# Why can't, uh... people, uh... talk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 15, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806 "2006-05-15T05:54:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806/21 "2006-05-15T16:10:16Z")
> [@dnooman](#): > > Modern speech is being changed on an almost daily basis. IMO not for the better. I blame Internet Chat for the majority of the next generations woes. > > English has been bastardized and mangled for quite some time now, too bad the younger generation is much better at mutilating it than any before. Shakespeare, by himself, probably created as many commonly used words as this entire generation of kids. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806/22 "2006-05-15T16:23:17Z")
pseudotriton ruber ruber writes: \> I think there was a modicum level of expression, a minmum requirement if you \> will of formal discourse, that we simply lack. Any babbler can get a book \> contract, and spew tape-recorded nonsense that someone cleans up the worst \> rambloings from ('uh’s and 'like", 'you knows", etc.) and that’s a book. Once \> that level of disourse declines, the level of speech becomes less lofty. \> Eventually, we’ll be reduced to grunting and pointing, I think. This is an anecdote and not research. In 1906 the level of literacy was significantly less. I don’t know of any research showing that the average level of articulateness was any greater one hundred years ago. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806/23 "2006-05-15T16:50:11Z")
I think the whole public speaking thing had declined. take policticians-they don’t deliver coherent speeches anymore 9try listening to one of Sen. Ted kennedie’s ravings, for example). I also think that people think more and more in terms of sound bite-little bit of info that can be digested peacemeal. Also, most people don’t like florid speeches anymore-they figure that they are being lied to, so why listen to the blather? You should read some of the speeched in the “Congressional Record”-most of them would put you to sleep. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806/24 "2006-05-15T17:13:13Z")
> [@K364](#): > > I have noticed that the average guy or gal is not particularly eloquent. This could simply be by definition. The average guy or gal is not particulary eloquent; he or she is simply. . .average. 🙂 Assuming that eloquence conforms to a normal distribution, half of the population is _below_ average. To take another tack, however, may require a weigh-in from a speech pathologist. The issue you describe sounds like a very, very mild non-pathological form of aphasia, which is caused by brain damage such as a stroke. There is also a speech disorder where the person can recognize people or things but just can’t retrieve the word; I don’t know if that is a symptom of aphasia or some other disorder. This may also be related to the communication between the two sides of the brain. From [this article](http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web3/AhmedN.html): > [@](#): > > In another experiment split brain experiment, a word such as “fork” was flashed on the right side of the screen in a way that only the right hemisphere of a patient could receive the information. The patient would not be able to say what the word was. However, when asked [to] write what he saw, his left hand would begin to write the word “fork” even though the patient himself had no idea what he had just written. The patent could sense that he wrote something but would have no idea what. Since there was no connection between the hemispheres on could conclude that information presented to the right half of the brain cannot convey this information to the left. If we follow the assumption from Broca’s and Wernickes’ speech studies that the language hemisphere is the left, then the results are all the more interesting (6). ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806/25 "2006-05-15T17:33:50Z")
> [@dnooman](#): > > Those too lazy to capitalize proper nouns get horrible diarhea in the afterlife. > [@Lissa](#): > > The English language is always in a state of flux. Considering that _flux_ is another word for “diarrhea,” this is a fantastic transition. 🙂 Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806/26 "2006-05-15T17:36:47Z")
> [@Wendell Wagner](#): > > In 1906 the level of literacy was significantly less. I don’t know of any research showing that the average level of articulateness was any greater one hundred years ago. At the museum in which I work, I’ve read a lot of letters from between 1800 and 1946. My purely unscientific observations are that “common folk” writing a letter to Sis to catch her up on the news didn’t use the flowery, verbose language of, say, a politician writing to express their views. You have to consider the purpose of the communication as well. Some letters are notes to relatives catching them up on the gossip, or reminding them to bring something with them when they come to visit. Except for spelling, those aren’t much more articulate than you’d see today.\* Other letters were intended to be read aloud to friends and families, a cherished recreational activity in the Victorian times. Those are much more eloquent, almost an exercize in creative writing. The upper classes tended to be more eloquent, but this could be partially attributed to economics during some periods. In the 1820s and '30s, postage was often charged by how many sheets of paper the sender had used. (Cross-hatching was a deplorable custom that arose from this. I despise it because it’s so hard to read.) Poorer people simply couldn’t afford to be as verbose as the wealthy, nor did they likely have the kind of leisure time needed to compose an eloquent missive. \*Computer shorthand is another matter. