Edgler Vess

Hi

For me English is a foreign language but usually I don't have problems with Tvshows as long as they have subtitles.

I watched all Deadwood season 2 with English subtitles.

The show is graet but often I found it very difficult to understand what the characters were saying.

I had to keep rewinding scene after scene which just made watching the episode more work than fun.

It's just the way the dialogue is written ...it's almost Shakespearean in its vocabulary and rhythms.

Am I alone on this?

clckworang

It's very Shakespearean in the way it's written. And yes, it does sometimes make lines a little difficult to understand. But the show is just so rich, and I don't think it would have quite the same richness if the dialogue wasn't so stylized.

But I can definitely see how much more challenging it would be for someone whose first language isn't English.

kvrdave

What kind of hooplehead wouldn't understand Deadwood?

They have an interesting cadence and often use 5 sentences to say something where 5 words would have been fine.

Nefarious

The dialogue can be confusing and make it difficult to understand what is going on. Supposedly discussing things with a severed Indian head in a box will help shed light on situations which seem unclear.

Michael Ballack

I've managed to follow the storyline, but yes I would love a "Deadwood Language for Dummies" book to help me out.

Brent_MN

I always have the subtitles on or I am completely lost. Same with "Rome."

sven

Nope I understand it just fine.

Nth Power

I find if I pay attention halfway, sometimes I'll lose track of what they are saying.

MrX

cocksuckers

Brent_MN

go get yor prick sucked.

Jadzia

I admit I also find it sometimes hard to understand. Usually after I watch an episode, I go to HBO.com and read the episode summary to make sure I did not miss anything important. It is really helpful, kind of like Cliff Notes.

hahn

Most of the show I could follow just because of the context of their facial expressions and their actions. However, there were definitely parts that I had no idea what was going on. In which case, I would refer to www.televisionwithoutpity.com. Go check out the recaps of Deadwood. If you ever get lost, they have a very detailed breakdown of every single scene, including many lines that I just could not understand. Plus, they sometimes add some pretty funny commentary.

"Swiggen! Cocksucka!"

Kudama

You said “cadence”. I love that that word almost as much as cataclysm.

The dialogue in Deadwood is goddamn, motherfucking, titty boosting, ass bleeding, toenail biting nostril fisting good that it’s…well it’s great.

(esp. Al Swearengen’s)

boogieman03

Yup, I have trouble following along as well. Wikipedia had a nice summary of season 1 and 2, but they haven't updated season 3 yet.

Brent_MN

you'd think Mr. Gibson got "sugartits" from Mr. Swearengen. But this hasn't been confirmed.

ScandalUMD

This will pretty much cover it:

fuck /fʌk/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fuhk] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation Vulgar.
–verb (used with object) 1. to have sexual intercourse with.
2. Slang. to treat unfairly or harshly.
–verb (used without object) 3. to have sexual intercourse.
4. Slang. to meddle (usually fol. by around or with).
–interjection 5. Slang. (used to express anger, disgust, peremptory rejection, etc., often fol. by a pronoun, as you or it.)
–noun 6. an act of sexual intercourse.
7. a partner in sexual intercourse.
8. Slang. a person, esp. one who is annoying or contemptible.
9. the fuck, Slang. (used as an intensifier, esp. with WH-questions, to express annoyance, impatience, etc.)
—Verb phrases10. fuck around, Slang. a. to behave in a frivolous or meddlesome way.
b. to engage in promiscuous sex.

11. fuck off, Slang. a. to shirk one's duty; malinger.
b. go away: used as an exclamation of impatience.
c. to waste time.

12. fuck up, Slang. a. to bungle or botch; ruin.
b. to act stupidly or carelessly; cause trouble; mess up.

—Idiom13. give a fuck, Slang. to care; be concerned.


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[Origin: 1495–1505; akin to MD fokken to thrust, copulate with, Sw dial. focka to copulate with, strike, push, fock penis]

—Related forms
fucky, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

cock·suck·er /ˈkɒkˌsʌkər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kok-suhk-er] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun Slang: Vulgar. 1. a person who performs fellatio.
2. a mean or contemptible person.


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[Origin: 1890–95; cock1 + sucker]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

... Interestingly, if Random House is correct about the date in which the term entered the common vernacular, its use in "Deadwood" is historically inaccurate.

RKillgore

Deadwood Pancakes

Nefarious

At some point I remember seeing an article on the language of Deadwood and this is correct. Most of the vulgar words they use in the show were not in use during the actual timeperiod. They basically used words that by today's standards would not be considered vulgar but definitely were during that time. Since they needed to convey that they were vulgar, and that it was commonplace to be vulgar, they altered the language to words that today would be considered crass.

boogieman03

That sounds about right.

kvrdave

That's perfect.

shizawn

That's awesome.

wendersfan

Mopower

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpjoEK_nlSk

Red Dog

Very difficult. I routinely didn't know half of the shit that went down in an episode. I would have to check these weekly threads to figure out the half I was lost on. Some caring soul would post an HBO synopsis for each episode. Thank you kind sir.

kvrdave

Good stuff.