I think I've worked out another (not primary!) reason why the expression "gifted and talented" jars

[lingle]

Childbirth and sleepless nights have long rotted my brain cells, ability to express myself, range of vocabulary and even spelling, but for the first 32 years of my life I had a love of the English language which makes me think....

The phrase "gifted and talented", heard for the first time, just cries out for parody doesn't it? You can't use it in a sentence and sound like an educated person at the same time. Which is ironic given that it's supposed to designate high academic achievement or the potential for it.

Firstly, all those alliterative "t"s make it sound so twittering.

Secondly, one has gift for something, or a talent for something. Using either term disassociated from any object makes it sound as though something is missing. It vaguely suggests that one has a talent for everything, which can't be right.

Thirdly, it's like having a "pretty and nice" list. You shouldn't be using the two words together like that. People unaware of the clumsy phrase might say "Paul McCartney had a gift" on hearing "Yesterday" for the 800th time or "Paul McCartney was a talented child". But you can't say "that child is gifted and talented" without sounding as though you are parroting jargon (which you are). Oh dear I've probably spelt parroting wrong.

To have a "gift" is one thing. To have a "talent" another thing. To combine them in this clumsy, twittering, too-full-of-"t"-sounds phrase that is presumably supposed to denote someone with -amongst other things - a good command of English makes a programme that may well be perfectly sensible (I have no idea) sound very silly.

I'm now going to spend some time fantasising about what Nabokov would have made of it whilst waiting for you all to correct my prose.

[mummyloveslucy]

You're quite right, it sounds ridiculus and it does jar.
I wanted your first response to be a nice one.

[tonton]

Nabokov eh? Let us know what you come up with.

[TotalChaos]

um what does Nabokov have to do with this?

[lingle]

mummyloveslucy, you are very kind. this is my first ever utterly silly thread. I owe you one!

Total - I think Nabokov had the greatest talent of any writer for pulling apart dead language. He adored doing it. Martin Amis has been trying to match him for decades.

you're all too nice to even flame me!

PS wonder if Michelle Obama was on the gifted and talented register? think so - it comes from US I think.

[NCbirdy]

Well I agree, I don't like the phrase, I know it is not because of the children or the opportunities they get it is simpley the actual words I don't like! (Try explaining that to someone in RL withoiut sounding prejudiced or jealous!) I am not sure about the twittering but they really don't work together do they?

[lingle]

hurrah! another friend!

dammit, now I want to go and dig out my dog-earned copy of Lolita to reread the bit about the parent-teacher evening....

[Hassled]

Re Nabokov - I was thinking about "Lolita - the trip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down to tap, at three, on the tooth" - now there's a good use of alliteration for you. Not sure I've got the quote quite right, though. Can't remember anything about the parents' evening - must dig the book out again!

Oh yes, and you're quite right about the phrase Gifted and Talented.

[NCbirdy]

[Grammaticus]

It sounds like council-speak to me. Utter rubbish, as you say.

[lingle]

"The tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth."
Good memory Hassled.

[lingle]

The parent-teacher meeting is chapter 11 of Part II.

""She is still shuttling" said Miss Pratt, showing how with her liver-spotted hands, "between the anal and genital zones of development". Basically she is a lovely -"
"I beg your pardon," I said, "what zones?"
"That's the old-fashioned European in you!" cried Pratt delivering a slight tap on my wrist watch and suddenly disclosing her dentures. All I mean is that biologic and psychological drive - do you smoke? - are not fused in Dolly, do not fall so to speak into a - into a rounded pattern." Her hands held for a moment an invisible melon"

Please god give me the strength not to try to talk about Lolita on the school playground.

[Grammaticus]

If you're anything like me, that resolution will be quite enough to ensure that you do talk about it - and soon!

[lingle]

yes - then there will be the usual pause....

[Grammaticus]

yup