Accents

[Abby Normal]

Ive always been fascinated with accents. Here in the US I can distinguish between about a half dozen:

1. Of course the Southern accent-probably most pronounced
2. NYC/Brooklyn accent
3. Boston accent-think JFK speaking
4. North/Great lakes accent-like in the movie Fargo
5. New Orleans/Cajun-if you've ever heard musician Dr. John speak
6. and then plain old American-everywhere else. west coast, mid west and mid atlantic I cant really ascertain any real accent.

British accents the ones I know for sure-Cockney, and royal and "common" English accent . Are there any others in England proper? I know the Scottish Brogue and Irish lilt, but what about wales? Is there a discernable welsh accent? any others?

[barnflatwyngarde]

Ive always been fascinated with accents. Here in the US I can distinguish between about a half dozen:

1. Of course the Southern accent-probably most pronounced
2. NYC/Brooklyn accent
3. Boston accent-think JFK speaking
4. North/Great lakes accent-like in the movie Fargo
5. New Orleans/Cajun-if you've ever heard musician Dr. John speak
6. and then plain old American-everywhere else. west coast, mid west and mid atlantic I cant really ascertain any real accent.

British accents the ones I know for sure-Cockney, and royal and "common" English accent . Are there any others in England proper? I know the Scottish Brogue and Irish lilt, but what about wales? Is there a discernable welsh accent? any others?

I was fortunate to study in the beautiful city of Aberdeen.

Aberdeen is often known as "Furryboots City", due to the locals asking non-Aberdonians where they come from.

"Furrybouts are ye fae?"

Also check out this lovely clip of an Irishman from Strabane being interviewed for a television programme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaadphJyy50

[barnflatwyngarde]

Here's a longer version of "Strabane Man".

Well worth the longer interview.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij_5UGpjUsU

[Harry D]

No such thing as a "British" accent, Abby. English, Scottish, Welsh, all of which have many of their own regional accents. In England, the most recognizable ones would be Cockney, Scouse, Yorkshire, Brummie, Mancunian and Geordie.

[Wickerman]

British accents the ones I know for sure-Cockney, and royal and "common" English accent . Are there any others in England proper? I know the Scottish Brogue and Irish lilt, but what about wales? Is there a discernable welsh accent? any others?

Oh for sure the Welsh accent is just as distinct, and in England up around Newcastle, Sunderland - the Geordie accent. Where I'm from in Yorkshire is different again. My wife's homeland in Lancashire is different. "Scouser's" from around Liverpool are as different again.
Birmingham & the midlands - "Brummies", are another example.
Down in Somerset, Devon, is another example. You could line us all up and any Brit could tell us apart blindfolded.

[Sam Flynn]

Is there a discernable welsh accent?

There are many Welsh accents, Abby, and they can vary considerably between geographically close regions. Indeed, I'm always amazed that my accent and those of my more "western" colleagues are quite different, even though we only live some 20 miles apart.

Edit: This guy does a pretty good job; all but the last accent he does can be heard within 50 miles of me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWWE4U7RPD4

[Geddy2112]

So many accents in England alone. I'm from the North East and everyone thinks I'm a Geordie which of course I'm not. I could travel 15 miles from here North through Newcastle and hear at least five or six completely different accents and dialects. A broad Sunderland (Makem) accent is so different from mine even though I live only 8 or so miles away. Then you go South via Teeside and it changes a few time as well.
I was always taken a back when the 'Yorkshire Ripper' tape was played and they claimed he was a Geordie but then said Castletown in Sunderland which is narrowing it down a lot. You tell anyone in Castletown they are a Geordie and they would go ape ****. Saying that when Humble was caught he was from Ford estate which is just across the water so not bad by the experts but certainly not a Geordie.

One of my faev Geordie jokes to illustrate how it sounds.....

I recently visited a hairdresser in Ashington (North of Newcastle) and asked if they did 'perms' she replied yes of course... 'I wandered lonely as a cloud....'

[Sam Flynn]

I recently visited a hairdresser in Ashington (North of Newcastle) and asked if they did 'perms' she replied yes of course... 'I wandered lonely as a cloud....'

