Language/Accents

[Fleetwood Mac]

Thinking about it I don't thing i've seen it any further south than Darlo, not even in the well known chain that ryhmes with eggs, who do serve it further north. I don't like their version TBH.

I know we're getting off accents here, but as a northerner, something that has always baffled me is tripe. What is that about? I've tried a few weird things - pig cheek sandwhich being one. But everytime I see a tray of tripe in the market I feel like I'm about to bring up my last meal. Do people actaully eat the stuff? I have never seen anyone buy the stuff, or know anyone that eats it. But there it always is - the minging tray of tripe. Always makes me think of that scene in one of the James Herriot books where to be polite he eats a whole load of really fatty ham with a couple of jars of piccalilli.

I always thought tripe was a Yorkshire and Lancashire thing.

But, let me tell you this.

My grandad, who was a coal miner, used to eat pig's trotters. Honestly. With salt, vinegar and pepper on. Fat dripping down his face, or, getting back to accents and dialect, 'pyat' (which is the colloquial term for face in the mining villages of County Durham).

You couldn't get them these days, but back then all of the butchers stocked them.

[OneRound]

Ha! Everyone needs a party piece!

Similarly I have a Russian friend who (usually after a few g & t's) I persuade to sit in my swivel chair whilst stroking my cat and say "Mr Bond, we have been expecting you!" in a sinister tone.

I never tire of hearing it!

Ms Diddles - I'm glad you said ''cat'' rather than venturing into Mrs Slocombe territory.

Sorry, I'll get my coat.

OneRound

[Aethelwulf]

It's more a Durham and Northumberland thing, but more Durham I reckon.

Thinking about it I don't thing i've seen it any further south than Darlo, not even in the well known chain that ryhmes with eggs, who do serve it further north. I don't like their version TBH.

I know we're getting off accents here, but as a northerner, something that has always baffled me is tripe. What is that about? I've tried a few weird things - pig cheek sandwhich being one. But everytime I see a tray of tripe in the market I feel like I'm about to bring up my last meal. Do people actaully eat the stuff? I have never seen anyone buy the stuff, or know anyone that eats it. But there it always is - the minging tray of tripe. Always makes me think of that scene in one of the James Herriot books where to be polite he eats a whole load of really fatty ham with a couple of jars of piccalilli.

[Fleetwood Mac]

Once down south I asked in a supermarket if they sold peas puddin'. Was shown to the desserts section. I had no idea it's just a northern thing.

Pease pudding is still very popular 'round these parts, usually eaten with ham in a sandwich. I think its origins are in County Durham. I'm not so sure it is a northern thing, I lived in Lancashire for a while and couldn't find pease pudding for love nor money. It's more a Durham and Northumberland thing, but more Durham I reckon.

Also, 'panackelty', local dish in County Durham, lush piece of casserole food. The Northumberland version is 'pan haggerty', but those heathens put cheese in it.

[Aethelwulf]

The old American term, maybe?-- was "pease porridge" and meant what I knew as split pea soup. Still one of my comfort foods!

Peas puddin' is something altogether thicker, even solid. It isn't green, more of an off green yellowy colour. Usually served in a large flat bun known as a stottie, but any nice soft white roll will do. Always with just butter and ham. I'm sure people do other fillings but I've seen anything other than ham.

[Pcdunn]

The old American term, maybe?-- was "pease porridge" and meant what I knew as split pea soup. Still one of my comfort foods!

[Aethelwulf]

As for margaritas and marauding, I've no idea what a margarita is but in this part of the country we can offer you a light ale, pie and peas and a side order of pickled eggs!

Once down south I asked in a supermarket if they sold peas puddin'. Was shown to the desserts section. I had no idea it's just a northern thing.

[Ms Diddles]

Yes. The wonders of the English language. Names are a great source of confusion too. Check these out.

Cholmondeley is pronounced Chumley.
Featherstonhaugh is pronounced Fanshaw.
Marjoribanks is pronounced Marchbanks.
Brougham is pronounced Broom.
Beauchamp is pronounced Beecham.

Then there was George Leveson-Gower, his surname was pronounced Lewson Gore.

