->'''Urgo''': I didn't mean to. \\
'''Jack, Samantha, Daniel''': He didn't mean to. \\
'''Teal'c''': It was not his intention.
-->--''{{Stargate SG-1}}'', "Urgo"

Verbal affectation common to characters who are heavily disassociated from Earth-culture, especially to mark a character as very serious and/or intellectual. Most common among TheSpock.
Similar to a mild form of RoboSpeak - smarter robots will use SpockSpeak instead of RoboSpeak. Also sometimes applied to characters from the past, perhaps under the misguided assumption that slang is a modern invention.

SpockSpeak is a collection of verbal mannerisms designed to show that a character may be functionally fluent in English, but lacks the usual sense of the poetry of the language that one develops through normal conversation. It distances the speaker from human society, but also gives a sense that the speaker is very smart. Of course, if they're so smart, it's something of a mystery why they can't learn to sound more like a human being and less like a robot.

Specific affectations usually include:
* [[GrammarNazi Excessively rigid adherence to proper word-use and grammar.]]
* Total (or near-total) avoidance of contractions (except when the actor forgets)
* Avoidance of slang
* Clipped tones and a very precise way of speaking, underplaying emotions (except for a sort of mild disappointment in the listener)
* Heavy use of the ExpospeakGag
* An inability to learn metaphor and figures of speech (see {{Malaproper}})
* Inability to get or tell jokes
* Preferring [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness longer or more technical terms]] to simpler ones ("Affirmative" instead of "Yes")
* Heavy use of understated, single-word reactions ("Fascinating," "Indeed."), without any intensifiers: "Indeed" would work equally well as a response to "Would you like some coffee?" as to "They're going to kill us all!"
* A preference for the passive voice over active voice ("It is done" vs "I did it").

Bizarrely, these affectations can be combined with YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe in some examples of PardonMeStewardessISpeakIambicPentameter.

Real world note: There are people in the real world for whom Spock Speak is natural. When the size of the vocabulary exceeds by far the level of social skill, people naturally use their strengths to compensate for their weaknesses -- or indeed, may not realize that there is something abnormal about their using grammar and vocabulary that is perfectly familiar to ''them''. Autism causes a focus on precision and difficulty recognizing social cues; when accompanied by high intelligence, this focus may make slang and contractions seem pointlessly vague. People with high-functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome (for which "pedantic speech" is a diagnostic criterion), though in modern times they are taught (or teach themselves) colloquial speech, may prefer to speak using something like Spock Speak. Before high-functioning autism was an official diagnosis, such people often found themselves at home as university professors--possibly the [[TruthInTelevision origin]] for the Spock-speaking "absent-minded professor". Nowadays, most fictional examples of that stereotype either have such a condition or are subject to speculation (canonical or [[FanWank otherwise]]) that they do.

Legal jargon can also be considered a real-life case of Spock Speak. Sometimes, all it takes to create a void in a contract or a law is a grammar mistake; as a result, legal documents must be written very precisely and carefully, in order to allow for only one way to understand the text. Usually, this involves writing the documents in a highly rigid and formal grammar, using the legal terms exactly as defined in the laws and the legal terms dictionary, and using any other word exactly as defined in Merriam-Webster's (or the ''OED'', if you're British). However the accepted dictionary definitions of words can still be quite subjective. And a long history of trying to make laws more specific and rigid by using increasingly specialized language has left most laws bloated and confusing. In fact a lawyers main job is to interpret the written word of the law -- hence the need for court cases, as they tend to interpret it in favor of their client.

In addition, some non-native speakers speak this way due to imperfect grasp of the language (and because, unfortunately enough, this is the kind of English taught in schools and universities, while "ordinary" speech can only be learned in the street, by conversing with native speakers). Not to mention that the language learned from a standard educational tape or university course is almost entirely devoid of idiom and local dialect, and while it often includes very ''useful'' words and phrases (such as the days of the week, or how to ask for something in a store), very little emphasis is placed on practical use of the language. As Robin Williams pointed out in ''Good Morning, Vietnam'', you're not going to survive very long in urban America by asking for cheese and butter all the time.

Much of literal SpockSpeak - what the character Spock says - can be traced back to (of all things) American commercial aviation. Gene Roddenberry worked as a TWA pilot before he moved to Los Angeles. The limitations of 1940s and 1950s communications equipment made it hard for a listener to tell the difference between a quick "yes" and a quick "no" - both would sound like a staticky "uh". "Affirmative" and "negative" were easier to differentiate. Standard, precise language also made it easier for pilots to communicate in emergencies - they didn't have to stop to think what to say. Roddenberry may have based the character of Spock on pilots he knew, in the same way that he based the character of Kirk on Daryl Gates of the LAPD. Yes, that one.

Contrast with:
* TotallyRadical, when someone uses too much slang.
* ShlubbAndKlumpEnglish, when someone tries to speak like an educated person but ends up doing it all wrong.
* {{Hulkspeak}}, when someone speaks with a really poor English.
* YouNoTakeCandle, which is basically {{Hulkspeak}} applied to an entire culture.

Compare with:
* AntiquatedLinguistics, esentially Spock Speak but with an old-fashioned feel.
* SophisticatedAsHell, Spock Speak mixed with TotallyRadical.
----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* Yuki Nagato from ''SuzumiyaHaruhi''. [[spoiler:She speaks like that because she's an "alien-human interface"; in plain English, she's the mouthpiece of an incredibly intelligent and rational alien entity that cannot communicate through speech. However, there is another such interface in the series which is able to pose as an attractive and highly popular schoolgirl, exhibiting none of the "robotic" tendencies of Nagato. Why one is more convincingly human than the other is never explained.]]
** {{Fanon}} claims that [[spoiler: the reason the other interface goes AxCrazy and tries to kill Kyon is because having and showing emotions make her more unstable. While Nagato is stable because she doesn't have strong emotions.]]
* Miyu in ''{{Mai-HiME}}''. It is not particularly obvious, though, and the later revelation of [[spoiler:her being a RobotGirl]] has been known to take some people by surprise. In ''{{Mai-Otome}}'', her manner of speech is more naturalistic, indicating a more favorable role overall.
* Kurau from ''KurauPhantomMemory'' talks in a very emotionless and analytical fashion very unfitting for a twelve-year old right after she merges with the [[EnergyBeings Rynax-entity]]. She starts talking more normally when she regains her human memories, much to the relief of her father.
* Nia from ''GurrenLagann'', being a princess, tends to speak in SpockSpeak. Memorable is her use of "Well met" over "Hello" as a greeting. Even on her answering machine. Repeatedly lampshaded.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:ComicBooks]]
*The {{X-Men}}'s Storm, as well as Magneto and Colossus (and many other minor characters) as written by ChrisClaremont. Storm pretty much always speaks this way, even in other-media adaptations, though she doesn't in the live action movies.
** Lampshaded in a Spider-Man/X-Men cartoon crossover:
---> '''Storm''': Power of lightning, strike again!
---> '''Spider-Man''': Uh, power of web-shooters, get real sticky!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:{{Film}}]]
* T-800 in ''[[{{Terminator}} Terminator 2]] and 3'', quite surprising for being an early 90's robot; notice, however, that as he starts spending time with John Connor, he also starts picking up American mannerisms.
** Apparently Schwarzenegger had qualms about saying the historic "I'll be back" line, since he, as an ESL foreigner, would never use contractions. Fortunately, James Cameron recognized that "I will be back" just didn't have the same ring to it.
**Also exhibited by Cameron and Chromartie on ''Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles'', and to a lesser extent by T-X in ''Terminator 3''. Notably, the T-1000 does ''not'' show this behavior, and exhibits more "natural" speech patterns.
***It might been seen as somewhat strange, since they put so much effort into making Terminators appear biologically human so they could infiltrate the resistance, but, they were built by machines. So they didn't have any normal patterns to go after. For an example, to create biologic tissueal, they wouldn't really need many humans. And in order to get the speech right it would require them to stay for a longer period of time among the humans, which would be very hard.
*** ''TheSarahConnorChronicles'' may shed some light on this, showing Terminators -- sometimes even ''the same'' Terminator -- doing both. It appears to be a simple matter of whether or not the Terminator in question considers convincing acting to be relevant to the mission at hand. In particular, those that go back in time wouldn't have to worry about being outed as killer robots except in extreme circumstances.
** In the extended version of T2 he only starts mimicking John after his learning chip is set from Read to Read/Write. Seems SkyNet doesn't want its minions thinking for themselves and sets the chip this way when they leave the factory.
* The same stunt (that is, as in ''Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2'') was pulled for the ship in ''Flight of the Navigator''. Sadly, the ship stayed TotallyRadical for most of the film.
* ''{{Borat}}'' plays by default the language school English version with a couple of funny words and cussing every now and then. Example:
--> '''Borat:''' I require you to install a pussy magnet in vehicle.
* ChanceTheGardener in ''BeingThere'', especially in the film version when we hear him speak, invokes the autistic variation of this trope, albeit without high intelligence. He is mentally challenged and grew up with little human contact, spending most of his time watching TV (before that, he listened to the radio). Because of this, his tone, inflection, etc. is based on how people on TV speak - and RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic. His limited intelligence leaves him unable to understand many questions, statements, etc., but he knows he has to say ''something'' in response. Thus his responses are usually quite simple and blunt once he starts interacting with others. Because he ''sounds'' intelligent, he is chronically misinterpreted by many of the other characters, who often think he is speaking in metaphors.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]
* George R. R. Martin's recurring character Haviland Tuf is averse to human contact; his habitual usage of excessively formal language helps him to maintain an acceptable emotional distance from anyone with whom he must converse -- while [[DeadpanSnarker permitting him to use biting sarcasm with complete impunity]].
* In Steve Miller & Sharon Lee's ''LiadenUniverse'' space operas, Liadens speak in very polite and frequently roundabout form. This is in part because the stories often draw inspiration from Edwardian romances, and partly because Liadens are a culture where the slightest insult might provoke a lethal duel, depending on the temperament of the one insulted.
* Spoof: In E.E. Smith's ''The Skylark of Space'', Richard Seaton is a very intelligent, intuitive genius - who speaks like a 1930's caricature of someone from the Bronx. When asked about this by his then-girlfriend, he launches into a couple of paragraphs of perfectly-grammatical SpockSpeak, until forcibly told to shut up by that same aforementioned girlfriend, now exasperated with him. This makes this trope OlderThanTelevision.
* Aximili from ''{{Animorphs}}''...when he's not in human form. When he's in human form, he's just crazy.
** It's worth noting that Ax's internal monologue is not quite as formal as his speech, though it is still clearly the thought process of someone foreign to American culture; he's actively affecting a formal tone because he believes that's how a soldier in the Andalite military should act.
* The character of Dominil in Martin Millar's "Lonely Werewolf Girl" is generally considered the most intelligent member of her family, with a double degree from Oxford. She is also considered icy and enigmatic, and when she tries to help her cousins with their band, she tells their guitarist that their stage fright is not something she can empathize with, and his reply makes her ask if he thinks she is lacking in empathy. He lampshades this by responding: "Well, yeah, if you go around saying things like 'It is not something with which I can easily empathize."
* In ''{{Battletech}}'' novels, members of the Clans make a point of not using contractions (at least in the classical sense, as several Clan-exclusive terms are at least portmanteaus if not full-on contractions). Given that most Clan characters are warriors they also use many military terms and end up using a form of Spock speak.