In like vein, two Brummie anglers are talking to one another:

"Yaw cawt anytheeng todaay?"

"Yes, I cawt a whale, but I threw eet back een the water"

"Yaw cawt a whale and yaw threw eet back een! Why?"

"Half the spokes were missing"

[Steadmund Brand]

Ive always been fascinated with accents. Here in the US I can distinguish between about a half dozen:

1. Of course the Southern accent-probably most pronounced
2. NYC/Brooklyn accent
3. Boston accent-think JFK speaking
4. North/Great lakes accent-like in the movie Fargo
5. New Orleans/Cajun-if you've ever heard musician Dr. John speak
6. and then plain old American-everywhere else. west coast, mid west and mid atlantic I cant really ascertain any real accent.

British accents the ones I know for sure-Cockney, and royal and "common" English accent . Are there any others in England proper? I know the Scottish Brogue and Irish lilt, but what about wales? Is there a discernable welsh accent? any others?

Great list for U.S accents... but I have to add mine... I am from Western NY, right on the Canadian border...we here have what is called "Buffalo English" by linguist Wolfgang W lck ...it is a strange mix of NY accent and a Canadian accent.. we even use Canadian and NY expressions... yes. we do say Eh? here, but also words like "What" sound like "Whaa?"... we have a harsh Flat A----for instance a great example is a word like "Amherst" sounds like "Aymherst.".... people here don't realize how strong an accent we have, but everywhere I have traveled in country and over seas, people all guess where I am from by it

Steadmund Brand

[GUT]

Glad us Aussies don't have an accent.

[Graham]

In like vein, two Brummie anglers are talking to one another:

"Yaw cawt anytheeng todaay?"

"Yes, I cawt a whale, but I threw eet back een the water"

"Yaw cawt a whale and yaw threw eet back een! Why?"

"Half the spokes were missing"

Sam, your attempt at a Brummie accent is pathetic:

"Or roight? Av yer caught ennythink ter-die?"

"Ar, Oi corta way-ul Oi did, orl roight?"

"Yer wot? Yer corta way-ul? Yer daint, did-ja? Gud bloimey! Wotcher do wivvit?"

"Throwed it back in, Oi did, orl roight?"

"Woi-ja throw it back? Wornt it no good, loike?"

"Wuz orl roight, loike, but arf the spowkes wuz missin".

And any one who dares suggest that the Brummie and Black Country accents are the same will have me to deal with. Orl roight?

My Welsh accent is immeasurably better than your Brummie, boy-o. See?

Graham

[barnflatwyngarde]

Glad us Aussies don't have an accent.

Fair dinkums Bruce!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJPTqWtv8IQ

[Sam Flynn]

Sam, your attempt at a Brummie accent is pathetic

I was thinking about our international audience, Graham. To attempt a more authentic Brummie accent - in writing! - would have been far too confusing. My primary aim was to use just enough of a hint of Brummie so that folks got the "whale/wheel" joke

"Or roight? Av yer caught ennythink ter-die?"

"Ar, Oi corta way-ul Oi did, orl roight?"

"Yer wot? Yer corta way-ul? Yer daint, did-ja? Gud bloimey! Wotcher do wivvit?"

"Throwed it back in, Oi did, orl roight?"

"Woi-ja throw it back? Wornt it no good, loike?"

"Wuz orl roight, loike, but arf the spowkes wuz missin".

See. Didn't understand a word

[Graham]

Oz story from years ago:

Bruce comes out of his bank staring at a pile of money in his hand. His mate Bruce sees him.

"G'day Bruce. Probs?"

"Yis, Bruce. Dismal Guernsey".

"Yer wot?"

"Dismal Guernsey".

"Oh, Jeez, I geddit. Yer've booked an 'oliday in Guernsey in the Briddush Chennel Oislands an' nah yer carn't afford to go? Yeh?"

"Nah, dollars an' cents, mate, not pounds and pence".

"Oh, you mean DECIMAL CURRENCY?"

"Yis. Dismal Guernsey".

All true.

Graham

[Graham]

Beats me, Sam. You Taffs, eh?

Graham