It reminds me of an old Monty Python sketch Abby. I bloke said that he was called Mr Luxury Yatcht but it was actually pronounced Throatwobbler Mangrove. Sums up the English language really. It’s perhaps surprising that we managed to build an empire with all the confusion.

I'm a Brit and I would probably have ballsed up the pronunciation of Featherstonhaugh and Marjoribanks if I'm honest.

[Ms Diddles]

The American athlete's version of this is to add "you know" between every few words of their response to an interviewer.

Yep, our footballers do that a lot too.

David Beckham was one of the main offenders.

[Ms Diddles]

'See, you have these Viking connections down in Yorkshire. Place names ending in 'by' or 'thorpe'. Loads of 'em in Yorkshire but there aren't many up here in Durham and the ones that are, are just over the River Tees into the far south of Durham where the Vikings crept over the water a bit.

But, words were borrowed from other counties from time to time. In Durham, we say 'lop' for flea, which is derived from the Viking word 'loppe'. That was borrowed, or stolen depending upon point of view, from Yorkshire.

And, there are a lot of old sayings that are losing their impetus. When someone was boozed up to the eyeballs my grandma would say: "he's away with the show-folk". I've no idea who the 'show-folk' were.

As for margaritas and marauding, I've no idea what a margarita is but in this part of the country we can offer you a light ale, pie and peas and a side order of pickled eggs!

Count me in.

Apart from those pickled eggs.....!

[Pcdunn]

aks instead of ask lol.

African-Americans in some areas use "axe" for "ask" or so it sounds.

I've heard that Lizzie Borden, long after her celebrated trial and acquittal, opened her door to children selling something, and responded "Let me go axe my sister about it."

[Pcdunn]

Worse, I think, is what I call the "trailing so", beloved of sportsmen/women being interviewed after the end of a game/event. "I thought the boys did a really good job out there today, so..." or "I've been working on my technique for months I'm pleased with the result, so..."

The American athlete's version of this is to add "you know" between every few words of their response to an interviewer.

[Pcdunn]

Sound recordings of British accents and dialects | The British Library (bl.uk)

Weird and wonderful accents of Britain.

Some of these are barely intelligible.

Dorset, Norfolk and Durham are farmers and so probably not subject to outside influences. I know the Durham clip is of a fella from the Wear Valley who probably lived in the hills all of his life.

The Yorkshire accent and dialect at the end is a beauty.

I recently saw an episode of "Sister Boniface's Mysteries" in which an old chap in coveralls, who was apparently the gardener, offered up a witness account in an unintelligble accent. A young policewoman who was native to the area was required to translate for him.

[Abby Normal]

Yes. The wonders of the English language. Names are a great source of confusion too. Check these out.

Cholmondeley is pronounced Chumley.
Featherstonhaugh is pronounced Fanshaw.
Marjoribanks is pronounced Marchbanks.
Brougham is pronounced Broom.
Beauchamp is pronounced Beecham.

Then there was George Leveson-Gower, his surname was pronounced Lewson Gore.

It reminds me of an old Monty Python sketch Abby. I bloke said that he was called Mr Luxury Yatcht but it was actually pronounced Throatwobbler Mangrove. Sums up the English language really. It’s perhaps surprising that we managed to build an empire with all the confusion.

haha. i was pronouncing the thames with the "th" sound and long a when we got to london. you know, how it looks.

me: wheres the Thames river from here.
local: never heard of it.
me: youve never heard of the river that this city is on??
local: You mean Tims?
me: whos Tim?
local: Tims, its pronounced Tims.
me: no kidding, i always thought it was pronounced the way its spelled. thanks!

(pub laughs)

[Herlock Sholmes]

so in uk pissed off means angry but pissed means drunk???

Yes. The wonders of the English language. Names are a great source of confusion too. Check these out.

Cholmondeley is pronounced Chumley.
Featherstonhaugh is pronounced Fanshaw.
Marjoribanks is pronounced Marchbanks.
Brougham is pronounced Broom.
Beauchamp is pronounced Beecham.

Then there was George Leveson-Gower, his surname was pronounced Lewson Gore.

It reminds me of an old Monty Python sketch Abby. I bloke said that he was called Mr Luxury Yatcht but it was actually pronounced Throatwobbler Mangrove. Sums up the English language really. It’s perhaps surprising that we managed to build an empire with all the confusion.