IVP - Addenda & Errata

Uptalking?

Uptalk, or rising intonation (HRT or HRI)], the ending of declarative sentences with interrogative tone, started to spread in the early 90s (NPR did a snarky segment on it, perhaps in 1993 or earlier). And long ago it took over North America, even moving to the U.K. It’s thought to have its origin in the “Valley Girls” of Southern California’s San Fernando Valley, but Australians have long practiced this verbal art. Uptalk was gaining ground not long after I started telecommuting in 1990, and when I noticed in teleconferencing that it was making inroads even among my IVP editorial colleagues, I was distressed. But I kept it to myself.

I’ve been interested in the phenomenon ever since, and if you search the web, you’ll find some interesting commentary and research. Even a great uptalk poem by Taylor Mali, also available (thanks to one of our commenters below) on You Tube. For example, it was thought by some that uptalk was a sign of insecurity and uncertainty. But at least one study has shown that it can be used even more frequently by dominant members of a group. So perhaps it has manipulative power. I’m glad to hear that, since I was thinking there was an epidemic of insecurity. I have wanted to ask uptalkers whether they realize that this verbal style is something relatively new, but then I realize that if it started in the early '90s, for many of these uptalkers it’s just about all they’ve ever known! Not wanting to underscore my age (as if it isn’t obvious enough), I’ve kept that to myself too.

But now I’m finding signs—even in academic manuscripts!—that uptalk is working its way into punctuation. I’ve seen question marks placed at the end of declarative sentences? And it doesn’t seem to be just a typo? This is like so annoying—not to speak of wrong? I’m not keeping this to myself.

The question mark belongs at the end of a true question, an interrogative. It’s not some kind of accent mark. And besides, I’m afraid that this habit is going to spread like its vocal habit. And the most disconcerting thing about all of this? I’ve noticed that even a crank like me, when I’m around uptalkers, starts to uptalk too? Puhleeze—don’t do it! (Or should it be, Puhleeze—don’t do it?)