Reply
Sun 29 Jan, 2012 08:53 am
Context:
The voice I like most is that of George W. Bush in his first inaugural address. It sounds deep, clear and strong in a poetically rhythmic way. I've heard of the voice of Clinton, Kennedy, Nixon, Obama, Reagan etc. (among them, Reagan's is excellent as well), but none of them is better than Bush's in my view.
Ironically, I had once improperly cited a word from his public speech, in which he said the reason that he did not articulate because he then suffered foot-and-mouth disease. I thought "his voice sucks." At that time I actually never heard of Bush's voice. I now know how humble is this man's manner.
Tell me the best voice of a president in your mind. And, don't forget post the link to the voice record.
@oristarA,
I think the word you want is "enunciate."
@sozobe,
sozobe wrote:
I think the word you want is "enunciate."
Thank you.
But articulate means "uttered clearly in distinct syllables". Cannot it be used?
@oristarA,
Do you want it to sound as if it was written by a native English speaker?
More specifically, do you want it to sound if it was written by a North American whose mother tongue is English?
Articulate can be an adjective, a verb or a noun. Your quoted use of the word is clearly the verb form.
oristarA wrote:But articulate means "uttered clearly in distinct syllables".
That's 'articulate' the adjective.
Someone's speech was very articulate.
Quote:adjective
uttered clearly in distinct syllables.
capable of speech; not speechless.
using language easily and fluently; having facility with words: an articulate speaker.
expressed, formulated, or presented with clarity and effectiveness: an articulate thought.
made clear, distinct, and precise in relation to other parts: an articulate form; an articulate shape; an articulate area.
In your post you wrote:the reason that he did not articulate
That's 'articulate' the verb.
Quote:verb (used with object)
to utter clearly and distinctly; pronounce with clarity.
Phonetics. to make the movements and adjustments of the speech organs necessary to utter (a speech sound).
to give clarity or distinction to: to articulate a shape; to articulate an idea.
Dentistry. to subject to articulation.
to unite by a joint or joints.
Quote:noun
a segmented invertebrate.
To my (admittedly British English) ear and eye, to articulate something often (maybe most often) means saying it clearly and explicitly (not just implying it) and does not imply anything about pronunciation or clarity of speech.
Ori -
hoof and mouth disease?
I've heard it said George often put his foot in his mouth, but never that he had this disease.
Is this a translation? There are many flaws in the two paragraphs you wrote.
@PUNKEY,
PUNKEY wrote:
Is this a translation? There are many flaws in the two paragraphs you wrote.
It really is hard to figure out where to start with what is wrong with the original post.
I think Bush was making a self-deprecating joke, referring to his supposed "foot-in-mouth" disease.
@PUNKEY,
PUNKEY wrote:hoof and mouth disease?
Aphtae epizooticae
In British English, foot and mouth disease.
In US English, hoof and mouth disease.
In both cultures, putting your foot in your mouth implies gross inarticulacy and foolish speech.
@contrex,
In North American at least,
foot and mouth has quite a different meaning from
foot in mouth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot-and-mouth_disease
Quote:an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids. The virus causes a high fever for two or three days, followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet that may rupture and cause lameness.
http://esl.culips.com/2009/08/expression-to-put-your-foot-in-your-mouth/
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/foot-in-mouth
Quote:foot-in-mouth
[foot-n-mouth] Show IPA
adjective
(of a statement) inappropriate, insensitive, or imprudent.
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:
I've heard of the voice of Clinton, Kennedy, Nixon, Obama, Reagan etc. (among them, Reagan's is excellent as well), but none of them is better than Bush's in my view.
does that mean you've heard all of the voices? if so, you need to rephrase the sentence.
@ehBeth,
Not sure what your point is, ehBeth. Applied to humans, in the context of maladroit speechifying, foot-and-mouth disease could be appropriately jocular.
@contrex,
That was why I asked how the OP was meant to be read.