* The title character of F.M. Busby's ''Rissa Kerguelen'' series early on adopted a disguise with a persona including Spock Speak, and for some reason kept the speech pattern when she dropped the rest of the disguise. She was, however, perfectly capable of using contractions -- '''if''' disguised as someone else.
* Nearly ''everybody'' in Manticore talks like this in the ''HonorHarrington'' series, often taking a dozen more words to get their point across than is really necessary, with absolutely flawless diction all around. It's ''somewhat'' justified in that the main characters are all either highly trained and educated starship crews, nobility, or both, but there's no excuse for them still speaking that way when, say, they've been stuck on a prison planet for a year and a half and the narration goes at length ''to point out how casual they are with each other''.
* ''[[TheLordsOfCreation In the Courts of the Crimson Kings]]'', a sci-fi novel by S.M. Stirling. The Martian language can convey a lot of information simply, but sounds formal when translated into English. Thus ''Your pleasantly agreeable personality contrasts in an intriguing manner with the brutish power of your appearance'' is actually ''You look macho but you're actually sweet and gentle''.
* None of the characters in ''DeltoraQuest'' are capable of using verbal contractions.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
* Spock, of course, in ''StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''. Fascinating.
**Averted in the pilot episode, where he speaks like everyone else.
* Also, Data of ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration''. Indeed, the way to tell him apart from his EvilTwin Lore was that Lore ''did'' use contractions. (Ironically, at the end of the very episode which introduced Lore, Brent Spiner flubbed one of his lines, causing Data to use a contraction.) (Or did he? It's so blatant you have to wonder if it was intentional.)
** WilWheaton mentions this in his episode review in ''Memories of the Future''. Apparently Data's use of a contraction at the end of the episode was a deliberate choice made by the actor and director that was never revisited.
* Seven of Nine from ''StarTrekVoyager''. And Tuvok, of course.
* Kai from ''{{Lexx}}'' does probably the best SpockSpeak in television history, superior even to the TropeNamer. Lexx, the titular ship, does a pretty decent job of it himself, as does 790 and several other of the less human characters on this show. Pretty much the only ones who don't talk this way are the thoroughly human characters of a quite low level of knowledge about things, Stanley and Xev/Zev, the ones who are typically ''having'' things explained to them in perfect [[MrExposition expository]] SpockSpeak.
* K-9 and most "advanced" aliens in ''DoctorWho''. Affirmative, Master.
* Zen, Orac, and Avon in ''BlakesSeven''. Confirmed.
* Teal'c in ''{{Stargate SG-1}}''. Indeed. (When Teal'c guest stars in ''StargateAtlantis'', Ronon is apparently the first person to ever mention Teal'c's penchant for such speech, and he is surprised to discover that he does, in fact, say "indeed" a lot.) Parodied in the series finale "Unending", when "indeed" becomes the last word ever said in the show -- but this time, it's said by everyone ''but'' Teal'c.
** This is an oddity, given that everybody in the galaxy (in fact, more than one galaxy) seems to [[{{Aliens Speaking English}} speak perfect English]] with nary a [[{{Translator Microbes}} universal translator]] in sight.
* Lennier in ''[[BabylonFive Babylon 5]]''. ''Informal speech would be... inappropriate.''
* Notable exception: TIM in ''TheTomorrowPeople'' actually speaks much more naturally than many of the non-electronic advanced aliens. One of the BigFinish audios comments extensively on how unusual this is.
* Telling example: in ''KnightRider'', KITT does ''not'' use SpockSpeak for the most part (though he does once go medieval on a hacker for compelling him to say "ain't"), nor do the vehicles from ''TeamKnightRider'', but his EvilTwin KARR, and TKR's EvilCounterpart KRO ''do''.
** Also, the KITT of the 2008 series engages in SpockSpeak, but his patterns of speech appear to be slowly getting more natural as his AI develops.
* Anya of ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' developed into this, first as a consequence of being a former demon with limited knowledge of humans. Later it was revealed that she had [[RetCon once been an ordinary human and had]] ''[[RetCon always]]'' [[RetCon used SpockSpeak]]. Charitably we may assume she was an Aspie. (Her lack of understanding about mortality on the other hand...well, a thousand years is a long time.)
** Later on ''Angel'', Illyria used this as well, though she occasionally managed to confuse others when using a longer word instead of a short, convenient one. (One humorous example was when she said she and Wesley were "no longer having intercourse." Spike, of course, assumed ''sexual'' intercourse and had a doubletake before her real meaning kicked in.)
*Parodied mercilessly in the ''SaturdayNightLive'' sketch (and subsequent movie) ''The Coneheads''.
* Grover of ''SesameStreet''.
* In the first season of ''MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', Billy, being the smart one of the group, used lots of SpockSpeak, and required the use of Trini to translate what Billy said to the rest of the group. Needless to say that this stopped on the second season when the actress playing Trini left.
* Sheldon from ''TheBigBangTheory'' is like that. Just let this example speak for itself:
-->'''Sheldon:''' Well, I'm polymerized tree sap and you're an inorganic adhesive, so whatever verbal projectile you launch in my direction is reflected off of me, returns on its original trajectory and adheres to you.
** At least he uses contractions.
** He gets better over time.At least,he tries...Apparently,he's "getting remarkable fluency at" urban slang.
* The title character of IDreamOfJeannie spoke with an unusual tone of voice and no contractions. She also misunderstood metaphors, but no more often than any other LiteralGenie.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:TabletopGames]]
* Variation: The Clans, in ''Battletech''-related properties, speak a sort of slang based on SpockSpeak; for example, they use "Aff" and "Neg" (short for Affirmative and Negative) in place of "Yes" and "No". This is added to a host of Russian-derived terms and [[WeWillUseWikiWordsInTheFuture WikiWords]] to form an alien but comprehensible dialect of English. They have so long since forgone the use of contractions that they react to contractions as swear words.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:VideoGames]]
* Double subversion: ''Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2'' features a robot who initially talks in SpockSpeak... but when the main character asks him to speak in a more understandable way, the robot starts using TotallyRadical slang. He later goes back to SpockSpeak, much to the relief of both the main character and the player.
* Most of Presea's lines in ''TalesOfSymphonia'' are some variation on this trope. "I suggest that conversation while in transit impairs our rate of travel."
** Kunzite in ''{{Tales of Hearts}}'' does the same. Even in combat, where the usual poetic spell chants are replaced with stuff like "Dark weaponry charging complete. Fire!" This is because he's an actual robot TinMan, and later, he starts declaring things along the lines of "this is my own will!" against his "rival" and the final boss.
* The Vortigaunts in ''HalfLife2''.
** Eh, not really. The Vortigaunts share more in common with ''ProudWarriorRace'' when it comes to speech patterns than Spock Speak.
* Jugger from ''AdvanceWars: Dual Strike'' uses this and RoboSpeak.
** And yet ''very occasionally'' slips into more normal speech patterns, leading the player to wonder if he just does the Spock / RoboSpeak because he likes to.
* Hawkeye from ''FireEmblem'' answers everything with the same phrase: "Is that so?"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:WebComics]]
* Vaarsuvius, from ''OrderOfTheStick''.
* Antimony from ''GunnerkriggCourt'' uses SpockSpeak, due to [[RaisedByWolves a very unusual childhood]]. When [[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=302 this guest comic]] was posted, several fans complained that Annie saying "Yeah" in the first panel was out of character. However, she seems to use it less when she's at ease, around friends.
** Apparently, Annie learned it from her father, Anthony, who spoke this way when he was her age:
--->'''Donald Donlan:''' Hey Tony, aren't you coming for lunch?\\
'''Anthony Carver:''' I have matters to attend to.\\
'''Donald Donlan:''' Oh... okay. We'll see you later then.\\
'''James Eglamore:''' "I have matters to attend to." Jeez, who talks like that?
* Faye in ''QuestionableContent'', early on in the series when she's deliberately trying to conceal her [[AmericanAccents southern accent]], having moved from Georgia to Massachusetts to escape a personal tragedy.
* Theo in [[http://www.shapequest.net/ Shape Quest]].
* Luca in ''TheMeek'' doesn't use contractions, since his he actually speaking his third language according to WordOfGod.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* Parodied constantly in ''{{Futurama}}'', playing off the fact that historical records seem unusually unreliable, yet people often take them at absolute face value. For example, at a museum, an exhibit refers to "auto-mo-cars" as being constructed by "primitive robots". This is technically correct; however, the robots are revealed to be nothing more than robots dressed in primitive ''human'' dress (i.e. ''they're cavemen''). It also refers to the car being powered by a "tank of burning fossils", mis-interpreting "fossil fuels" and "gas tank".
**Many of the alien characters on the show use SpockSpeak, particularly the Nibblonians and their archnemeses the Brains.
* Starfire of ''TeenTitans'' uses a pretty classic version of ''SpockSpeak'': misplaced articles, misinterpreted puns, lack of contractions, the works.
** The reason for this being that she's both an alien speaking English as a second language (though gained through TranslatorMicrobes), and [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses royalty]]. Her sister Blackfire speaks fluent English though.
* ''TransformersArmada'''s Red Alert thankfully stops after the first use.
* In ''TransformersAnimated'', Prowl is constantly saying things like "Fascinating", "Impressive" and "Incredible" when observing organic life.
* Grizzle of ''[[CareBears Adventures in Care-a-Lot]]'' created 'the smartest robot ever' in one episode, which turned out to be [[TheSpock a little too logical]] and spoke entirely using SpockSpeak.
* Nicole from ''[[SatamSonicTheHedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog]]''. Like in the "Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2" and "Flight of the Navigator" examples, when in one episode Sonic insists she "Talk in English!" she starts using more slang than even Sonic. He approves.
* Mojo Jojo on ''The Powerpuff Girls'' compulsively repeats his statements, with each repetition sounding more like SpockSpeak as he dredges the depths of his mental thesaurus.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:WebOriginal]]
* The character of Two in ''TalesOfMU'' speaks with a variation of this: as a freed golem, she speaks fairly formally, and especially does not wish to voice any opinion or preference. In the early chapters, she had serious problems saying that she wanted anything. This can be seen in the "Two's Diary" Bonus stories, where she crosses out any line that expresses any emotion or desire. She's gotten better as the story has gone on, however.
** Another example is Two's former roommate, Dee, whose formal speech matches a formal upbringing. She also apologies frequently, at a level approaching a verbal tic.
*''SurvivalOfTheFittest'' version 4's 'Bounce' speaks with excessive formality, which is possibly because English wasn't her parents' first language, although intelligence plays a part.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:RealLife]]
* As said at the top: Some people with autism and Asperger's.
* And lawyers, because legal jargon is like that.
** With good reason, like in science you want to make sure that you're saying exactly what you mean to say, and even ''one word'' incorrectly applied on a contract can create a loophole that may cost someone millions of dollars.
* Richard Feynman told a story of how he was in Brazil (?) and couldn't remember the Portuguese word for "so", but remembered a rule where in "ly" in English becomes "mente"... so he had to use "consequentemente", giving this impression to the people he was talking to.
* Scientific journals expect to have a ''written'' form of SpockSpeak in their articles, so even scientists who don't talk that way personally learn to emulate it in writing. This is obviously desirable in pursit of precision.
* Likewise, a police officer filing a formal report (or even verbally reporting to a fellow officer) will write or speak in a formal manner out of habit; rather than saying 'he wouldn't get out and started yelling at me', the officer would report that 'the suspect failed to comply and became verbally uncooperative'.
[[/folder]]
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