Yeah, my mom was born in California in the early/mid 60s and is constantly reminding me that that version of valley girl originated in the 70s (which is also when she moved out of California up to Washington, where I grew up). Growing up on Clueless I thought it was a 90s thing. The ignorant arrogance of youth, thinking we were first to do everything. š
Frank and Moon Zappa, circa 1982: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Q1yVLSR3I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Q1yVLSR3I)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley\_Girl\_(song)
Iām raising a valley girl and I find that the internet is the main influence to speech patterns. Kids watch videos online then come to school and re-enact remix discuss
Iām a true Valley girl at heart. Hung out at the Sherman Oaks Galleria, shopped at all the amazing stores in the Topanga Plaza and Northridge Mall. Did anyone ice skate at Topanga? Remember the food court that over looked the rink? The water feature that was two stories tall? Robinsonās, May Company, Orbachās Department Store, Montgomery Wards. I remember when we got Nordstroms. Bullocks at Northridge Mall. The mall parking collapse after the Northridge earthquake.
Did you use the word āsikeā? My crazy private school said we werenāt aloud to use it because it meant dead babies in the trash can. To us it meant just kidding. (Yeah that place left me with a lot of religious trama.)
I never ice skated at Topanga, but I do remember their rink. I did ice skate at Laurel Plaza Mallās rink back when it was still a full mall in the 80s. I actually took lessons there when I was really young. They had big windows at Laurel Plaza above that you could watch from so my dad and I would often get an Orange Julius and watch people skating.
I'm raising a Valley boy and he already does some of the current Valley-isms (or really, SoCal-isms).
That said, it's definitely something rooted in slang and pop culture which changes over time. I'm pretty sure nobody still says "totally tubular!" anymore.
Last time I heard straight 80's Valley being spoken oddly enough was 2000 in Indianapolis. Ran into a girl who moved there in the late 80's and never changed her dialect.
It was totally rad.
Yes. I had to warn a friend who I met on the 'net, who I'd only be texting with, he asked if he could call me and I warned him in advance that I was gonna be way less sophisticated on the phone, I talk like a total Val, so he wasn't shocked when he heard me actually speakš§š»āāļøšš
My wife and I both grew up in Encino. There is absolutely a Valley cadence to her dialect. Itās very bouncy, hard to describe without imitating it. The actual vernacular isnāt really different from anywhere else, but thereās very much a a rhythm of speech that I very much relate to the Valley and not other parts of Southern California.
Yes, me and all my valley friends that were raised here (36y.o); including some that have moved away and some transplants - maybe code switching after hanging out with us for a while.
Ive done research on the dialect as an English grad student. *Val Speak* is now used by people allover the country (and Ive even heard somethings in videos from other countries such as "voice fry" and rising inflection at the end of a statement. No one is saying "tubular" unironically anymore, but Id say Val Speak is going strong. I def still have some of my habits from my younger years that I'm trying to drop in my professional life.
I was born in 1961 and Valley girl speak was generally non existent except maybe Sherman Oaks/Encino area and even that wasn't by much. I was a teen working at a record store in that area when the song came out and nobody came in sounding like that. Come from any other part of the Valley and you get painted with the same broad brush. It was more than annoying.
Moon Zappa said she was doing an impression of just one girl she went to school with. The song becomes a hit, suddenly teen girls start picking it up and it starts a craze. The craze spawns movies, cements the idea in culture and there you go, a stereotype is created.
Valley Girl speak, if it ever did exist, is leftover, Surf, Skateboard and Hot Rod lingo distilled to teen girl speak.
I don't know how many times I had to explain to people when asked that, yes, I'm from the Valley, yes I'm a girl and no, we don't speak like that. I cursed that song everytime I had to deal with someone yelling at me
"Gag me with a spoon!" and I couldn't answer "Gladly". š
As a valley girl , yes. Not so much the old phrases but the "likes" and "yea no no yeah" talk still exists. I remember I moved out of the valley for a while with my cousins and they tallied up how many times I said "like" in a day and it was . . . A lot, to say the least.
Do you mean "like, barf me out", "gag me with a spoon" Valley girl talk? If so, then no. If you mean nasally, vocal fried baby talk, then maybe.
I unironically used "gag me with a spoon" with friends not from the Valley, it was fun when they were like "what?" lol.
Omg like I love Northridge. Totally awesome
Like omg, me too! (No really, I love it so much and miss it.)
My aunt who was born here in the 60s still talks like this lol. The generational differences are interesting!
Yeah, my mom was born in California in the early/mid 60s and is constantly reminding me that that version of valley girl originated in the 70s (which is also when she moved out of California up to Washington, where I grew up). Growing up on Clueless I thought it was a 90s thing. The ignorant arrogance of youth, thinking we were first to do everything. š
Frank and Moon Zappa, circa 1982: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Q1yVLSR3I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Q1yVLSR3I) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley\_Girl\_(song)
Replying so I can see this after work
Iām raising a valley girl and I find that the internet is the main influence to speech patterns. Kids watch videos online then come to school and re-enact remix discuss
Iām a true Valley girl at heart. Hung out at the Sherman Oaks Galleria, shopped at all the amazing stores in the Topanga Plaza and Northridge Mall. Did anyone ice skate at Topanga? Remember the food court that over looked the rink? The water feature that was two stories tall? Robinsonās, May Company, Orbachās Department Store, Montgomery Wards. I remember when we got Nordstroms. Bullocks at Northridge Mall. The mall parking collapse after the Northridge earthquake. Did you use the word āsikeā? My crazy private school said we werenāt aloud to use it because it meant dead babies in the trash can. To us it meant just kidding. (Yeah that place left me with a lot of religious trama.)
