Regional Accents

[Biggles]

On the subject of British accents in America, I found they tended to think I was Australian. They're just not used to hearing foreign accents from other developed countries I think .

Whereas the average Brit could unerringly differentiate between a Philadelphia accent and a Wisconsinite?

People live in Wisconsin?

[chalice]

I will have no fights in this thread, thank youse very much.

Unless it's done in your respective regional vernaculars.

That would be nice.

[Proper Bo]

On the subject of British accents in America, I found they tended to think I was Australian. They're just not used to hearing foreign accents from other developed countries I think .

The last merkin I spoke to said I spoke good english and asked where I learnt it. They thought I was dutch or something

[Mr JP Fugley]

I think probably I could distinguish accents from different continents.

:quality pwnage:

[Mr JP Fugley]

Whereas the average Brit could unerringly differentiate between a Philadelphia accent and a Wisconsinite?

People live in Wisconsin?

There's a place called Wisconsin

[Barbarossa]

On the subject of British accents in America, I found they tended to think I was Australian. They're just not used to hearing foreign accents from other developed countries I think .

The last merkin I spoke to said I spoke good english and asked where I learnt it. They thought I was dutch or something

:earl:

[Snee]

WRT hearing the difference between accents, between continents.

I have problems distinguishing between some Australians and New Zeelanders talking, otherwise I reckon that isn't tricky.

I'm also pretty sure I can determine where some merkins are from in the U.S. Areas in places like Boston and Queens have fairly distinct accents. And at the very least I can tell if someone is from the north or south. Can't always keep all canadians apart from americans from up north, though.

To some extent I can do the same with british english. I can normally easily hear the difference between southerners, northeners, welsh and scots, at the very least. And I can also tell if someone is irish.

It's not even my native tongue In fact, I'd say that the difference between some accents in english is easier to make out than the difference between some in my own language.

Obviously my interests and education has leaned towards languages in a big way. But even so, I still find it incredible when someone has a problem with hearing where some people with really thick accents are from.

I've noticed a few americans, people I know on the internet, referring to bands like Snow Patrol as english, or some australian/new zeelander as the same, though.


I wonder what I'd pass for in the U.S.

I reckon the way Americans have a problem hearing the difference between stuff I think is obviously not the same has a lot to do with their media consumption, and a fair bit to do with that american english is less varied than british english.

Most stuff that airs in america has all americans talking, and often when there's a briton in some piece of fiction, he or she is played by an american with an american idea of what britons sound like, while british actors often try to sound american.

At the same time America has a lot less linguistic drift (if I remember my realia classes correctly), or less different accents. Which has something to do with America being settled by people only from some select parts of the british isles, from the british side of the equation. Obviously immigration from other parts of the world has affected american accents in different ways, but they still haven't caught up with the plethora of different ways of saying stuff there is in the UK, AFAIK.

That may mean the average american gets less practice hearing the difference between accents, like.


I dunno, really

Not really sure why I bothered writing all that, like.

[Squeamous]

Yeah, an' also the fact that their primary contact seems to be wiv people oo go there 'cos few Americans 'ave ever bin aahtside America mate.

(okay Chalice?)

[clocker]

Whereas the average Brit could unerringly differentiate between a Philadelphia accent and a Wisconsinite?

People live in Wisconsin?

Yes, that's where Australia shipped all it's criminals.
Leading to the iconic phrase, "Throw a little lutefisk on the barbie, mate?"

Yeah, an' also the fact that their primary contact seems to be wiv people oo go there 'cos few Americans 'ave ever bin aahtside America mate.

True.
The one or two who do manage to leave the country seem to prefer Iraq to England, oddly enough.

[Mr JP Fugley]

People live in Wisconsin?

Yes, that's where Australia shipped all it's criminals.
Leading to the iconic phrase, "Throw a little lutefisk on the barbie, mate?"

Stop dabbling, I've told you before. It does you no favours.