Male and female speech

LL 250: Intercultural Communication Name______________
Prof. Bauer-Ramazani

Samovar & Porter, Chapter 4: Language and Culture: Words and Meaning
Male And Female Speech

Woman to another woman: "What do you think?"

Girls arguing

MARY: I cut it in half. One for Lisa, one for me, one for me.

SUE: But, Lisa wants a whole pickle.

MARY: Well, it’s a whole half pickle.

SUE: No, it isn’t.

MARY: Yes, it is, a whole half pickle.

SUE: I’ll give her a whole half. I’ll give her a whole whole. I gave her a whole one.

Conversation:

EVE: "I know. When I had my operation, I felt the same way."

KAREN: "I know. It’s like your body has been violated."

HUSBAND (MARK): "You can have plastic surgery to cover up the scar …"

RICHARD: "God, I’m going to feel so bad for her if she stays home." (no date for a dance)

TODD: "She’s not going to stay home, it’s ridiculous. Why doesn’t she just ask somebody?"

Proverbs related to women:

A woman’s tongue wags like a lamb’s tail.

Foxes are all tail and women are all tongue.

The North Sea will sooner be found wanting in water than a woman be at a loss for a word.

A letter from a woman to Ann Landers (famous American columnist that gives advice):

"My husband never speaks to me when he comes home from work. When I ask, "How did everything go today?" he says, "Rough . . ." or "It’s a jungle out there." …

It’s a different story when we have guests or go visiting. Paul is the gabbiest [talkative] guy in the crowd … He comes up with the most interesting stories. People hang on every word. I think to myself, "Why doesn’t he ever tell me these things?"