BS: Regional UK Accents

Subject: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Senoufou
Date: 29 Jul 21 - 07:35 AM

I've just read a brief article in the Dreaded Daily Mail which says that researchers at Cambridge and Portsmouth universities predict that Northern accents (eg Scouse, Lancastrian, Yorkshire, Geordie) and also South West 'rrrr' will be taken over by South East pronunciations.
They predict that within 45 years, our accents will be homogenised into some form of 'Estuary English'.
This has really ruined my day. I have absolutely adored the plethora of regional accents in UK, and can imitate most of them easily. There is such a richness of local speech and it has always enchanted me.
Oh dair moi bewties! Oi dornt reck'n oi kin keep a-troshing ner more!
(Maybe Broad Norfolk will survive)

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Jos
Date: 29 Jul 21 - 08:28 AM

It strikes me as unlikely, if people learn their accents from the people around them. If they learn their accents from television and radio, English children are as likely to develop northern accents. The farming programme early this morning interviewed a farmer from the Bristol area, who had a Liverpool accent, though not strongly Scouse, and here in central southern England I am as likely to hear northern accents as southern ones.
And then there are the mixed Caribbean/Cockney accents that have developed more recently.

There was also a report recently that American toddlers, addicted to Peppa Pig, are developing RP English accents and saying 'biscuits' instead of 'cookies'.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Megan L
Date: 29 Jul 21 - 09:57 AM

ah you mean English regional accents many of our schools now incorporate Doric and Laland as well as the Shetland and Orcadian tongue into the curriculum

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Senoufou
Date: 29 Jul 21 - 12:41 PM

My sister, who lives between Perth and Dundee, tells me that she has noticed some changes in the Dundee accent over the last couple of years. I've lived in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and found quite a few 'variants' in those two cities, mostly class-related.
I do so love accents, and one of my favourites is the 'new' London Cockney/black one. (The one that has 'innit?' in it!) I adore Lee Nelson's 'Well-Good Show' (I watch it on Youtube) and he has that London one down to a T. I was amazed to learn that he is really Simon Brodkin and qualified/practised as a doctor in London!!
I studied Linguistics & Phonetics at Edinburgh University in the 1960s (among other things!) and was absolutely in my element.
I just want the wonderful diversity of accents to be preserved, not diluted down to one all-embracing way of speaking.
I reckon it's the meedja innit?

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Helen
Date: 29 Jul 21 - 02:47 PM

In the late '80's I saw a wonderful TV series The Story of English

Episode list

"An English Speaking World: Discusses how English has become the most dominant language throughout the world.
The Mother Tongue: Discusses the early stages of the English language, including Old English and Middle English.
A Muse of Fire: Discusses the influence of William Shakespeare and the King James Bible on the English language as well as how Early Modern English took root in the American colonies and its influence on contemporary American English.
The Guid Scots Tongue: Discusses the Scottish influence on the English language.
Black on White: Discusses the influence of Blacks on the English language. (Includes interviews with Philadelphia hip hop legends The Scanner Boys, Parry P and Grand Tone.)
Pioneers, O Pioneers!: Discusses Canadian English and the various forms of American English.
The Muvver Tongue: Discusses Cockney dialect and Australian English.
The Loaded Weapon: Discusses the Irish influence on the English Language.
Next Year's Words: Discusses the future and new emerging forms of the English language."


It's one of the best documentary series I have seen. Very informative and enjoyable and it shows the way the English language has travelled around the world and evolved at home and abroad.

I'm happy that most of the UK TV shows have moved away from received pronunciation and there are more regional accents but it does make it difficult for an Aussie to understand what they are saying sometimes. Thank goodness for captions!

I also try to identify the regional accents after contestants introduce themselves and state where they are from on shows like Pointless and Tipping Point.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 29 Jul 21 - 03:16 PM

There is a very comprehensive set of podcasts here https://historyofenglishpodcast.com

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Senoufou
Date: 29 Jul 21 - 03:29 PM

Oh Helen, that does sound very interesting!
I too am glad that RP is no longer required by TV presenters, and that regional accents are acceptable (as long as they are intelligible)
I have several books on my shelves about English, the language, its history and the different accents, including
Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson
Cockney Rabbit by Ray Puxley
Strine by Afferbeck Lauder (actually, that's just his Strine name!)
plus lots of books in Broad Norfolk (Keith Skipper et al)
How terribly boring if we all spoke in identical accents!
I'm afraid I'm one of those people that 'pick up' accents wherever I happen to be living. I spoke a little bit 'Cockney' in West London where I was born, then 'Posh Edinburgh' (Jean Brodie type of thing)
then Glasgow, where I taught and spoke broad Glasgae, and now Norfolk.
I've picked up a lovely Norfolk speech together with many dialect words.
Not to mention some Malinke. My husband's French accent is very West African (a bit sing-song like Welsh) and it's affected my French accent too! (I have a degree in French - my tutors would be horrified to hear me now!))