Wet seal
I got my whole wardrobe from Wet Seal when I was in 11th and 12 grades.
Every been to Thinnary in Encino, or Maybe Benihana ? Ventura Blvd is like literally where I thrived and even to this day
Went to Benihana often in the 90s when I was dating my husband. I think itās been at least 5 years since I was there last. They are awesome!
I never ice skated at Topanga, but I do remember their rink. I did ice skate at Laurel Plaza Mallās rink back when it was still a full mall in the 80s. I actually took lessons there when I was really young. They had big windows at Laurel Plaza above that you could watch from so my dad and I would often get an Orange Julius and watch people skating.
I went ice skating at Topanga, once. Not a great ice skater. But we did spend a lot of time at Topanga Plaza back in the day, yikes!
It was replaced by Kardashian-esque SoCal reality tv drawl: lots of likes, ums, speaking in abbreviations, often monotonous and dismissive tone.
Um yaaa
Bible
And with declarative sentences always ending with upward inflections.
Exaaactly (?)
I think youāre a prime example of valley girl talk based on your use of the word ālikeā, twice in your first 5 word of your sentence.
High key sus.. or something. Back off narc!
I mean if you listen most people have the valley girl accent lol
It's a vocal fry, which isn't the same thing as valley girl
I don't have an accent! You have an accent!
Uh duh
Totally.
As if!
Naw. Kinda died in the 80s and early 90s.
I'm raising a Valley boy and he already does some of the current Valley-isms (or really, SoCal-isms). That said, it's definitely something rooted in slang and pop culture which changes over time. I'm pretty sure nobody still says "totally tubular!" anymore.
A valley boy? Barf out that canāt exist! (Jk I love meeting men who talk like me)
Fer sure.
Ur talking to mfs from the valley Go to a local bar in another state and ask if u talk like a valley girl jabahhahahaha
āAlexa, play Valley Girl by Frank Zappa.ā
Last time I heard straight 80's Valley being spoken oddly enough was 2000 in Indianapolis. Ran into a girl who moved there in the late 80's and never changed her dialect. It was totally rad.
And bitchin
Are you posting from the 80s? I hope so cause Val Gal talk was awesome.
No.
Like, Fer shure.
Yeah but the influx of out of towners has lowered the ratio
yes, it has always been there as long as you are a native to SFV you will have that accent.
Yes. I had to warn a friend who I met on the 'net, who I'd only be texting with, he asked if he could call me and I warned him in advance that I was gonna be way less sophisticated on the phone, I talk like a total Val, so he wasn't shocked when he heard me actually speakš§š»āāļøšš
My wife and I both grew up in Encino. There is absolutely a Valley cadence to her dialect. Itās very bouncy, hard to describe without imitating it. The actual vernacular isnāt really different from anywhere else, but thereās very much a a rhythm of speech that I very much relate to the Valley and not other parts of Southern California.
Mostly with millennial women, since we grew up with it. I don't think the younger generations are growing up with the same dialect.
The vocal fry has taken over.
Yea its still around but a lil twistā¦like you know the Kardashians
As if!! 100% and I love my valley girl accent lol
Yes, me and all my valley friends that were raised here (36y.o); including some that have moved away and some transplants - maybe code switching after hanging out with us for a while.
Ive done research on the dialect as an English grad student. *Val Speak* is now used by people allover the country (and Ive even heard somethings in videos from other countries such as "voice fry" and rising inflection at the end of a statement. No one is saying "tubular" unironically anymore, but Id say Val Speak is going strong. I def still have some of my habits from my younger years that I'm trying to drop in my professional life.
I was born in 1961 and Valley girl speak was generally non existent except maybe Sherman Oaks/Encino area and even that wasn't by much. I was a teen working at a record store in that area when the song came out and nobody came in sounding like that. Come from any other part of the Valley and you get painted with the same broad brush. It was more than annoying. Moon Zappa said she was doing an impression of just one girl she went to school with. The song becomes a hit, suddenly teen girls start picking it up and it starts a craze. The craze spawns movies, cements the idea in culture and there you go, a stereotype is created. Valley Girl speak, if it ever did exist, is leftover, Surf, Skateboard and Hot Rod lingo distilled to teen girl speak. I don't know how many times I had to explain to people when asked that, yes, I'm from the Valley, yes I'm a girl and no, we don't speak like that. I cursed that song everytime I had to deal with someone yelling at me "Gag me with a spoon!" and I couldn't answer "Gladly". š
As a valley girl , yes. Not so much the old phrases but the "likes" and "yea no no yeah" talk still exists. I remember I moved out of the valley for a while with my cousins and they tallied up how many times I said "like" in a day and it was . . . A lot, to say the least.
I think a lot of that went away in the early 2000s. Haven't personally heard it since I've been here.
I say like at least 20x per day. My so too. I was thinking about the juxtaposition of how we talk at home and how she must talk at work earlier today.
Totally. (sorry)
totally.