General Chat

I'm another one who just has to go on a fortnights holiday somewhere, and I pick up the accent! LOL I lived in Glasgow for the first 19 years of my life and for the past 25 yrs in Edinburgh. In Glasgow, they notice my Edinburgh accent yet here they still notice I'm a 'Weedgie' I don't think I've a particularly strong accent from either place, just sounds Scottish to me! I remember my old Granny who'd left Skye at 14 still had a strong Highland accent even though she lived in Glasgow for the next 70 years! Christine

Jenny, Save it for me till I come and visit! LOL CB >|< XX

hi jenny just turned on i think northerners have a very distinct accent dosnt matter were we go people say are you geordies i say no wer from co. durham and known as pit yackers a lot of the drey lads come from further north and i cant under stand a word ther talking about ann xx

Having had to change my way of speaking for survival, I would call the ability to sound like the 'natives' a gift!!! I lived in Malta during my 'formative' language years and, probably through too much of 'Listen with Mother', I had a horrendous 1950's Radio 4 posh accent. Then we moved to the north of Scotland. I was only 5, but realised a reality check for survival was needed and soon spoke with a fantastic scottish (Morayshire) accent. Then we moved to Cornwall.............................. Amazingly this came easily to me as well. Real problems arose when we moved from Cornwall to Devon. The dialect/accent was very similar, soon mastered, however. Back to Cornwall - I was by now an expert!! Hampshire was a doddle. Then I went to the Shetland Isles. This was truly a difficult task. According to the locals, I came from Liverpool!!! (there were a lot of Liverpudlians up there at the time). Back down to Hampshire, via Irvine and Dumfries & Galloway(easy by now). I've been in Hampshire for 21 years now, 2 years in a 'posh' village, 4 years on the New Forest, 15 in Winchester - and yes they do have different accents!!! I'm not 'posh' Winchester, but have developed a soft 'Ampshire' burr with a bit of RP, which suits me!! They can think I'm a 'bumpkin' pushover, until they rile me - I can come over posher than Brian Sewell when push comes to shove !!! maggie

Hi Jenny Had much the same problems! I haven't lived in Brum since 1984 but still get the Brummie (thicko) jokes! I remember once someone bein really shocked that I had A levels!! Back in Brum they all think I'm posh - maybe I should go back heh! Hope you are still goin to derbyshire meet? Cheers Kaz

I was interested to see Len say the cast of Eastenders sound more Sarf London that East End. Being from Sarf London myself, I can tell a difference, whereas most people from elsewhere would say we were all 'Cockneys'. I grew up in a family where my Dad was from Sunderland (Mackem), my Mum was from South Wales (Look you!) and the only surviving Grandparent I knew was Glaswegian. Because we lived in South London, most people living there spoke with a London accent, so did I up to the end of primary school. When I got to the grammar school, we were given elocution lessons and made to 'talk proper', so now I veer between the two, depending on who I'm speaking to. I find it quite easy to mimic most British accents, except for Geordie and Northern Irish, which I can't do for toffee. CB >|<

OMG, you have all made me laugh, I think I may have a bit of a hang up here. Terri, I was born in the slums of Walsall Wood, ( not to be confused with Walsall) Lived in Brownhills for a long time. But I would imagine, you are the same as me. Defo not a Brummie or from the Black Country. I lived in Stourbridge for a while, I have to admit, everyone thought my children were ' very posh'. The Black Counrty is great, Hubby is a Geordie and just loves the dialect, pubs and hospitality. Plus Bank's Bitter. Lol. Jenny x

Hi Jenny, I was born in England but was brought up in southern Scotland and have a Scots accent which I still have after 13 years in Oz. I am not new to GR - I joined in January but I am very selective in which threads I participate. If I don't have anything constructive to say I don't say anything. Ian

Nice to meet you Ian, thanks for adding to my thread. Hope to see you posting on GR often. New blood is always needed. Cheers, Jenny.

This is funny for me Jenny as we are all mixed up in my family. OK My Mum and all her people her Mum and dad are West Brom, Dudley and Smethwick and further back their great grandparents Birmingham. I'm london, my Dad Dublin Ireland. lol. I have a funny accent as its london mixed with some Irish words over here they say I'm English I was in my home patch (chapel Market Norf London) a bloke says to me you down from the norf (of England) I was disgusted, never happend to me before I moaned at hubby as I have to listen to Irish accents endlessly obviously corrupting my vocal expression and I don't like it. but that is only because it was brought to my attention, I would not have known only for that one incident in Norf London, different people hear different things. I have been mistaken for Scandinavian Dutch and where do you come from ? lol. At the end of the day does it really matter? Pat x

YES! When I am over in the UK, people mistake my accent for an American accent. There is no comparison. There are many dialects in the USA, yet Canada has only a couple of 'distinct' accents. 1) Canadian 2) French Canadian 3) Extreme East Coast (Newfoundland, Nova Scotia. etc) The Newfie accent is Irish sounding, very distinct. I revert to my Liverpudlian accent only in the company of other Scousers. Sorry, I should have mentioned that I am bilingual, Canadian and Scouse :)) I love the look on the face of a Brit who is living here, when I tell them that I am from Liverpool (in my Canadian accent). I'm sure that my reputation falls right then and there!!!! Oh, the stigmatism. but that is another subject, another thread. Deb

I have quite a distinctive Manchester accent but sometimes when down south people ask if Im from Liverpool! Dont understand why. Davex

Now I get particularly annoyed when people confuse my COVENTRY accent with a BRUMMIE on (CB)!!!! ;o) Jenny will tell you it is very different. Even Nuneaton and Bedworth, Coventry, Birmingham, Wolverhampton ect all being very close geographically have very different accents. If you come to Cov, then go to Brum, you will hear a difference......having said that, I expect Sunderland is very different from Newcastle, and Leeds very different from York but I can't tell! Claire xx

What a great thread Mommy It has happened to me on many occasions I have a reasonably Broad Yorkshire Accent and I worked in a hospital in the operating Theatre. I was presumed by some of the hoitey toitey doctors that I was dumb and lower class. Until one day I answered a question that no one knew except me. One of the doctors said how do you know that. I said it doesn't need brains it needs commonsense. Shut them all up from that day on and then they respectd me. Not that I needed their respect I just put it down to their ignorance. I also got ridiculed about the way I said things (Broad Yorkshire sometimes still comes out) living in Australia and being a Pom. But I just take it with a pinch of salt now. Doesn't worry me any more Regards Jackie

What really irritates me is stereotypes on TV, when a) most actors can't seem to manage a West Country accent b) West Country people are shown as red necked, cider drinking yokels! Just awf to get summat teat, ooo aaaaarh!

Hi Claire, That's odd. I don't think you have an accent at all, you speak perfect English, just like me. lol Gwynne (also near Cov)

Ahh now you see Gwynne, I KNEW I liked you! ;o) I didn't think I had an accent either, but I get mistaken for a Brummie( or at least correctly taken for a Midlander) when I visit friends a bit further down south so I guess we all have an accent that we don't realise, it is just that we hear ourselves all the time I guess. Claire xx

Jenny Good job you weren't in New York with me!!! 1, For obvious reason's and 2,The American's thought we were from Ireland or Scotalnd so god know's where they would have thought you were from---lol Only joking!!!

Agree with Sheila that West Country folk get it in the neck about being country bumpkins. We even have a saying 'Wiltshire born, Wiltshire bred, strong in the arm and thick in the head'! Anna

Lol Anna, we say that in Gloucester as well (where I come from originally) !!