Radio shibboleths

[954]

I read the wikipedia article about shibboleths recently ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibboleth ) -- never knew just what it was -- and it just occured to me reading Stuart's last posting that the ellipsis (...) in between phrases or sentences is a radio shibboleth.

I do that some of the time, but since most of my writing has been in print media and I haven't written PSAs or spots for a while, I don't do it nearly as extensively. (I use lots of short paragraphs instead, for readability.)

Can anyone else think of a radio shibboleth? I'm sure there are many.

If you're unsure of the concept, here's an example... people in the Bahamas can easily spot American tourists, because they call the last letter "zee" instead of "zed." That's a shibboleth. There are a lot of good examples in the wiki article.

Zzzzzzzzzz!

73s

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Wow interesting article. I got caught by one of the shibboleths. In 1976 I auditioned for a job at WROC Rochester and didn't pronounce the town of Chili correctly. I heard about it too! A give away that I was not from there.

I didn't get the job either but the experience taught me I had it much better working at WFTL. The blizzard of '77 would have been my first winter in 16 years had I got the job! That alone says something!

Mike

 

[The-Major]

If you're unsure of the concept, here's an example... people in the Bahamas can easily spot American tourists, because they call the last letter "zee" instead of "zed." That's a shibboleth. There are a lot of good examples in the wiki article.
Zzzzzzzzzz!
73s

During my two years of living in the U.K. at the start of my Air Force career I realized that Americans don't know how to pronounce (or spell) many words properly. The British convinced me to pronounce 'schedule' with the soft 'sh' start rather than the hard 'sc' start, and 'Dynasty' with the 'Di' (as in 'din') start rather than the 'Dy' (as in 'dye') start. You may also notice that I spell a lot of words with 'our' instead of 'or' such as 'colour' and 'flavour'. And this is all comin' from a boy who was born in the heart of Dixie - Selma Alabama !

THE MAJOR (NOT MAJOUR)

 

[top4odj]

I read the wikipedia article about shibboleths recently ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibboleth ) -- never knew just what it was -- and it just occured to me reading Stuart's last posting that the ellipsis (...) in between phrases or sentences is a radio shibboleth.

73s

I Guess the reason I do it is because when I type things, I try to type it as i'm actually talking to someone. I want to get points across in the best way possible, without it just running together. I could do periods and stuff like that, but to me using the "...." seems like a more natural pause or breath in the text.

Don't expect me to change....cuz it just ain't gonna happen!

Regards,
The Self Appointed Shibboleth Master

 

[954]

During my two years of living in the U.K. at the start of my Air Force career I realized that Americans don't know how to pronounce (or spell) many words properly.

Bollocks.

The British convinced me to pronounce 'schedule' with the soft 'sh' start rather than the hard 'sc' start, and 'Dynasty' with the 'Di' (as in 'din') start rather than the 'Dy' (as in 'dye') start. You may also notice that I spell a lot of words with 'our' instead of 'or' such as 'colour' and 'flavour'. And this is all comin' from a boy who was born in the heart of Dixie - Selma Alabama!

I like Brit slang. Sounds so much more cilivized than bitches and hoes and the like.

I especially like cockney rhyming slang, like naughty bits.

Knees!

 

[954]

I read the wikipedia article about shibboleths recently ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibboleth ) -- never knew just what it was -- and it just occured to me reading Stuart's last posting that the ellipsis (...) in between phrases or sentences is a radio shibboleth.

73s

I Guess the reason I do it is because when I type things, I try to type it as i'm actually talking to someone. I want to get points across in the best way possible, without it just running together. I could do periods and stuff like that, but to me using the "...." seems like a more natural pause or breath in the text.

Don't expect me to change....cuz it just ain't gonna happen!

Regards,
The Self Appointed Shibboleth Master

Hey, Stuart ... I'm not objecting. That's what I was taught to do for radio spots and PSAs.... the ellipses being instead of commas and periods, for pauses.

It certainly helps readability when you're in front of a mike and watching the second hand.

What I never figured out is why all caps. Studies have shown that upper & lower case has better readability.

And you see I do it sometimes, too.

Anyone need a freelance copywriter?

73s

 

[jcolletta275]

The interesting thing is that I use a series of periods in my online posts all the time... but when I'm writing copy, I perfer it to be properly written!

3 points for being bass-ackwards! ;D

 

[954]

The interesting thing is that I use a series of periods in my online posts all the time... but when I'm writing copy, I perfer it to be properly written!

3 points for being bass-ackwards! ;D

. . .

(That's your three points.) ROTFL!

Well, I wrote for an ad agency, not a radio station.

73s