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Jul 21 - 04:13 PM

Regional accents and pronunciation and **speed** are all fascinating, but not when they are the only way someone on a news or documentary program can speak.
In Germany, they have something called "Die Umgangsprache", which is a 'standard' form used on national broadcasts. Even those whose natural accent is local can 'switch' to it.
   Here in the USA, there seems to be an increasing number of hosts who are either from Great Britain or who came from a country with British links. Often they speak so fast that my poor brain and less-than-great hearing simply can't process it. I have closed caption on most of the time, but automated CC often makes and incoherent mess of it.

   I remember a number or years ago, when "Ebonics" was in vogue, a black educator was arguing strongly that it should be not only permitted, but encouraged!
However, she did this in clear, concise, standard English! SHE could do the American version of Die Umgangsprache, but didn't seem to take into account that it might be a hindrance to those who spoke no other way.

   I truly admire those who can pick up other languages and accents easily and are fluent in more than one.. but accent and flow are at least as important as translation when trying to be understood by others.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Helen
Date: 29 Jul 21 - 04:28 PM

Senoufou, I used to have The Story of English series on video tape but that is now an antiquated, outdated technology and I haven't found it on DVD to buy. It is available to view online, I think, but the book is also available. I bought a copy of the book soon after I bought the videos.

The Story of English

BillD, when I am donating at the blood bank there are TV screens showing a commercial station which has automated Closed Captions. It's a real hoot sometimes just seeing the weird and wonderful misrepresentations of what it being said.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Helen
Date: 29 Jul 21 - 05:49 PM

A hint when reading the book Let Stalk Strine: say the words out loud if you are having trouble working them out, e.g. Afferbeck Lauder. Actually, it might be easier to get that one if it was spelled Alferbeck Lauder.

I remember I had trouble working out "egg nishner" when I first read the book - a very, very long time ago. The emphasis is on "egg" when saying it aloud. We turned on the egg nishner this morning because the weather was a bit chilly.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 29 Jul 21 - 05:53 PM

I was born in Radcliffe and went to school in Bolton, but at the age of 18, half a century ago, I moved away from Lancashire (as that area still was) and have never lived there since. My Lancashire accent is absolutely rock-solid, undiminished and uninfluenced, even after 34 years in Cornwall. Oddly, my brother, who moved to New Zealand 44 years ago, rapidly adopted a strong NZ twang, amusingly blended with his northern accent, even up to today.

You can take the man from the north, but...

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Allan Conn
Date: 29 Jul 21 - 06:31 PM

Had a laugh in the early days of my marriage. My wife is from Norwich in Norfolk but moved up here to Scotland when we got together. She doesn't really have a local Norfolk accent. Anyway we were watching Star Trek and she said "It really annoys me how all the aliens have American accents"

I said it was an American prog so it was natural they had American accents and asked what kind of accent she thought aliens should have?

She suggested they would speak like she does and not have an accent.

I must admit it had me in fits of giggles. As soon as she opens her mouth everyone knows she is English because of her accent. But she was adamant that she does not have any kind of accent.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Allan Conn
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 02:28 AM

More generally re accents I think even within Scotland regional accents, never mind the dialects themselves, are pretty much ignored in drama. Even in the "Shetland" drama series the only local accent seems to be the policeman Sandy and everyone else sounds as if they come from the central belt. And the actor who plays Sandy is himself a Shetlander. So no real attempts for actors to try a local accent. I've never heard anyone in any drama with a Borders accent.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 03:02 AM

Bill Bryson wrote a wonderful book called Mother Tongue that has a lot of in-depth and witty analysis of UK and US accents and dialects. Worth digging out for those interested in such things

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Senoufou
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 03:08 AM

