British Accents thread

[organic io]

I'm interested in accents in general. For my job, I call insurance companies, a lot of the call centers are in India, Phillipines, and Jamaica, so I like to listen to the different accents and try to figure out what nationality their english teachers were. There's 2 united healthcare call centers in India, one in Mumbai and one in Delhi, I'm trying to learn to discriminate between the different accents
But I'm particularly interested in British and Australian accents. I recently watched a documentary about Kate Rusby, one of my favourite singers, who is from Barnsley & was surprised at how strong her accent was. I mean not unintelligible like some of the people I've heard but harsher than I expected.
I watched that show "Feel the force".. You guys seen that? One of the girls' accents was definitely scottish, the other english. But their boss sounded pretty screwed up. It sounds almost more like an american North Dakota accent or something. So I find out she's actually american, but I assume she's trying to sound Scottish in the show? I don't know, but she does a terrible job if so.

It's also my general understanding that people in the south have less strong accents than the north. Is this correct? Wales I haven't really figured out yet, haven't heard enough Welsh people speaking ...

Any discussion is appreciated

[mutilus]

It's also my general understanding that people in the south have less strong accents than the north. Is this correct? Wales I haven't really figured out yet, haven't heard enough Welsh people speaking ...

You get strong accents all over the country pretty much, lots of different types.. you get get strong Southern accents too. e.g. the South East cockney geezer (think the krays or lock stock and two smoking barrels..) In most areas you'll get both strong and soft types of the same accent. I'd say the strength of the accent depends on how long someone's lived in the area (i.e.. from birth onwards).. the accent also softens a lot for people that move away early on (e.g. to university) and mingle with people from across the country. That happened for me.. I grew up in Wigan in the North West, but then moved away.. I can almost barely understand half the people I knew at school if I go back now. And I sound like Hugh Grant as far as they're concerned.... but people down south still think i have a northern accent.

Some well known accents (the ones that everyone thinks they can do a good impression of).....: scouse (Liverpool accent).. glaswegian (scottish).. geordie (newcastle).. welsh.. cockney.

[organic io]

It's pretty much the same thing here in North Carolina... The people who live in the more rural areas and have all their lives have much more redneck accents. I've lived all around so it hurts my ears to hear some of the people at my work sometimes.

Some well known accents (the ones that everyone thinks they can do a good impression of).....: scouse (Liverpool accent).. glaswegian (scottish).. geordie (newcastle).. welsh.. cockney.

Any way you could fill a huge request and make me an mp3 of you imitating all the accents you mentioned?

[aGIANTpupafish]

right being british i'll try to help you understand this :p

Australian accent = every sentence sounds like a question :p

In the South of britain 'glass' is said like 'arse', in the north it's 'ass'. It's difficult to describe an accent really... hm...

people from wales call wales 'way-uls' :p
people from scotland call scotland 'scotlund'
geordies will often by heard to exclaim 'eh by gum!'
the irish called ireland 'i-ur-lund'

okay I'm stereotyping somewhat but you get the idea

[mutilus]

youtube has all the answers...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W7VspOs3Qt0 ( scouse )

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Nrmcxa1yBec ( glaswegian )

actually here you go... all in one:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qWmPP5nbwCw

[organic io]

Hahaha. Really hillarious, thanks so much Mutilus. I just watched the all in one video. Fascinating and funny.
Funniest part is when he was talking like Ali G

There's not even that many different dialects in America, and we are way more geographically spread out... what's up with that???

[Directionless]

Hahaha. Really hillarious, thanks so much Mutilus. I just watched the all in one video. Fascinating and funny.
Funniest part is when he was talking like Ali G

There's not even that many different dialects in America, and we are way more geographically spread out... what's up with that???

we don't have a longstanding history. about the most entrenched we get in our cultural peculiarities is in the deep south.

[organic io]

Hahaha. Really hillarious, thanks so much Mutilus. I just watched the all in one video. Fascinating and funny.
Funniest part is when he was talking like Ali G

There's not even that many different dialects in America, and we are way more geographically spread out... what's up with that???

we don't have a longstanding history. about the most entrenched we get in our cultural peculiarities is in the deep south.

Good point, D-less. Plus the widespread use of radio and TV has taken place during a significant percentage of our nation's history. It is doubtful that our accents will ever be as diversified as England's currently are. Probably the influence from media and hearing everyone on TV speak with a general midwestern accent will slow any additional dialect diversification to a crawl, with the exception of people who are truly remotely isolated.

[organic io]

Wow, just watched Rab C Nesbitt, I can barely understand that guy, I guess it's supposed to be that way though?

[organic io]

I liked this one too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH_kOjsXakM&NR=1

Not as funny as Mr Seanie, but I think he did a better job. British people: confirm/deny ?

[organic io]

Quite enjoyed this stand up piece on australian accents as well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpBYnL5fAXE

[chunter]

My accent is a bit strange since I've lived in several American cities. The bummer is that I have to talk to people for a living and regardless of where people are from, there is at least one thing that I might say that will result in a "huh?" or not be understood even after explanation...

If this makes you wonder how I talk, you'll hear it in my compo entry.

[organic io]

Fantastic! Can't wait