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806/27 "2006-05-15T17:49:05Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#): > > It does concentrate the mind, just not on speach. When the poo has hit the whirly thing, the brain goes into overdrive, but it’s working on solutions, not articulating clearly to your crew mate. It’s a bit like trying to hold a conversation while playing a musical instrument, not easy. And the more complicated the piece of music, the more your speach suffers. Yes, excellent observation! When I know exactly what I want to communicate to someone, I have few problems doing so, clearly and … well I want to say “articulately”, which is technically correct, but kind of a mouthful. Uh, loud and clear. 🙂 But when I’m still _thinking_ about something, and trying to speak at the same time, it can really be a mess. Or if I’m just not 100% sure what it is I’m trying to communicate, my speech will also suffer. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806/28 "2006-05-15T20:43:38Z")
I read more old books than I speak to human beings. As a result, when I do speak, my speech patterns are formal and arranged well - albeit in an old-fashioned manner. As you might imagine, this just makes folks think I’m weird. Someone recently complained that they had to look up a word that I used in a conversation, yet I don’t remember ever using any elaborate words when speaking to co-workers. I try to keep it brief, businesslike, and to the point. So speaking like Frasier Crane gains you no advantage at all. If I spoke like Jerry Mahoney’s “Knucklehead” character, I’d probably get a lot more respect! ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806/29 "2006-05-15T21:03:15Z")
I can’t believe no one’s told this one yet– So a guy is trying to follow the directions to a party at a house he’d never been to, and he gets lost. He sees this old man out in his yard putting a letter in the mailbox, so he pulls up next to him and says, “Excuse me, can you help? I’m trying to find Elm Street.” “Elm Street, eh? That’s back that way. You’ll have turn on…uh…You’ll have to forgive me, son, my mind ain’t what it used to be. What’s the name of that plant?” “You mean elm?” “No, that’s where you’re trying to get, I remember that, but there’s another plant, a smaller one…” “Juniper?” “No, it’s a kind of flower; it’s red. And it’s got thorns on it.” “Rose?” “That’s it,” says the old man as he turns to the house and yells, "Hey Rose!!! Come tell this young fellow how to get to Elm Street! ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806/30 "2006-05-15T22:16:28Z")
The OP has not heard a serious case of this unless he is a ham radio operator. Many HF (“shortwave”) operators use a VOX circuit (voice operated switch) to switch between recieving and transmitting. This is built into almost all modern gear. This circuit will deactivate if the operator pauses too long. So, umm, many, umm, operators,um, umm, umm, develope the, umm,umm,habit, of, um…so that the VOX doesn’t drop. In my mind this is one of the single greatest contributers to the continued use of morse code by hams. It seems that the local university radio station trys to keep it’s jocks from saying “ummmm”. Instead, they punctuate thier speech with a string of inappropriate "and"s. I think somewhere in excess of 90% of the sentences will start with that word: \…And that was Carlos Santanna, And the title of that tune was…and we’re coming up on 5 pm and don’t forget to call in your pledge of support and we’ll have the local news next, and that will be hosted by… ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806/31 "2006-05-16T02:38:23Z")
> [@K364](#): > > OP here… > > Just clarifying - I _could_ take for granted the uhs/ums/ers in everyday speech: many replies to this thread have given plausible justification why they are used. > > BUT, why everyday nouns? They should be the easiest part of speech in any sentence; adjectives, adverb and their respective phrases can give the speaker pause to ensure the correct shade of meaning is about to be conveyed, but the speaker rarely has any options with a noun. > > For example: "Go out to the uh…, garage and bring me back the green uh…, sweater I left in the uh…, car. > > “Go out” and “bring me back” and “green” could have been substituted with many similar phrases, but those aren’t the parts that seem to trip up the speaker. It’s the discrete, commonplace nouns. > > You will NOT hear: "Run, um I mean go out to the garage and um retrieve, I mean get me my uh emerald, well light greenish sweater I uh forget or uh left in the car. > > Listen to someone who has trouble spitting it out and you’ll be surprised at how it seems that nouns are not being retrieved properly. Purely speculation here, from my own anecdotal evidence, but I always assumed that my recent devolvement – if that’s still a word with the suffix added – into doing this frequently stemmed from a previous nervous breakdown and then consequent diminishment of memory skills. It seems now that I can’t speak as eloquently because (as noted) the nouns _hide_ from me when I need them. And the longer I search about, the more the pause grows so that I try to fill it with the occasional “um” to prevent appearing more of an idiot than I feel for not being able to articulate a simple word, like sandwich or some such. However, I’m not sure if this is the case or just wishfulness that since it’s come about in latter years (I’m 38), it has to be due to _something_ rather than nothing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-uh-people-uh-talk/356806.md?page=1)