Recognising Accents

[DavidGP]

Originally Posted by darlene1029

May I add South Africa to the confusion ?

Dunno SA accents are an easy one for me, met a few at MSFT over the years, and easy to spot, but then again as said before its kinda what you personally are used to and can pick up, guess we all pick up different things.

[TimW]

I like the members that type with an accent!!!

[Francie Mc]

Hi , I'm a new member , but you wo'nt detect an accent from me . I come from a race that does not have an accent , we have a brogue . Yes , you're right. I'm from the North of an Emerald Isle. In the place that I hail from is called Spadetown. We have some funny sayings and spellings , that only people from these parts would find it easy to understand.
IE= What about ye?
Look forward to testing you all with a few curvedballs ( conversations )
Francie:-

[DavidGP]

Hi and Welcome

Curious as Emerald Isle is normally referrred to as Ireland and could be NI or ROI (and north would be NI and Belfast is a place I know well), but your location is UK in Chiltern Valley as in iirc in near Henley-on-Thames UK?

Spadetown is where? possibly Lurgan?

Only curious as to this curveball

[Caliban]

We eat grits - 'nuff said...

[DavidGP]

Originally Posted by Caliban

We eat grits - 'nuff said...

Nowt wrong with grits! you have them with gravy?

[Caliban]

Originally Posted by Halo

Nowt wrong with grits! you have them with gravy?

With gravy, or butter, or eggs, or sausage, or refried, or salmon patties, or anything - grits is good!

We'uns have southern accents here, of course - I don't really notice how redneck I sound until I hear my voice on a phone, etc. - yikes! Down below Charleston, the Gullahs prevail - talk about a Deep South accent!

[DavidGP]

Originally Posted by Caliban

With gravy, or butter, or eggs, or sausage, or refried, or salmon patties, or anything - grits is good!

We'uns have southern accents here, of course - I don't really notice how redneck I sound until I hear my voice on a phone, etc. - yikes! Down below Charleston, the Gullahs prevail - talk about a Deep South accent!

Ohhhhhh I'm hungry as hell now!

As for accents, well mine is not what many think it would be when they know the city I live or work in vs my accent, its not the typical one, mine is a mix thats unusual. Someone here once said I was a posh scouse, and that would be a fair assessment.

[Novice]

Caliban,

Which part of the country do you live in?

[oma]

I'm trilingual and when I went to Holland over 10 years ago, I was told that I have an accent speaking Dutch.(my mother tongue) Therefore I speak all 3 with an accent.

A nasty manager (not mine) who used to bully many employees at a now defunct oil company repeated at one time my "R" as I have difficulties with the English "R". Since he was a Newfie and knowing that English was his only language, I told him that people who speak English with an accent are bilingual. That made him shut up forever allright!!

Yeah, I was for a short time in a cust serv call centre and many customers wanted to know what country I was from. Some guessed it right, especially European Canadians or the ones who had Dutch friends.

Yes, I hear the difference in between Canadian and American English, although sometimes it's subtle. It's hard to describe. I hear the difference mostly on TV and when the American accents are really obvious such as from Boston, Texas and some southern states. Southern people have more of a twang to it. There is also a vast difference between Canadian and Parisian French. Since Toronto is such a cosmopolitan city, there are many accents to enjoy.

I used to love the English series "On the Buses" and "Are you being served" although the first one was a bit hard to follow sometimes. I love the Sco'ish accent.

[DavidGP]

Originally Posted by oma

I used to love the English series "On the Buses" and "Are you being served" although the first one was a bit hard to follow sometimes. I love the Sco'ish accent.

You have good TV taste OMA those are classics, Scotish accent mmm for me not as sexy as the Irish one, or more for me the Italian, Russian or Greek ones, but thats me.

[oma]

Originally Posted by Halo

You have good TV taste OMA those are classics, Scotish accent mmm for me not as sexy as the Irish one, or more for me the Italian, Russian or Greek ones, but thats me.

Too bad that these classics "oldies" are not shown anymore. I LOVE English humor/comedies combined with their accents.

Perhaps I like the Sco'ish accent due to their rolling "R"'s? (something I can't imitate) The Irish accent is definitely more gentle though. Perhaps that's why I also liked Gilbert O'Sullivan, the Irish singer?

Yeah, I found out the Liverpool accent through the Beatles. Quite a few British actors and singers with their own accent, although I don't remember their names since they are from the past.

[Caliban]

Originally Posted by Novice

Caliban,

Which part of the country do you live in?

South Carolina, near Myrtle Beach.

[Francie Mc]

Hi Halo, correct on all points. I am really sirprised, as you have me zapped by naming the town as well . What knowledge do you have of Lurgan.I left there about 53 yrs ago. I still have some family and a lot of friends. Love to hear from you.

[BILLMCC66]

@ OMA

I have difficulties with the English "R"

I have found one of the biggest problems that the Dutch/Belgians have with english is the pronunciation of "th" in a word, My name is McCarthy and invariably they say McCarty which is the actual irish way of saying it.

As for accents here in Belgium if you travel 10 to 15 km in any direction the accent changes.

[oma]

Originally Posted by BILLMCC66

@ OMA I have found one of the biggest problems that the Dutch/Belgians have with english is the pronunciation of "th" in a word, My name is McCarthy and invariably they say McCarty which is the actual irish way of saying it.

Never realized that by "swallowing" the "H" is the Irish way. Taught and thought would then be spoken exactly the same? The "th" is more like a lisp to the Dutch. A teacher teaching English in High School in Holland told us to exaggerate all the words and then the pronunciation would be correct. I think it's just taking it easy by omitting the "h" in a word.

As for accents here in Belgium if you travel 10 to 15 km in any direction the accent changes.

As I remember about Noord Brabant, the accents didn't change that much, it were the dialects that differed even from village>village>city, even in a 20 km. radius. One could barely understand the dialect spoken 15 km away. It almost felt like being in another country. Don't know if it's still like that.

[BILLMCC66]

It is still the same.

We live in Brugge where my wife was born and if we travel to Oostend 12km it is a totally different accent and when we go to Antwerp my wife can not understand the dialect.

[rustyjack]

Originally Posted by oma

Never realized that by "swallowing" the "H" is the Irish way. Taught and thought would then be spoken exactly the same? The "th" is more like a lisp to the Dutch. A teacher teaching English in High School in Holland told us to exaggerate all the words and then the pronunciation would be correct. I think it's just taking it easy by omitting the "h" in a word.
As I remember about Noord Brabant, the accents didn't change that much, it were the dialects that differed even from village>village>city, even in a 20 km. radius. One could barely understand the dialect spoken 15 km away. It almost felt like being in another country. Don't know if it's still like that.

Now i tink your just taking the pith OMA !

[sikvik]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UgpfSp2t6k

[DavidGP]

Originally Posted by Francie Mc

Hi Halo, correct on all points. I am really sirprised, as you have me zapped by naming the town as well . What knowledge do you have of Lurgan.I left there about 53 yrs ago. I still have some family and a lot of friends. Love to hear from you.

Hi

Town was a rough guess as you mentioned Spadetown, and I know Lurgan's is the real name as IIRC and you can correct me its a nickname of the town, something to do with the turf fields... or something like that?

Dont know how I know that, but likely came up over a beer or 5 the The Crown Pub, Belfast.

No knowledge of Lurgan as not managed to get over that way as yet but I do visit Belfast a few times a year for work, mainly at the Queens Uni and the Royal Victoria Hospital.