Uptalk: I mean, do you KNOW?

Gender in Jeopardy! Intonation Variation on a Television Game Show

Thomas Linneman
Gender & Society, forthcoming

Abstract: Uptalk is the use of a rising, questioning intonation when making a statement, which has become quite prevalent in contemporary American speech. Women tend to use uptalk more frequently than men do, though the reasons behind this difference are contested. I use the popular game show Jeopardy! to study variation in the use of uptalk among the contestants’ responses, and argue that uptalk is a key way in which gender is constructed through interaction. While overall, Jeopardy! contestants use uptalk 37 percent of the time, there is much variation in the use of uptalk. The typical purveyor of uptalk is white, young, and female. Men use uptalk more when surrounded by women contestants, and when correcting a woman contestant after she makes an incorrect response. Success on the show produces different results for men and women. The more successful a man is, the less likely he is to use uptalk; the more successful a woman is, the more likely she is to use uptalk.

Thank you George Washington!

 Say whatever bad stuff you like about the Bernank. At least he doesn't go around dressed like this:

That is a photo of Meryvn King, the Governor of the Bank of England.

Yikes!!

Italian Spelling Bee

This video is just in time. What a life-saver. Thanks to the LMM.

The Italian-American spelling bee.

The reason this is helpful is that for dinner here in Chile on Sunday, I ate with the family of Juan Pablo. I tried to explain to them how the American Italians I knew all called eggplant, "Moolen-john," which is nothing like the Italian word, "Me-lahn-zahn-ay," which is the ACTUAL Italian word for eggplant (melanzane). Here is an Italian pronouncing the word. It has four syllables, and sounds NOTHING like "Moolen-john."

JP's family would not believe me. All the Italians they knew were from Italy, and said "Me-lahn-zahn-ay."

But, now, I have video proof. Frankie Orlando, this is for you.

Update on "Wanker v. Tosser"

A response from a native speaker of the Queen's English, R the Royal, on the earlier "Wanker v. Tosser" question:

This is the kind of question I like having a go at. My views:

Basically, your man Munger is spot on that 'wanker' is stronger. While almost everyone would agree that 'wanker' is full-on swearing, I think some people would place 'tosser' into that grey area (alongside words like 'nob' and 'dickhead' that seem somehow gentler and more like slang even if their sexual connotations are, shall we say, unambiguous). But, although 'tosser' may not be as strong, I think it's almost equally harsh. That is, while it may be more acceptable to use it in company (whatever that means), I'd be careful who I used it about. I'd be readier to use terms like 'twat' or 'cock' to rebuke a friend who was being, well, a twat or a cock. To hiss 'tosser' at him would really sound like I'd lost my rag. Which underlines the key point for me, viz. that it's not what you say but the way you say it, and I think there are few words into which you can inject as much cold contempt as you can into 'tosser'. As such, if anything the Lansley-Bieber example works the other way round for me. While I don't have much complaint about AL, people who do would feel more strongly about him and prefer 'wanker', whereas JB deserves only the disdainful dismissal for which 'tosser' is tailor-made. (Though even that's giving him too much credit. I would favour the description "f*cking non-event".)

And thanks to Tommie the Brit, for the assist.

you make the call

Whattya think people? Is this an endorsement of vegetarianism or nymphomania?