Colloquialisms

[Terri]

when a witness uses speech that is "southernese" or anywhere-else-ese
I've read that you should go ahead and put the correct word, such as if they
say purt near (instead of pretty near) or rye-cheer (right here)
or
would you just put (sic) behind the word such as rye-cheer (sic) ........if so, if the transcript is full of these, you wouldn't sic the whole thing, would you?

some of these are pretty funny if you want to check out the link

http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/southernese.html

I was a-grinnin; if''n; purt near; rye-cheer.

[Kimberly Spangler]

Oops!
Brenda - those are SUCH good tips! I've been reporting forever and didn't know those tricks. I love these forums.

[Kimberly Spangler]

Oh, Brenda, those are

[Brenda Rogers]

Just giving back! :) I'm a whole new reporter since discovering reporting forums.

[Stacy Tegner]

I just saw the (as read) example about a month ago and just don't know how I survived without it. And now you tell me there's an easy way to put different and/or wrong name pronunciations in the transcript???? ~ you've made my week!!!! You're right ~ I'm learning so, so much the past few months w/ all these great on-line forums. Thank you.

[Brenda Rogers]

Don't! I didn't know to do that until 20 years into reporting. It wasn't taught in school. Teacher even put the question out there, how would you reflect this? but didn't give an answer. Sort of a "think about it because it will come up" thing.

I have learned more things in the last year and a half online than I have in the past 20 years. The pronunciation thing is one of my favorites, and (as read) for misquoted text is my very very favorite. Has made for a more readable transcript and a much happier me!

[Terri]

thank you - I've seen that a million times reading things, but I had a mental block about transcription, the all caps on the emphasis.

I feel like an idiot! Duh!

[Brenda Rogers]

Oh, I see. With pronunciations of names, I do a dictionary type of phonetic thing. "Is that SHA-ree or She-REE?" Dang. With right here and the atty's Q, I suppose I might do the phonetic thing. Or I might just let the atty look like his ears were on backwards! How nice was he to you? lol

[Terri]

I agree with you and that's the way I've transcribed, but what about pronunciations?

How do you handle questions such as "How did you pronounce his name" The witness gives his name.
if asked to pronounce the name in a readback, how would you transcribe that?
Would you put a phonetic spelling with the emphasis symbol above a certain
sylablle in order for the subsequent reader to know how it's pronounced ?

and what if the attorney asks a witness this:
what was that word you used a minute ago? How did you say that?
A. right here (says ryecheer).
Q. no, you had said some colloquial pronunciation..
A. Right here.

what about that scenario??

This whole topic is probably not blogworthy, but we get a lot of this in the Midwest! LOL

[Brenda Rogers]

I would use right here for rye-cheer. Most of these I just don't come up against! It's hard to say in a hypothetical situation, but a- words I would do that way; purt near I would do that way. I mean, sometimes that one is used for effect. That's the only way I use it, and I don't mean to say pretty near when I use it. I wouldn't [sic] it either. It's very clear what was said and meant.

Rye-cheer isn't even readily readable. I had to look at it three times before I got it. I wouldn't consider doing that. Not to mention, I would write "right here" and it wouldn't occur to me to edit it later.