My mother had a soft Irish accent, and she made me smile when she put on her 'posh' voice in shops. But she was a telephonist for the local Electricity Board and had to speak 'posh' (RP) at work.
My father was a Geordie and as a result, as a young child I picked up Irish, Geordie and Cockney!
I realise that with speech, the aim is to communicate thoughts clearly from one head to another. But most accents are perfectly intelligible. Billy Connolly's broad Glasgae is an essential part of his repertoire of jokes and tales. Just as Lee Nelson would not be so very funny if he spoke in his natural 'posh' accent. Innit?
At university, we were taught Phonetic Script and had to transpose many recorded speakers into Script, using the signs for glottal stops, devoiced vowels etc etc. I was in heaven! (Boast follows:- I obtained a Distinction!)
I also learned British Sign Language (just to level 1) which husband says if I used that all the time, it would give everyone around me a bit of peace, the cheeky thing.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: BobL
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 03:28 AM

I have sometimes thought that the audio on Sat Navs should automatically switch to an accent appropriate to the region. From a technical angle, it would not be difficult.
The only problem is that in certain places, a non-native would become permanently trapped.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Senoufou
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 04:13 AM

Hee hee BobL!! I'm imagining a Norfolk SatNav helpfully saying, "Yew kin turn roit hair moi bewty!" or "Yew orter mairk a kumpleet yew-turn when yew kin bor!" And some of the VERY Norfolk folk I know would be delighted if some of 'them thair furriners' got completely lost in the backwoods!

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 05:30 AM

Heaven help you kn Croydon ........... inni' !!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 06:53 AM

Eee, lad, stroll on... Ah towd thee ter turn reet but tha's bloody gone left! Tha's 'ave ter turn round an' try again, and next time try listenin' proper, yer daft bugger!

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Helen
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 07:00 AM

Senoufou, there is a really funny Australian show called Black Comedy. The main actors and writers are Aboriginal/indigenous. One of the segments shows a man driving and the SatNav voice is an exaggerated Aboriginal voice saying some really out-there instructions. **Strong language warning.**

ABC Black Comedy: Indigenous GPS

Also, one of my very favourite comedy shows in the '90's was Goodness Gracious Me. There were some really funny segments where the Indian heritage characters were mixing up Cockney (I think, from memory) dialects with Indian language and sayings. Classic!

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Rain Dog
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 07:23 AM

I live in Dover. The village of Aylesham is about 9 miles away. The following is taken from wikipedia.

By British standards, Aylesham is a relatively new village. It was established in 1926 to house miners working in the Kent coal mines. The heads of the first families to be housed there all worked at the nearby newly sunk Snowdown Colliery. It was planned to also accommodate future workers at two other proposed new pits at Adisham and Wingham, but neither colliery was ever built.

And

Miners from all parts of the UK (notably South Wales, Scotland and the Northeast) seeking better wages and safer conditions, travelled to the South East to work at Snowdown Colliery.[3] Due to this the people of Aylesham have developed a unique dialect, which was the subject of a 2016 article in the Transactions of the Yorkshire Dialect Society. Most residents use the short [a] in words such as bath, as is common in the northern half of the country, and a schwa in words such as strut, as in common in Wales. Some older residents also use glottal stops for the definite article, as in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

+++

As the village expands the local accent/dialect will become more diluted. Words like jitty might survive, others like snap might well not.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Raggytash
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 07:27 AM

When I was far younger I could tell which village/town an individual came from. For instance the difference in accent between say Salford and Swinton was quite dramatic.

However a friend of mine lived in Hull where he often visited the Library at Hull University. The Librarian there was Philip Larkin the renown poet. He apparently could tell which STREET you lived in by your accent!

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 07:37 AM

What in the name of all that’s holy is a ‘schwa’? Never heard of such a thing. Mind you, we all talk raight out ‘ere in t’backwoods!

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Jos
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 08:09 AM

The schwa is the sound the of the 'e' in 'the' when you say 'the schwa'.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 08:28 AM

Hmmmmm…

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 08:43 AM

Anyone else remember the Fred Wedlock song about somebody taking the wrong route wth a caravan in tow?

"Thee's got thic wur thee cassan backun assan'"

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 09:19 AM

We always thought we could tell Radcliffe from Bury from Bolton from Oldham from Rochdale from Ozzletwizzle (sorry) from Accrington...

