Re: Accents

Where I live is a very rural, country village. I often chat to one of the local farmers, a real villager with a slight country accent. All is understandable until his mobile rings and he answers, it's obviously a fellow villager and from then on the accent becomes such that I can hardly understand anything he's saying in his broad, country accent!

Then when the call is finished he reverts to his very slight country accent again! I often wonder if he realises he does this?

Re: Accents

Do I like accents? - Absolutely, although some more than others
Do I have an accent? - Yes
Would I try to lose my accent? - No, not on purpose but I do know that it has changed over the years

Re: Accents

My accent is dead boring... just generic Home Counties. Not plummy posh, not 'cockney', just well, is there a name for it?

It can veer towards posh or 'cockney', depending on who I'm talking to. That's not put on, it happens automatically. I have quite a musical ear, and I find I tend to pick up elements of the accents of people I'm with.

I'm learning how to differentiate between Australian and New Zealand accents by watching the Nothing to Declare/ Border Force type programmes over the years. I think I can now.

I still find it hard to distinguish Canadian from generic American, though, although I might hazard a guess. I just haven't heard enough Canadian yet, I suppose.

Some American accents are easy to distinguish from others. The southern accent versus the East Coast for example, but I don't think I could tell which southern state someone might be from, just that they are 'southern'.
The New York accent is easy to spot too. And the Boston one isn't too difficult.
When I was in the States, many years ago, it was quite nice having the locals in raptures over my English accent!
Even if I did say unintelligible things like 'fortnight'!

Re: Accents

Paddy McGuiness and John Bishop sound painfully bad on the ear.

Usually the stronger the accent the worse the grammar and the lower the education.

Re: Accents

The trouble with saying that the grammar is bad is that sometimes it's more of a dialect thing, and goes back generations.
As part of the history of English, it can be very interesting.

Re: Accents

No matter where you move away from your home town or how long you have been gone, your accent always starts to get stronger the nearer to get when you go back home.

Then you're greeted with " You've cum all over talkin posh since yer left"

There's no escaping yer past

Re: Accents

I don't think I have an accent, maybe a little bit Estuary, but when abroad have been asked if Australian.
I really can't tell the difference between Americans or Canadians and Canadians can be quite offended by this.
I also can't distinguish Australian from New Zealand.

Re: Accents

I don't think I have an accent, maybe a little bit Estuary, but when abroad have been asked if Australian.
I really can't tell the difference between Americans or Canadians and Canadians can be quite offended by this.
I also can't distinguish Australian from New Zealand.

One fairly sure way to save face with Canadians is to listen for the "ou" sound as in about, throughout or just out. Americans from the US tend to drawl it like Australians. Canadians will say aboot, throughoot etc. New Zealanders drop their vowels..as in "fsh n chps". Bostonians and people from New England in the US can sometimes sound like Australians when they say the "ar" sound; as in car or bar.

Re: Accents

I'm with you Summer don't think I've got an accent till I hear a recording of myself then as you say Its Leeds ok Headingley and before you tell everybody its posh can't help where you were dragged up

Re: Accents

Here's something I find fascinating, it's not exactly accents but the differences between English, Scottish and Scottish English with words pertaining to Scotland only. Our Scottish members I am sure will know only too well about this!

On occasions I proofread for both English and Scottish authors and for me as a 'southerner' it is a real nightmare. It does keep the 'old grey matter' working reasonably well though, various Scottish online dictionaries are on overtime!

Not only is there the problem, for me, of being unable to speak or read the Scottish language, there are common use Scottish words interspersed within English that I may never have heard of. Also the accent and dialects make construction of sentences entirely different from what I understand to be accepted English grammar. It is hard work but interesting, I learn a lot! One real bonus is that I do not have installed on my computer a Scottish Gaelic spellchecker, imagine the chaos that would cause if those are anything like English spellcheckers, with their often incorrect and confusing word usage!

If you are interested then have a look at the two links below to Scottish dictionaries and sayings and you will perhaps understand:

http://www.glasgowvant.com/glaswegia...s-and-phrases/

https://www.scottish-at-heart.com/scottish-sayings.html