# Parents: Please teach your daughters to go down at the end of sentence. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 31, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396 "2003-03-31T06:03:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/1 "2003-03-31T06:03:38Z")
I don’t know if only girls & women do this, but they are the only ones I’m aware of having this horrible habit. When coming to the end of a sentence, many often raise register (?) so that the last words are at a higher note than the preceeding ones. It’s sort of like how one raises one’s voice at the end of a question. It takes even the most remote image of confidence and self-worth that a girl might have and throws it completely away. So please! teach then to not do that. People who do that sound as if they can’t even tell time, because if you ask it, instead of saying, “It’s twelve o’clock.” they say, “It’s twelve o’clock?” Would you hire a person who talked like that? Or give a good grade on an oral report? Whew. Glad I got that off my chest. Thanks for your time. ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/2 "2003-03-31T06:07:18Z")
I haven’t the faintest idea of what you’re talking about? I always speak correctly? Then again, I’m twenty-five? ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/3 "2003-03-31T06:14:28Z")
I’m working on it, I’m working on it! My daughter does this and so do most of her friends. Annoys the crap outta me. I have noticed that when she argues with me, she doesn’t do it. I suspect it’s just a verbal “tic” they pick up from one another, but I’m also thinking it reflects their general low self-confidence levels. Teenage girls are not known for being exceptionally sure of themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/4 "2003-03-31T06:16:31Z")
I always thought this came from like the “Valley Girl” thing? You know? Like, that is so '80s? Like totally? ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/5 "2003-03-31T06:22:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KCSuze \* > \*\*I haven’t the faintest idea of what you’re talking about? I always speak correctly? Then again, I’m twenty-five? \*\* I had to read that about five times before I got the joke? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/6 "2003-03-31T06:28:55Z")
I thought this thread was going to be about convicted women and fellatio. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/7 "2003-03-31T06:28:57Z")
I thought it was another sex thread. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/8 "2003-03-31T06:49:46Z")
I had a female friend who did this, and it really annoyed me. But I never mentioned it to her. I always felt like her declarative sentences were questions. Then she’d pause. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/9 "2003-03-31T07:20:26Z")
The worst part is that my roomate (male) does this when he talks on the phone to his family or g/f. Its like he has a built in placating tone with every conversation. Granted, that probably not such a bad thing… ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/10 "2003-03-31T07:21:27Z")
The OP has a very good point. When listening to a person who uses this voice inflection, I tend to think “airhead”, even if it is not true. Seems to be a left over from Valley Girl speak. It was unattractive then, and even worse now. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/11 "2003-03-31T08:13:51Z")
Amen to the OP for having the guts to speak out about one of our more troubling social issues. Great thread title BTW. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/12 "2003-03-31T08:17:45Z")
whats worse is your teenagers have started to infect the teenagers on this side of the pond with it as well - and its bloody annoying! damn you America! damn you! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/13 "2003-03-31T09:03:47Z")
Classically spoofed by the Band Camp Chick in _American Pie,_ this is truly one of the most annoying things about hearing young girls talk. I don’t know any, I don’t have any, I don’t know anyone who has any, but I still have to hear 'em, shopping in Wal-Mart, in the parking lot at the grocery store, in line at Starbucks… “So, like, I said, you know, like, who the hell do you think you are? And he said, like, what? and I said, well, listen, I’m not, like, your slave? So you know what he said? Oh my God! He said, like–oh hey, hmmmm, I think I’d like…I’d like a no-fat skim double caramel macchiato?” _blink blink_ Normally I find the music they play in Starbuck’s kind of annoying; it’s only when they are under seige by the Teenage Mutant Question Marks that I strain, really hard, to concentrate on the song at hand. Anything to drown that noise out. _runs screaming from the room_ ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/14 "2003-03-31T10:31:14Z")
Actually, I think this pre-dates Valley Girl Speak, and I’m pretty sure it _is_ a sign of insecurity. I know when I was a teenager I went through a patch when I was afraid anything and everything I said would be wrong. Fortunately I didn’t pick up that particular annoying habit. CJ ---
**Author:** ![brainfizz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/da6949/32.png) [@brainfizz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainfizz)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/15 "2003-03-31T10:45:17Z")
Oops, I thought all Americans spoke like that. I need to get out more. ---
**Author:** ![Searching\_For\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Searching\_For\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Searching_For_Truth)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/16 "2003-03-31T13:55:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Audrey Levins \* > \*\*…it’s only when they are under seige by the Teenage Mutant Question Marks that I strain, really hard, to concentrate on the song at hand… \*\* Bwahahahahahaa. btw, **brainfizz** , I’m offended. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/17 "2003-03-31T14:00:24Z")
I _completely_ misinterpreted the phrase “to go down” in the thread title. Shows where _my_mind is today ---
**Author:** ![Searching\_For\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Searching\_For\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Searching_For_Truth)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/18 "2003-03-31T14:14:02Z")
How could you NOT interpret it that way? Especially considering some of the other threads floating around! ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/19 "2003-03-31T14:27:29Z")
Now THAT type of oral report should ALWAYS get good grades. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396/20 "2003-03-31T14:28:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Audrey Levins \* > \*\*“So, like, I said, you know, like, who the hell do you think you are? And he said, like, what? and I said, well, listen, I’m not, like, your slave? So you know what he said? Oh my God! He said, like–oh hey, hmmmm, I think I’d like…I’d like a no-fat skim double caramel macchiato?” > \*\* Correction: Teenage girls never, ever say “I _said_…” It’s always, **always** , “So like, I _go_…” “So, like, I _go_, you know, like, who the hell do you think you are? And he _goes_, like, what? and I _go_, well, listen, I’m not, like, your slave? So you know what he did? Oh my God! He _goes_, like–oh hey, hmmmm, I think I’d like…I’d like a no-fat skim double caramel macchiato?” 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-please-teach-your-daughters-to-go-down-at-the-end-of-sentence/165396.md?page=2)