thing with call centre muppets, who use big words to sound more intelligent even though they have no idea how to use them correctly. The classic example is of them using reflexive pronouns instead of objective pronouns because they think it sounds more intelligent ('I would like to thank yourself for taking the time to speak with myself today').

Eerrmm  we were trained to speak like that - it's all do do with presenting evidence at court. If everyone used the 'Queens' english and the same words to describe things then the court were able to understand evidence much easier. Also this was in the days when the defence were really up themselves and would use any opportunity to pull an officer up on his presentation of evidence. So to have a standardisation across the forces negates any areas of doubt as to what was being said. It continues today when giving evidence, note books (soon to be abandoned) have to be written correctly as they can be submitted as evidence of an officers recollection of an incident.


This thread highlights the fact that different regions use different words for the same object like a roll. The police stylee trys to cross over that and get everyone speaking the same - I think.

A term of art? or perhaps a phrase taught at police college?

[Dingdell]

Policemen.  Who teaches them to talk like that?

"I was proceeding along the M25 when I perceived a motor vehicle which had sustained a punctured rear tyre...."

They all do it. Why?

I would guess it's because back in the day, coppers were just ordinary people, with the same education and background as the general population (working class), but they had a position of respect in line with professions such as doctors and lawyers, who were generally 'better brought up' (ie posh) and had gone to university, so who would tend to use more florid language.

The coppers would try to sound more like the posh people, without the experience of using big words, and so said things like 'I was proceeding etc' because they thought that's how posh people spoke - they thought they were using better English, when in fact they were mangling it. I have to say I haven't noticed it much with coppers nowadays - they watch too much of The Bill.

You can see the same sort of thing with call centre muppets, who use big words to sound more intelligent even though they have no idea how to use them correctly. The classic example is of them using reflexive pronouns instead of objective pronouns because they think it sounds more intelligent ('I would like to thank yourself for taking the time to speak with myself today').

Eerrmm  we were trained to speak like that - it's all do do with presenting evidence at court. If everyone used the 'Queens' english and the same words to describe things then the court were able to understand evidence much easier. Also this was in the days when the defence were really up themselves and would use any opportunity to pull an officer up on his presentation of evidence. So to have a standardisation across the forces negates any areas of doubt as to what was being said. It continues today when giving evidence, note books (soon to be abandoned) have to be written correctly as they can be submitted as evidence of an officers recollection of an incident.


This thread highlights the fact that different regions use different words for the same object like a roll. The police stylee trys to cross over that and get everyone speaking the same - I think.

A term of art? or perhaps a phrase taught at police college?

There was a whole days teaching on how up themselves the lawyer were.....obv all changed now sir...