Accents. Have you got one?

[mangocrazy]

The first ten years of my life were spent in Sarf Lahndan (Bexleyheath), and then we moved up to Stafford, which has a Midlands 'non-accent' - nowhere near as strong as Wolves or Stoke or Brummie. I lived in Stafford for 40 years then moved up to Sheffield for work. I can now do a passably reasonable copy of a South Yorkie accent (the Dee-Dah), but my speaking accent hasn't picked up any Yorkie inflections.

So pretty neutral I'd say. A base line of Mockney, softened by many years in the Midlands/Yorkshire. Still elongated 'a' s, though.

[gremlin]

[
My wife is from Streatham,

Pronounced, 'Stre'um', as quickly as is humanly possible.

[Count Steer]

Muz's Geordie has definitely softened over the years he's been down (in South Staffordshire), with me, but I think the reverse is true too. And I use loads of Geordie words in a Midlands accent, which even I realise is odd

Non-Geordie to Geordie:

"May I accompany you?"

G to n-G

"WayIhawaywiwu"

N-G to G

"I'm sorry my good fellow, Google translate say 'Wtf?'

[DefTrap]

I'm from Cambridgeshire. So I sound proper posh if you're a bit Northern or common, but I have some massive giveaways to my lowly fenland upbringing in some of my pronunciation.

My missus is a reluctant West Midlandser with the brummie educated out of her. You can really annoy her with a bad Noddie Holder impression.

[Mr. Dazzle]

"I'm sorry my good fellow, Google translate say 'Wtf?'

Anyone remember Irn Bru Freak? He of two planks and black iridium fame?

I met him at Uni, t'was I who introduced him to The Auld Place. Honestly - I only got about 70% of what he said, less if we'd been drinking Strongest Glasgow accent I'd ever encountered, not that I've heard alot.

[Taipan]

That should cover it...

[mangocrazy]

My fave West Midlands accent is Dudley (including Tipton, if you're being generous).

The locals pronounce it as 'Doodloy'

[Yorick]

[
My wife is from Streatham,

Pronounced, 'Stre'um', as quickly as is humanly possible.

Our home town is properly pronounced as Bratford

[Noggin]

I don’t really have an accent. I grew up in the middle of Somerset and then worked and lived in Bristol for a few years, so I should sound like that. But I don’t. I can!! But my mother was very insistent that we spoke properly dear!! Not proper, properly!!

If I’m tired or drunk, apparently the west country can be heard. And if I’m with people from that area I can most definitely sound west country! There’s an après band that plays out here for a few weeks each season and the pianist is Brizzle. As soon as I walk into the bar (whilst they’re setting up) all that can be heard is “oroight me babber” and then almost unintelligible (to everyone else!) Brizzleness!!

I do tend to copy accents too much and fall into sounding like the person I’m talking to, but can also do cut glass english very well if I want to really scare peeps!


I’m half hoping that I’m speaking French with a Savoie accent - partly because I think they sound sort of equivalent to west country .

South of France accent I have almost no chance of understanding, but that goes for the French too!! Marseilles is as unintelligible to me as Glaswegian

"I'm sorry my good fellow, Google translate say 'Wtf?'

Anyone remember Irn Bru Freak? He of two planks and black iridium fame?

I met him at Uni, t'was I who introduced him to The Auld Place. Honestly - I only got about 70% of what he said, less if we'd been drinking Strongest Glasgow accent I'd ever encountered, not that I've heard alot.

Years ago I realised I had a chalet full of Indians to cater for for the week (names and the fact that they were vegan - before vegan was a statement!!). I was gutted as I can rarely understand english with an Indian accent.

It was worse. They were a family of first and second generation Glaswegians . Absolutely no hope for the whole week. Well. By the end theyd learnt to speak slower and I’d sort of learnt to understand a bit more

[Taipan]

"I'm sorry my good fellow, Google translate say 'Wtf?'

Anyone remember Irn Bru Freak? He of two planks and black iridium fame?

I met him at Uni, t'was I who introduced him to The Auld Place. Honestly - I only got about 70% of what he said, less if we'd been drinking Strongest Glasgow accent I'd ever encountered, not that I've heard alot.

We had a safety officer that did fire training etc who was a weegie. No one could understand him and he acknowledged it by providing handouts. WTF thought it was a good idea to give a job of personnel training to someone with an unintelligible accent is beyond me!

[Sunny]

My fave West Midlands accent is Dudley (including Tipton, if you're being generous).

The locals pronounce it as 'Doodloy'

<Waves>
Sedgley, Dudley

[Mr. Dazzle]

We had a safety officer that did fire training etc who was a weegie. No one could understand him and he acknowledged it by providing handouts. WTF thought it was a good idea to give a job of personnel training to someone with an unintelligible accent is beyond me!

I watched a YouTube video a while ago about the last shop in Edinburgh which still makes/sells hand made bagpipes*. They subtitled the guy most of the way through ISTR

*part of the Business Insider "Still Standing" series BTW, which I'd recommend.

[Rockburner]

We had a safety officer that did fire training etc who was a weegie. No one could understand him and he acknowledged it by providing handouts. WTF thought it was a good idea to give a job of personnel training to someone with an unintelligible accent is beyond me!

I watched a YouTube video a while ago about the last shop in Edinburgh which still makes/sells hand made bagpipes*. They subtitled the guy most of the way through ISTR

*part of the Business Insider "Still Standing" series BTW, which I'd recommend.

IIRC the BBC used to sub-title Joey Dunlop on the rare occasion they showed an article about the TT.

[Taipan]

Wasn't Trainspotting subtitled for the American audiences, or was that a myth?

[Slenver]

Nope,not at all.

No one in N.Ireland has an accent of any kind.

Fact.

Sorry, come again?

I always assume you sound like that bloke off the telly that's been in some things.

[Yorick]

Try to keep a straight face while watching this

[Horse]

Oh yeah,the Geordie accent has it going on. When I heard Cheryl Cole was a Geordie,then I knew she was perfect.

Book for yooze:

[Mr. Dazzle]

Wasn't Trainspotting subtitled for the American audiences, or was that a myth?

[Mr Moofo]

Born in Scotland, raised from 6 years old in Solihull - and then lived everywhere since.
As far as I can tell I have no accent - it's probably as close to RP as you get though I do notice some southern inflection is beginning to develop

Growing up next to Birmingham a) I don't hate the accent as much as many do b) I used to be able to tell where people came from in the West Midlands conurbation with about 20 miles because of their accents. Not sure I could do it now

I say neither Tuff , nor bloimey - but do throw in "bostin" every now and again just to confuse people.

And glass is glarss, path is parth, and a scone is a skon not a bleeding scown

[KungFooBob]

Fastest cake in the world...scone.