In Canada, you couldn't make the mistake of crossing hoof and mouth disease with the foot in mouth phrase without people realizing that English is not native to you .
Some editorial liberties to your text (changes capitalized):
The voice I like most is that of George W. Bush in his first inaugural address. It sounds deep, clear and strong in a poetically rhythmic way. I've heard the voiceS of Clinton, Kennedy, Nixon, Obama, Reagan etc. (among them, Reagan's is excellent as well), but none of them is better than Bush's in my view.
Ironically, I had once improperly cited a word from his public speech, in which he said the reason that he did not articulate WAS because he then suffered foot-IN-mouth disease. I thought "his voice sucks." At that time I actually HAD never heard Bush's voice. I now know how humble this man's manner IS.
Tell me WHAT PRESIDENT YOU THINK HAD THE BEST VOICE. And, don't forget TO post the link to the voice record.
NOTE: there are also a couple excisions of words made on the orginal. "Foot-in-mouth disease" is a play on words on "hoof-and-mouth" disease, which cattle get. Bush was from Texas, and an erzats rancher-come-cattleman. He was also an arrogant, cocksure idiot, no matter what you may think of his voice quality. And other people wrote his speeches for him.
@ehBeth,
Quote:In North American at least, foot and mouth has quite a different meaning from foot in mouth.
As they do in Britain. Wasn't that the precise point Contrex and I were making? Sorry if I did not make that clear.
@ehBeth,
Quote:It really is hard to figure out where to start with what is wrong with the original post.
Is this really you, Beth, or is it a sneaky, underhanded, typically Setanta approach to getting in his digs at Ori?
If it is you, you seem to be coming down with Pathfinder's Syndrome, a debilitating condition where the speaker can bitch and moan about someone's writing but can't articulate the reasons.
@JTT,
I can articulate what's wrong with many components of the original post thing - just need to know if it is supposed to sound like it's been written by a North American - which was what I asked to start with.
I can also articulate that I find your relentless sniping at other posters offensive. The way you continue to drag Setanta's name into threads he hasn't posted on is past the point of seeming to be obsessive. It is obsessive.
Now you can follow me around the way you do Lustig Andrei.
@ehBeth,
Quote:I can also articulate that I find your relentless sniping at other posters offensive. The way you continue to drag Setanta's name into threads he hasn't posted on is past the point of seeming to be obsessive.
Either you have Pathfinder's Syndrome or you don't. That can't be determined without mentioning the dreaded disease.
It's a language thread, Beth. Ori comes here specifically to try to make his English more natural. He doesn't need the very sniping that you decry.
Quote: Now you can follow me around the way you do Lustig Andrei.
Stop your whining. Merry get both barrels when he deserves it. You're honest enough to realize that you can spray buckshot around when you think it's deserved.
@MontereyJack,
MontereyJack wrote:
Some editorial liberties to your text (changes capitalized):
The voice I like most is that of George W. Bush in his first inaugural address. It sounds deep, clear and strong in a poetically rhythmic way. I've heard the voiceS of Clinton, Kennedy, Nixon, Obama, Reagan etc. (among them, Reagan's is excellent as well), but none of them is better than Bush's in my view.
Ironically, I had once improperly cited a word from his public speech, in which he said the reason that he did not articulate WAS because he then suffered foot-IN-mouth disease. I thought "his voice sucks." At that time I actually HAD never heard Bush's voice. I now know how humble this man's manner IS.
Tell me WHAT PRESIDENT YOU THINK HAD THE BEST VOICE. And, don't forget TO post the link to the voice record.
NOTE: there are also a couple excisions of words made on the orginal. "Foot-in-mouth disease" is a play on words on "hoof-and-mouth" disease, which cattle get. Bush was from Texas, and an erzats rancher-come-cattleman. He was also an arrogant, cocksure idiot, no matter what you may think of his voice quality. And other people wrote his speeches for him.
Excellent!
Thank you MJ.
But I failed to get "erzats rancher-come". Does it mean "crazy rancher-originated"?
Selected Answer
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace