Linguistically Speaking

How to Get a Decent Husband

American college girls did, and no doubt do, play down their intelligence, skills, and determinativeness when in the presence of datable boys, thereby manifesting a profound psychic discipline in spite of their international reputation for flightiness. These performers are reported to allow their boy friends to explain things to them tediously that they already know [...]

' One of the nicest techniques is to spell long words incorrectly once in a while. My boy friend seems to get a great kick out of it and writes back, 'Honey, you certainly don't know how to spell.'"

Through all of this the natural superiority of the male is demonstrated, and the weaker role of the female affirmed.

-- Goffman, Erving (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Anchor Books, 53.
barbara... - 13. May, 13:47

Sad.

So the most intelligent girls would be those that appear most stupid?

si1ja - 13. May, 22:15

I guess.

We must appear really stupid, in that case.
barbara... - 14. May, 13:47

or our partners aren't 'decent husbands'? (not that I mind - guys who'd find that attractive don't seem appealing to me...)

si1ja - 14. May, 21:38

possible.

Mine gets a kick out of me doing other things than misspelling words ;-).

Although I have to say, he thinks its cute when I mispronounce something - I used to say [ouven] rather then [oven], he loved it. Maybe the non-native thing did the trick?

But then again, I like it too when he says words like "Brustnuss" and "Schreckdose"...
 
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