Question for Australians: I know it's rather common for Australians to raise their voices at the end of a sentence, so that a statement has the same intonation as a question. I'm...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I know it's rather common for Australians to raise their voices at the end of a sentence, so that a statement has the same intonation as a question. I'm wondering how far back this goes. I've been watching "The Doctor Blake Mysteries," which is set in the 1950s. I heard it on the show, and I wondered if it was out of place.
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-28708526

Another thing I heard was, "It's not rocket science," which dates from American football of the 1980s.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/its-not-rocket-science.html

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

I noticed it early on but now I mostly come in contact an older crowd. One of my faves is ... "Wha-da-ya-reckon?"

berchman Loc: South Central PA

jerryc41 wrote:

I know it's rather common for Australians to raise their voices at the end of a sentence, so that a statement has the same intonation as a question.

In the U.S. this has become known as Valley Girl Speech and it's commonly combined with "vocal fry" (that froggy sound you can hear young women make near the end of their sentences). Ever since I was alerted to these speech patterns by an interview on NPR [http://www.npr.org/2015/07/23/425608745/from-upspeak-to-vocal-fry-are-we-policing-young-womens-voices] I can't stop hearing it and I absolutely HATE it.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

jerryc41 wrote:

...Another thing I heard was, "It's not rocket science," which dates from American football of the 1980s....

Despite what your link suggests, "its not rocket science" was in common use at school here in virginia in the late 50's.

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

oldtigger wrote:

Despite what your link suggests, "its not rocket science" was in common use at school here in virginia in the late 50's.

Nothing is new. In high school, Pasadena, Ca, 1962, we had people doing the Moon Walk.

Dannj

I've never been to Australia but I've met people from there and didn't realize this was a "thing" with them. But it drives me nuts! Also, people answering questions with questions.

Me: "So, what did you have for lunch?"
Them: "Pizza?"

Me: "What's your favorite movie of all time?"
Them: "Casablanca?"

WTF!!!! Aaaaaaaagh!!

Now I'll go have my coffee.

"Pizza

RLSeipleSr Loc: North of Boston

... raise their voices at the end of a sentence ...

In the boom-days of CB radio I could tell a driver was from Pennsylvania because they had the same trait ... since I moved back here I don't seem to hear it as much ...

Bob S

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

RLSeipleSr wrote:

... raise their voices at the end of a sentence ...

In the boom-days of CB radio I could tell a driver was from Pennsylvania because they had the same trait ... since I moved back here I don't seem to hear it as much ...

Bob S

Grippers. Got your ears up?

Bunko.T Loc: Western Australia.

jerryc41 wrote:

I know it's rather common for Australians to raise... (show quote)

I think the producer of that clip needs to get around a bit more to get a generalisation of this "Uptalk".
I have heard it occasionally, but like that Irish/American woman, a city girl I'd guess, certainly not typically Aussie.
We do have quite a different accent from Queensland (nasal sound) to here in the West where were a bit more intellectual in speech & sound. The other Eastern states are more like we westerners, except for Tasmania.
They're a little more reserved & English like.
But the uptalk is bullshit, & you don't have to be a Rhodes scholar, a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist to see that.
We also have a few sayings that are very funny, I'll try & put a few together for later. Some are pretty graphic & may offend, others leave one in no doubt.
I think the students of origins of sayings take a bit on themselves.

Bunko.T Loc: Western Australia.

berchman wrote:

In the U.S. this has become known as Valley Girl Speech and it's commonly combined with "vocal fry" (that froggy sound you can hear young women make near the end of their sentences). Ever since I was alerted to these speech patterns by an interview on NPR [http://www.npr.org/2015/07/23/425608745/from-upspeak-to-vocal-fry-are-we-policing-young-womens-voices] I can't stop hearing it and I absolutely HATE it.

I think you hit the nail on the head, it's an American thing & like so many other awful American idiosyncrasies, our younger generations ape. Caps on backwards, hi fives, long shorts like basket ballers, these other stupid hand signals, Jive talk etc.
We have/had a unique Aussie individuality, but unfortunately it's being mongrelised by Yanky influence.
I'm proud to be an Aussie but we're being watered down by outside invasion.

Bunko.T Loc: Western Australia.

boberic wrote:

Grippers. Got your ears up?

Dukes of Hazzard: Got ya ears on Rosco, come back. Ya can keep it.
We just say what's gotta be said & get on with it.

viscountdriver Loc: East Kent UK

Australia was peopled by convicts,mostly lower class many years ago.In those days regional British accents were much stronger. Take the American accent,different in areas,I know. Here I can see glimpse of English West Country and,of course Irish.In Australia there are glimpses of Norfolk and Sussex accents.The derivation of accents is fascinating and much,even Indian h owes the fact of colonial British putting themselves around.

Bunko.T Loc: Western Australia.

Texcaster wrote:

I noticed it early on but now I mostly come in contact an older crowd. One of my faves is ... "Wha-da-ya-reckon?"

No worries mate!

TomC. Loc: Bel Air, MD

jerryc41 wrote:

I know it's rather common for Australians to raise... (show quote)

There was a great Seinfeld show years ago, when it was running, where Jerry was complaining about how a girlfriend was talking. He was calling her an "uptalker". "Sounds like everything's a question". On another episode, he noticed someone who got too close when talking and he called them "closetalkers". The up talkers are quite irritating to listen to and it's very prevalent around here. I also hear it on TV.
I wouldn't mind seeing those episodes again. Pretty funny stuff.

MtnMan Loc: ID

At least they don't end every sentence with "eh?" like our northern neighbors.