well, Musick, i think its difficult... i self censor, as I pointed out... here, at work, around children, there are words i just don't generaly use...

I think the problem arises when we feel pressured to censor, and not when we freely chose to self censor.

We covered this a bit last year, discussing the article in the Atlantic about prescriptive Vs. descriptive dictionaries. the auther called himself a snoot, and pointed out, as a child, even though he was smart, well read, and good at math, he was too stupid to alter his vocabulary to the common words of the school yard and was constantly beaten up..

I speak several several different "dialects" of english, and like most here, (thanks in part to Maverick, JMH, Rhubarb Commando,) i know others.. I don't queue up, or have a bed-sit or take the underground, but i know the UK dialect pretty well...

i feel free to exchange dialects.. and in casual speech, i often us ain't-- a word that is general not acceptable in a proper english dialect.

my written dialect here, is not my formal writing (and some of you have seen my formal writing dialect and know that!) Maverick has heard my casual speech, and he has heard my formal speaking voice and they are not the same...

In the UK, the most formal dialect of english, Received English is a mark of education and breeding.. The is no single dialect in the US that compares, but we all know proper english when we hear it.

for some groups, speaking proper engilsh, is percieved as selling out-- speaking several different dialects is seen as hypocritical.. for other groups, no distictions exists... I am not penalized for speaking well at work, and using F*** in casual speach. I am not percieved as a "sell out" for using or not using ain't.

I feel no compuntion to self censor, except monitory! i feel i will make career progress based on my ability to speak business english.

by example, the people who post here, set the standard for what is and isn't acceptable... and anyone is free to obey the commonly held rules or ignore them. so, we have seen F*** written out.. and AnnaStrophic, has express concern about her verb tenses.. spelling errors are pounced upon, or ignored... depending on whim...

and when a new word is added to the lexis, it provoked discussion... and we either us it, or not...

our censor ship is largely self generated... and not imposed.. and that make all the difference.



my other obsession