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Senoufou
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 11:54 AM

My husband has been a little bit influenced by my interest in accents, and can identify/imitate quite a few. In Tesco the other day, we decided to try Yorkshire Tea for a change (our Typhoo packet had run out) He lifted the box from the shelf and bellowed out "Eeee ba goom!!" A bloke standing nearby folded up laughing.
He also tries a few phrases on our very Norfolk neighbour: "R yew oroit? Oim oroit!" but he can be naughty too. He absolutely loves the joke about 'Norfolk and Good'. Any opportunity and he'll come out with that one.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 02:26 PM

Mrs Steve has been forcing me to endure the horror that is Yorkshire Tea, on a purely experimental basis, for several weeks. Finally, we've both agreed that it is watery, insipid, weird-tasting stuff that fails to have the desired effect on my demeanour. It's back to the pyramids for us, and the remaining Yorkshire tea bags are bagged up, waiting for someone with, er, strange tastes to gleefully claim them...

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Senoufou
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 02:52 PM

Oh dear Steve, we entirely agree with your opinion. The supermarket didn't have any Typhoo, but we'll try tomorrow to get some at Morrisons. My neighbour-across-the-road might like to accept the Yorkshire Muck we bought. Eee ba gumm, it had a rather weird flavour.
For some odd reason, native Norfolk people's speech is riddled with malapropisms, which make me laugh. Sustificate for example. My neighbour calls my Spirea plant the Diarrhoeia plant. She told me only yesterday that a chap who lives up the road is an 'aromatic'. I couldn't figure this out, so she elaborated, "Yew nao, he goos in a namblance" so I gathered she meant paramedic. I was imagining a very sweet-smelling bloke.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Jos
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 04:02 PM

Maybe the Yorkshire tea is intended for brewing in Yorkshire water. If you are in a hard water area, tea designed for soft water will be useless.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Jos
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 04:02 PM

It's not just accents that vary, vocabulary can vary in 'interesting' ways.
In Fort William I was warned that if someone asked where I was staying, they didn't mean 'Are you staying in the Glen Nevis camp site or the hotel?' They meant 'Where do you live?'
When I went to the top of Ben Nevis (it was a few years ago, now) there was a group of fireman from Bolton at the top. I think they were being sponsored in aid of something. They were speculating about the purpose of the little hut, and eventually one of them went over to investigate. He reported that: 'It says "Refuge". It's for putting your rubbish in.'

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Senoufou
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 04:12 PM

In Glasgow, I learned that one 'claps' dogs. This does not mean give them a round of applause (like 'clapping the NHS') It means to stroke them. In Norfolk, one 'coaxes' dogs. (pronounced cooox) I'm not sure what one is trying to coax them to do. Perhaps not to poo on the pavements of our village.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 05:32 PM

My Lancashire accent is absolutely rock-solid, undiminished and uninfluenced, even after 34 years in Cornwall.

I moved from the Mersey to the Humber via Manchester almost 50 years ago. My Liverpool accent has somewhat had the edges knocked off and I would now define it as undefined northern, unless I get excited when it goes up a few semi-tones and the Scouser comes out.

My father-in-law was born in Poland but lived in France from the age of 12 to 29. He arrived in England after the Second World War where he lived for 40 another years but he still sounded like a Pole up to the day he died.

DC

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Raggytash
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 06:02 PM

Having been a missionary worker, sent from Lancashire to yorkshire nigh on 40 years ago, I have to say that Yorkshire tea is prepared especially for the water in Yorkshire, which tends to lack the excessive minerals found in the south.

Made with southern water it is abysmal, made with the water it was created for it is fine ................ and that's coming from a Lancastrian.

A case for softies being better!!

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 07:20 PM

Nah then, Raggytash, the water in Bude is just about the softest in the whole of this sceptred isle, yet Yorkshire tea brewed with it still tastes like poisonous shite...

Incidentally, when I want a mug of tea I still ask Mrs Steve to mash a tea bag for me...

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: JennieG
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 07:55 PM

Helen - I remember that excellent series. Just about every library I worked at after it came out had the book which I also read.

We have turned off the TV when accents become just too difficult to understand, accents from various parts of the British Isles. They might be speaking English, but that doesn't mean we understand what is being said.

When visiting Canada - Ontario in particular - we, two Aussies born and bred, have been mistaken for British. A complaint made about Ozzies is that we sometimes speak quickly so we slow down for the Canadians, with the result being the question "Are you English?" "Noooo........" we reply.

The late John Clarke presented an interesting program a few years ago on Aussie English, "The sounds of Aus", taking into account many of the regional dialects from the British Isles which have gone into making our current accent. There's a bit of everywhere in our accent.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Helen
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 01:09 AM

Jennie, I missed the John Clarke program. He was a classic. An honorary Aussie! I remember on one of his shows he was wearing a green and gold track suit with Straya printed on the back.

