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Duels and Duets: Why Men and Women Talk So Differently by John L Locke (view source)
Revision as of 11:38, 14 April 2018
, 11:38, 14 April 2018no edit summary
{{infoboxinfobox1
|title=Duels and Duets: Why Men and Women Talk So Differently
|author=John L Locke
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-0521887137
|pages=252
|publisher=Cambridge University Press
|date=August 2011
|website=http://johnllocke.com/
|summary=A highly readable romp through the academic study of linguistic differences between males and females, a persuasive hypothesis that these are biologically determined.
|cover=0521887135
|aznuk=0521887135
|aznus=0521887135
}}
His thesis is that there are biological and evolutionary imperatives that have led men to talk the way they do ''to other men'' and similarly for women to talk the way they do ''to other women'' which have led to two very different styles or mechanisms of communication, but there is no similar imperative that would or could have led to a third language (in the broad sense) for use in cross-sex conversations.
Back at the main event: it isn't possible to start arguing a case for why we speak differently without first looking at what those differences are.
Men duel. When I first mentioned the book to my boyfriend, before I'd managed more than a couple of sentences he chipped in with: ""''of course. When a man is talking to another man, or among other men, everything is about making himself look better. Playing up your own strengths or putting them down. Always."" ''
From the horse's mouth you might say, as this is precisely the line of argument Locke produces. He takes us through the historical evidence of this from the ritualised settings of the Old English/Celtic flyting and the Icelandic mannjafnadr through to the modern ""''Yo mama"" '' Soundings or Dozens played by the black inner city youth of North America today. The rules have not changed.
Ritualised insulting served and continues to serve many purposes. It's not just about bolstering your own ego. It is used to cement friendships. Laced with humour, an insult is a common greeting between male buddies, in a way that just doesn't occur between girl friends.
Further reading suggestion for more linguistic cogitation try: [[How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning and Languages Live or Die by David Crystal]]l
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