# Is there a name for this way of speaking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 1, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725 "2010-10-01T14:55:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/1 "2010-10-01T14:55:18Z")
I notice the word “so” used frequently in a context such as this: _“I am sooo ready”_ Is there a name for this type of speak such as Valley girl? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/2 "2010-10-01T16:07:38Z")
Wasn’t this popularized on the TV show Friends? Friendspeak? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/3 "2010-10-01T16:16:55Z")
I vote for ‘annoying’. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/4 "2010-10-01T16:28:24Z")
Even worse is the negative form. “I am sooooo not buying that.” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/5 "2010-10-01T16:28:36Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Wasn’t this popularized on the TV show Friends? Friendspeak? More specifically, it’s Chandlerspeak. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/6 "2010-10-01T16:49:11Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > I vote for ‘annoying’. > [@tdn](#): > > More specifically, it’s Chandlerspeak. Tomato / tomahto. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/7 "2010-10-01T17:33:38Z")
I am pretty sure that on Friends, they were just speaking like normal people of that demographic already do. They didn’t invent anything. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/8 "2010-10-01T18:19:09Z")
Unless I’m misreading the OP, that’s not Chandlerspeak. Chandlerspeak would be “I am so not buying that.” ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/9 "2010-10-01T19:35:00Z")
OK thank you everyone. I wasn’t familiar with the TV program mentioned so I Googled it. I so totally agree with Gagundathar. It is anoying even to a non-native speaker. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/10 "2010-10-01T20:13:30Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Unless I’m misreading the OP, that’s not Chandlerspeak. > > Chandlerspeak would be “I am so not buying that.” What’s the difference between “so” and “_sooo_”? I mean, I know that an underline and italics are two different ways of showing emphasis in text, but other than that you lost me! ---
**Author:** ![Dravin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dravin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dravin)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/11 "2010-10-01T21:15:42Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > What’s the difference between “so” and “_sooo_”? > > I mean, I know that an underline and italics are two different ways of showing emphasis in text, but other than that you lost me! _Sooo_ implies, to my mind at least, that the word is drawn out (and given emphasis via the italics), where as simply so or _so_ implies emphasis without the word being drawn out. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/12 "2010-10-01T22:51:18Z")
The differences are in context, too. **CBEscapee** ’s example is just emphasizing a word that’s already used to emphasize a statement. Chandler’s use is kind of ironic, because it’s not common (didn’t used to be) to use a positive emphasis on a negative statement. ---
**Author:** ![bleibtreu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bleibtreu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bleibtreu)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/13 "2010-10-01T23:03:04Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > because it’s not common (didn’t used to be) to use a positive emphasis on a negative statement. I am definitely not buying that. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/14 "2010-10-02T02:01:00Z")
> [@Dravin](#): > > > [@Candyman74](#): > > > > What’s the difference between “so” and “_sooo_”? > > > > I mean, I know that an underline and italics are two different ways of showing emphasis in text, but other than that you lost me! > > _Sooo_ implies, to my mind at least, that the word is drawn out (and given emphasis via the italics), where as simply so or _so_ implies emphasis without the word being drawn out. This was what I intended. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/15 "2010-10-02T02:14:40Z")
> [@bleibtreu](#): > > > [@Balthisar](#): > > > > because it’s not common (didn’t used to be) to use a positive emphasis on a negative statement. > > I am definitely not buying that. Right; it’s not the positive emphasis per se that is (or was) unusual, but the word “so”, which used to be just for modifying adjectives or other adverbs, not for modifying verbs. Imagine a 1990s remake of the 1960s Blood, Sweat, and Tears song: “You so make me…very happy” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/16 "2010-10-02T02:44:53Z")
Chandlerspeak wouldn’t be “I am so not buying that.” It would be “I am so not buying that.” ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/17 "2010-10-02T02:59:48Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > Chandlerspeak wouldn’t be “I am so not buying that.” > > It would be “I am so not buying that.” I agree. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/18 "2010-10-02T04:17:22Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > I am pretty sure that on Friends, they were just speaking like normal people of that demographic already do. They didn’t invent anything. I respectfully disagree with this - I think the writers of “Friends” invented at least a couple of ways of speaking that have become mainstream. The “Friends” cast _was_ my demographic, and we loved the new things that Chandler said (his other most popular one - “Could I BE any more innovative?”). ---
**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-way-of-speaking/555725/19 "2010-10-02T06:13:28Z")
It’s a prosodic vowel modification.