When you come from London you begin to enjoy hating particular things. I am not sure if this is because living in such a big city that is often depersonalised makes you bitter or, if it is because you have to enjoy hating the bad aspects of the city as a coping strategy.
British people as a race are renowned for complaining, moaning and grumbling, but I wonder, do Londoners moan even more? I do find when I am abroad or even further north of the country, people appear to be more relaxed.
Therefore, in reaction to this I have decided to write a three part series of things that I love to hate about London. I might follow this with a three part series of things that I hate to love about London too. Here is the first installment.
Street language. I often overhear kids on the street or public transport talking in dialects that are almost impossible for me to decipher. For example, a typical youth might say something along the lines of, ” Yo, what’s up blood, I met this Tracy the otha night innit and she was a bare freak.” To which his mate might reply, “Broccoli man, broccoli!” And shake his hand.
Now, I have no idea what this means, but I do enjoy complaining about the ruination of the English language with friends and family.
What did he mean by broccoli? I have been trying to work this out for weeks. The anomaly challenges me, yet frustrates me beyond all healthy thought. I often enjoy doing my own street talk impressions and even try to make up my own street phrases. In contrast however, I hate how kids don’t seem to be able to speak, let alone write. I wonder if we are gradually disintegrating into the world that George Orwell predicted in his novel ‘1984,’ where words are literally scraped from dictionaries and general use and replaced with ‘Newspeak.’
Ok, perhaps I’m being paranoid, but I guess what my biggest question is, does the street talk trend only happens in London and big cities and will we all one day be speaking in street talk through the natural evolution of the English language? I find this debate both strangely exciting and ultimately terrifying.
Anyways, bruv, nuff this banter, i’s gotta go see me crew innit an I am bare wasting me minutes here, aight. Broccoli man, broccoli. Nuff said.
June 20, 2007 at 10:55 am
I texted my 14 year old nephew to ask what broccoli means he tected back to say: vegtble. I checked: ‘is it slang for brain dead stupid then?’ he texted back: ‘no’. Will let you know if I learn more.
June 22, 2007 at 12:08 am
The English language develops as time passes. Much of what The Bard wrote was considered slang.
What we have at present is a loss of dialect. From Newcastle to Cornwell kids are all starting to speak in the same manner.
Broccoli is slang for marijuana. Hence its dope or cool.
Old man to the rescue.
June 24, 2007 at 12:15 pm
I find jargon in the street fascinating, and don’t mind not knowing what it means because its their own personal world, intent on keeping out non-peers.
Jargon in the business world I find a bore though, probably as I am so not interested in working in their world.
Really enjoyed your post. Lots to ponder. Linda
June 24, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Watching the news on TV last night, kids were interviewed outside Arsenal about Thierry Henri leaving, Me and Grimsdale were wanting subtitles.
Is father correct about loss of dialect I wonder? Never under estimate the creativity of language, it will always develop
July 11, 2007 at 7:37 pm
did you make that street talk up?!? wow. it is quite worryin. i was writing a bit the other day and found myself writing the words 2sday, dnt, 4get and how r u! i think in the future this is how people will talk and write. scary ain’t it. still not as scary as someone using the word broccoli so vicariously!
August 13, 2007 at 9:17 pm
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