Just A Minute

 
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Deviation of language

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Robert L. TorresJan 21, 2009
 

 
I find this particular aspect of the series to be somewhat annoying,
but always downright hilarious.

Its always amazing to hear panelists fumble over their words or
commit malapropisms, or sometimes are challenged for being
ungrammatical.

The one proponent for proper grammar on JAM has always been Clement
Freud, I think over 40 years, he will challenge someone once or twice
in any given round in any given episode over a grammatical error, and
the decisions often go 50/50 so far as it comes to Nicholas awarding
it to Clement or refusing to allow the challenge.

However, something has occurred very recently that has me punching
the walls in anger. It was the very first episode of the new series,
it took place two days before New Year's Eve, and it was the
subject 'What I Got For Christmas' and Nicholas stops the entire show
to complain about the ungrammatical nature of the statement and over
the general ungrammatical nature of the subjects he's been given up
to now.

The reason this has me thoroughly annoyed is simply this:

For 40 years Nicholas has been the most vocal advocate over
COLLOQUIAL SPEECH on Just a Minute, saying time and time and time
again that 'people are allowed to be colloquial in their speech,' by
his own words, 'because if people started challenging on deviation of
grammar, there would be no show and we wouldn't get on with the
game'.

In addition, back in the early 70's, I think it was a show from 71 or
72, which was a somewhat Christmas themed edition that featured
Clement, PEter, Kenneth, and Aimi MacDonald. I know the opening
subject was 'Silent Night'. IN that episode there was the subject
of 'What I Got For Christmas' that Peter was able to speak on for the
full minute, and at NO point did Parsons complain about the subject
being ungrammatical. So what, in the name of Almighty God, gives
Nicholas the sauce to start complaining now about the subjects being
ungrammatical?

And he goes even further to make grammatical corrections to the
subject on the card, changing it from 'What I Got For Christmas'
to 'What I Was Given For Christmas'.

And then he goes all pompous and saying that 'We are Radio 4 and I
think we should stick to more grammatical phrases'. Where the hell
is this coming from? If ever there was an example of pedantry, it's
this. Especially considering that its never been a problem before,
and now, for no reason he decides to complain about it?

He honestly has got no right to start complaining now, nor is he any
authority on speaking properly. This is the same man who, by his own
admission, says that he has heard Americans refer to Loch Ness as a
LAGOON! The same man who still sounds like he gargles with
hydrochloric acid and uses peanut butter as a denture adhesive.

 
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