I'm fairly sure that I ordered the book of The Story of English for the library branch I worked in, and bought a copy for myself as well after seeing the show on SBS-TV (I think, or was it ABC?).

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 03:16 AM

I don't mind Yorkshire tea at all but I do now live in Yorkshire! Some years back though one of the discount stores, possibly Home Bargains, did a Lancashire Tea which was far better and half the price. Talking of Lancashire I believe the following passage, written phonetically, was used in training ticket staff at British Rail

"A mon an a dog tut bongs an bi bludy andy, surrey"

Or

Please may I have a single adult ticket and a ticket for my dog to Tyldsley and would you please hurry as the train is due.

"Surrey" (Sorry) in this context is derogatory. Probably short for sorry state. My grandad used it but I never really found out the etymology. My grandma, who was a bit posher, often used to tell him to speak English:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Senoufou
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 03:17 AM

Norfolk was invaded and settled by Anglo-Saxons, who apparently had the 'th' sound in their language. There are many place names here with Thorpe in them, a Saxon word meaning 'settlement'. I used to take pupils to Thetford Forest occasionally, and they made me smile by pronouncing it 'Thet-thord Thorest' rather lispily. They used to insert that 'th' sound into many words.
There is a town here called Themelthorpe! The residents must sound as if they've forgotten to put their false teeth in.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Jos
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 03:24 AM

My elderly Bristol relatives didn't wash their hands, they 'swilled' them.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Senoufou
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 03:25 AM

Jennie, I visited my Irish aunt and uncle in Ontario in the sixties and was amused when the 'natives' kept asking me to 'say something!'. I still had my rather Cockney accent, which they couldn't get enough of.
I agree that 'Southern' tap water is pretty dire - very hard. Glasgow water was soft and delicious.
Neighbour didn't really want the Yorkshire teabags - "Oi dornt reck'n oi loik that there Yooorkshire tay. Thass gart a waird tairst hint it?"

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 03:49 AM

“Surrey" (Sorry) in this context is derogatory. Probably short for sorry state. My grandad used it but I never really found out the etymology.”

Dave, I worked for a number of years over the border in Nottinghamshire, and ‘Surrey’ was a frequently-used expression by the locals. Several of them told me, and I had no reason to doubt them, that it’s a corruption of ‘sirree’, used to intensify a word or phrase, e.g. “Oh yes sirree!”.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Jos
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 04:42 AM

"'Southern' tap water is pretty dire - very hard"

Not all of it is hard. I asked the D.J. Miles tea company (in Porlock and Minehead) whether they meant hard or soft water when they said their tea was blended to suit West Country water, and it turned out they meant water in their bit of the West Country, which is soft. But not far away in north-east Somerset the water is extremely hard. There was a rumour that this meant more than the usual number of people living to a hundred in Weston-super-Mare.
When I first lived where I am now we had lovely water sourced from underground aquifers. Some time probably in the 1980s the water suddenly changed and was no longer a pleasure to drink. So many houses had been built that the aquifers could no longer cope, and we started getting chemically treated water from the rivers. It was a nasty shock.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 05:00 AM

Could well be, BWM. Mrs G seemed to think that the derogatory term was the right root and, in the context of the posted phrase, it seems right but there is no reason to doubt the root you give either. Funny old thing, language!

One thing just sprang to mind about the Bill Bryson book I mentioned earlier. There are bands across the UK that use "one and twenty" as opposed to the more common "twenty one". Anyone here use that?

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Jos
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 05:16 AM

I grew up quite used to people saying 'five and twenty past' or five and twenty to' when telling the time. It is so normal for me that I have no idea when I last heard it. It could have been yesterday - I wouldn't even notice.
And there is 'Sing a song of sixpence', of course: 'Four-and-twenty blackbirds ...'.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 05:21 AM

My parents used to say ‘five and twenty’, meaning twenty-five (Lincolnshire). I think I used to use the expression in my youth but, as it fell out of favour generally, I guess I just ‘dropped’ it.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Raggytash
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 05:32 AM

One of my Grandmothers would always say it's five and twenty past the hour. It amused me as a child.

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 07:07 AM

"Twenty-four blackbirds" don't scan, Jos!

Subject: RE: BS: Regional UK Accents
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 07:47 AM

I couldn't even scan one blackbird. It kept flying off.