Voice that goes up at end of sentences...

[Youstolemyname]

What's up with people who raise the tone of their voice at the end of each sentence when either asking a question or trying to make you understand something?

It's a disease that is really starting to irritate me. My missus has picked it up at her new place of work and I feel like I am trapped in an episode of neighbours when I am sat with her at home. (Minus the Flic Scully in a bikini in my back yard pool, both of which would be nice....). She asks me what I want for dinner and her voice finishes two octaves higher by the end of the sentence. Or recalling her day at work results in her going through seven different tones to ensure I am understand what is being said.

It's creeping in everywhere I go now, at work people do it. In restaurants, waitresses do it. But it's just plain wrong. It doesn't need to happen, I can still understand what is being said without the little inflection. Wherever it has come from, I wish it would just go back there. (Like I say, I suspect Neighbours....)

I want it stopped, now.

 

[rz30]

It's a power thang.

It's a four pronged fad, part of it is saying,

1) Look you had better listen and respect what i am saying
2) Look at me i am better than you as i have something new and groovy and am in the 'in crowd'
3) Look i am safe and accepted in society as i am in with the 'main crowd' and we have our own thang going down
4) Look i am scared here, I had better not stand out by not copying this new inane trend that's going down hence i had better quickly learn how to raise the octaves at the end of my sentence.

 

[danielmp007]

Does she work on phones by any CHANCE??
Since iv worked on a DESK, i find that my voice starts to rise at the end of SENTENCES.

Thinks it because people on the other end dont catch the end of the sentence so you have to either go slower, or louder so they can hear you.

Think its more subconscious

 

[Scuzi]

You mean Aussies?

 

[Masterdog]

Are you referring to the sort of valley-girl type thing where every statement is made into a question? Seems I've been subjected to that for at least a decade. And yes, it is very annoying but seems it's here to say, along with the word 'Like' appearing at least twice in every sentence.

 

[Youstolemyname]

She's a teacher so maybe its something to do with that.

Scuzi has pointed it out that the Aussies do it an awful lot and I think they have infiltrated the British language via an entire generation being brought up watching Neighbours

 

[Lysander]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_rising_terminal

It's generally done to check the person listening understands and is paying attention. It's still irritating.

 

[colinuk]

We have a Georgdie who does *** same thing. ask him something starts off witha normal voice then within 20 words, every other word i swearing and his voice goes up an octave per word too lol... he gets faster too as he talks untill he sounds like a red indian getting ready for war lol.

Still, livens the place up

ColiN

 

[Youstolemyname]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_rising_terminal

It's generally done to check the person listening understands and is paying attention. It's still irritating.

It has it's own wiki page, that's amusing.

It's the scourge of modern society I tell you.

 

[platinum87]

solution = read below properly

stop raising your voice at me you complete ****

 

[D.P.]

What's up with people who raise the tone of their voice at the end of each sentence when either asking a question or trying to make you understand something?

It's a disease that is really starting to irritate me. My missus has picked it up at her new place of work and I feel like I am trapped in an episode of neighbours when I am sat with her at home. (Minus the Flic Scully in a bikini in my back yard pool, both of which would be nice....). She asks me what I want for dinner and her voice finishes two octaves higher by the end of the sentence. Or recalling her day at work results in her going through seven different tones to ensure I am understand what is being said.

It's creeping in everywhere I go now, at work people do it. In restaurants, waitresses do it. But it's just plain wrong. It doesn't need to happen, I can still understand what is being said without the little inflection. Wherever it has come from, I wish it would just go back there. (Like I say, I suspect Neighbours....)

I want it stopped, now.

WTF?

Its is a part of the English language, and many others.

 

[Sweetloaf]

It's been going on for years, it started creeping in as soon as Neighbours became popular, I ***t thee not.

 

[whitecrook]

Upward inflexion? Yeah it's pretty annoying. It just makes everything sound like a question.

Rory McGrath has a funny take on it : http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20031005/ai_n12747127 but I can't find the youtube video of it.

 

[Dano]

I do this and always have apparently

 

[floatindolphin]

..and this one time....at bandcamp..

 

[Reality|Bites]

tried to find the bank loan manager from 2 point 4 children on youtube but it's not there.

 

[Snakedoctor]

It's called AQI, Australian Question Intonation. Yes it is very annoying and started about the same time as Neighbours became popular over here.

It makes me feel the speker has not got a clue what they are talking about, as if it is all question rather than a statement.

 

[Sime]

I hate people that talk like this...They always sound snobby / cocky and that there trying to over emphasise everything there saying...Well thats what I think anyways.

 

[Fusion]

This used to pee me off a lot too, hear it a lot at uni but never at home. I've got used to it now, took three years mind

 

[Nitefly]

I raise or change my voice at the end of questions, as does everyone I know.

Can't say I've ever noticed anyone do it otherwise, mind.

EDIT - The change is very mild, not ridiculous.