Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Speeches-- Part 2

Just a lot on interesting stuff about speeches.

4. IT'S ALL BUNK TO ME-- Rep. Felix Walker from North Carolina whose district included Buncombe County addressed Congress in 1820 over the slavery issue. His fellow lawmakers complained the speech had little to do with slavery, he said he was making "a speech for Buncombe." That's how buncombe came to mean annoying and disingenuous language-- leading to the words "bunk" and "debunk." I'm from NC and didn't know that. How Bunk of me.


5. Bet you can't tell me what the word for FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING is. (Answer at end of entry.) According to Toastmasters, it is the most commonly cited fear in the US.


6. SOJOURNER TRUTH, the former slave who fought for emancipation and women's rights was known for her "Ain't I a Woman?" speech in 1851. But early accounts of the speech said nothing of her using that phrase. Later versions started showing up with it, though.

Some later accounts had her using a standard Southern slave dialect even though she grew up in New York state and first learned to speak Dutch instead of English and was said to have an accent more like that of an uneducated shite Northerner.

Slaves in New York?

Sounds Like Bunk to Me. Cooter


Answer to #5: Glossophobia. (I didn't know it.)

No comments: