28-06-2019, 06:43 AM
53
Re: Accents
Count me among you who takes great pleasure in other accents from abroad, though there are accents here in the U.S. that send me up a wall. I can discriminate Canadians' accents from ours and can generally identify which region, and often state, most people were born and raised.If you have an accent, that makes you automatically different and interesting to me and I am likely to ask you where you are from, which generally opens up what is usually a fascinating conversation - from Moldova on summer visas, from a place where there are still oxen hauling hay, from a polluted part of China, from Nepal and married a real estate agent when he summered there, an Italian here for flight training. There's nothing like a good accent to break the ice!
My accent is Californian with a just a hint of a southern drawl. Very few people can figure out my roots.
28-06-2019, 07:30 AM
54
Re: Accents
An Aussie lady customer once told me the name of the German town I grew up in.I asked her "who told you that?" I just couldn't figure out how she could know.
She said "we have friends from that town, you sound just like them!"
Actually, most people guessed I came from South Africa, but I've never been anywhere near there.
These days no one wants to know where I'm from. After 45 years living down under, I must have change my accent a fair bit.
28-06-2019, 08:12 AM
55
Re: Accents
Originally Posted by Mr Ploppy
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An Aussie lady customer once told me the name of the German town I grew up in.I asked her "who told you that?" I just couldn't figure out how she could know.
She said "we have friends from that town, you sound just like them!"
Actually, most people guessed I came from South Africa, but I've never been anywhere near there.
These days no one wants to know where I'm from. After 45 years living down under, I must have change my accent a fair bit.
28-06-2019, 09:11 AM
56
Re: Accents
Originally Posted by Pyxell
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Is your German town near the border with the Netherlands? If so, that might be why they thought you sounded South African.
But you are making a good point, Pyxell.
I believe the majority of people in SA are of Dutch origin.
28-06-2019, 09:57 AM
57
Re: Accents
After 45 years living down under, I must have change my accent a fair bit.Mr Ploppy, if you live in Perth, do you now have the Perth accent?..YOu know the one where instead of beer and here they say "boo- yah" and "Hoo-yah" or instead of to/ too or stew they say "toyee" and "stee-oy". (Think Julie Bishop or, if you can stand to, Michaelia Cash.)
28-06-2019, 10:19 AM
58
Re: Accents
Originally Posted by Mr Ploppy
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I'd say it's about 120km from the border.But you are making a good point, Pyxell.
I believe t he majority of people in SA are of Dutch origin.
28-06-2019, 10:45 AM
60
Re: Accents
Originally Posted by Besoeker
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The majority of people in SA are not white thus not likely of Dutch origin.
Originally Posted by keezoy
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After 45 years living down under, I must have change my accent a fair bit.Mr Ploppy, if you live in Perth, do you now have the Perth accent?..YOu know the one where instead of beer and here they say "boo- yah" and "Hoo-yah" or instead of to/ too or stew they say "toyee" and "stee-oy". (Think Julie Bishop or, if you can stand to, Michaelia Cash.)
My wife said she can't tell either.
I guess it would have to be close to the Perth accent.
I know it's not Sydney, where I only lived for 8 years.
I say licence and not Loycence.
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