BS: Favourite Accent

28 Jul 14 - 12:58 PM (#3645998)
Subject: BS: Favourite Accent??
From: GUEST,Claire M

Hiya! Aussie -- phwoar! – or Northern.

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28 Jul 14 - 01:22 PM (#3646013)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Mr Red

Flossie Malavialle
French (South) with a distinct Geordie overlay - think Vin Garbutt - funny just to think about it - and her humour that matches.
But then listen to her concerts and you will see - she is a perfect mimic.

But if you are talking local accents - Bristolian. or as they say "from the aerial of Brisel".

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28 Jul 14 - 01:42 PM (#3646019)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Tattie Bogle

Having moved away from there long ago and rarely hearing it now, Suffolk! I remember that my Scots mither was mortified when my sister and I rapidly adopted it after moving there as kids, as she thought it was hard and vulgar - sorry.
Most Irish republic accents do it for me, tho having acquired various members of the family, through various marriages (not mine) from Norn Irn, I have to say I like that too!
As Scots accents go, anywhere in the Western Isles.
Oh, and my husband's a Devonian, tho sometimes I think he's more Jurassic.

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28 Jul 14 - 01:55 PM (#3646022)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Ed T

When speaking English:

1-Cajun, Louisana, USA
2-Newfoundland, Canada
3-Georgia, USA

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28 Jul 14 - 01:58 PM (#3646025)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Ed T

When speaking English:

1-Cajun, Louisana, USA
2-Newfoundland, Canada
3-Georgia, USA

It would be interesting to hear them all in a conversation together:)

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28 Jul 14 - 01:58 PM (#3646026)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Ed T

Oops, double, double.

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28 Jul 14 - 02:15 PM (#3646034)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: GUEST,DTM

Irish: (esp when spoken by the female gender)
Inverness: (nicest accent in UK)
Geordie: (Alas, the Big Bro over dub guy spoiled it a bit for me).

Accents I don't like ... emmmmmmmmmmmmmm

(Aye right, do you think I'm about to start WW3?) ;-)

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28 Jul 14 - 02:52 PM (#3646047)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Ed T

Accents I don't quite understand....best kept to myself-(but, a hint, these folks spit and gurgle alot when they talk.:)

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28 Jul 14 - 03:31 PM (#3646064)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Bill D

Ummm.. there's accents that are astoundingly fascinating in their quaintness..... and then there's those that are half-way comprehensible to 'others'.

My favorites of the English sort are the two guys who comment on the Tour de France, Phil Sheridan and ???.. because I can understand everything they say. In the same way, my favorite Southern US is whatever Jimmy Carter uses... for the same reason.

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28 Jul 14 - 03:32 PM (#3646065)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: GUEST,Tunesmith

I'm English; now, is there any difference between black and white accents in the States?
Why I ask, is that say for example, Hank Williams sounds white to me, where as Muddy Waters sound black.
Or, is that to do with the material and singing style?
Like in the UK, I would guess that you couldn't tell the difference between particular black and white if the speakers came from the same area...and class?

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28 Jul 14 - 03:43 PM (#3646067)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Ed T

The oddest obe I ever heard was a French girl in Quebec, Canada, who said she learned her English in England, from a gay guy. She would regukarily use many non-Canadian English terms like "bloody well", using a French Canadian accent-it was a chore to keep from laughing out loud. It kinda reminded me of some of the accents on the BBC TV comedy "Allo, Allo".

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28 Jul 14 - 05:59 PM (#3646099)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: MGM·Lion

RP

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28 Jul 14 - 06:22 PM (#3646105)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Bill D

There are a wide variety of both black & white 'accents' and speech patterns in the US. Some B&W speech patterns are similar as examples of 'Southern' sounds.... others are cultural and related to specific heritage or restricted environs, much as I assume you'd hear difference between areas in the UK.

I was raised in the Midwest of the US...Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas.... and some Texas & Louisiana 'southern' mixed in. I have some 'tone' in my voice which is not really distinct, but confuses those who hear a difference, but can't identify it. I can even modulate & control it if I concentrate.

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28 Jul 14 - 11:30 PM (#3646175)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Mrrzy

Irish, in English. I probably like the Scottish burr but can't understand it.

Mom, when asked where her accent came from, said it came from trying o speak English.

Also a mom story: once I had to repeat what an Australian said so Mom could undertand him and repeat what Mom said so that the Aussie could understand Mom. The two were trying to flirt and absolutely could not understand each other's English. It was a riot. Lunch in France.

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29 Jul 14 - 12:08 AM (#3646181)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Bert

My favourite is from Herefordshire. It is soft like the Welsh accent but is not too extreme.

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29 Jul 14 - 02:47 AM (#3646196)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Ebbie

Mrr, your account reminds me of when I once heard a Frenchman with sparse English who had just met a Japanese young woman with just about the same amount try to converse in English. 'Trrree?' "Trrrey?' "yeaaaa?' "mont?" 'howwww?' 'trrrrree?" "mont" Oh- trrrreee mont!"

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29 Jul 14 - 06:06 AM (#3646238)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: GUEST,Tunesmith

I studied socio-linguistics at university, and I remember a particular survey that showed that our reactions to accents is somewhat complex.
I group of Brits were asked to listen to various English accents and list them: most pleasing first, most unattractive last.
The top spots were dominated by "rural" accents, and the big cities London, Birmingham, Liverpool etc came at the bottom. Indeed, the only city that did well was Newcastle (i.e. Geordie ).
Now, here's the interesting bit!
When they played the same accents to Americans the results were all over the place. Liverpool, for example, was placed near the top.
The outcome suggested that our choice of "pleasing" accents can be related to how we view the source of the accent ( ie rural vs cities ).

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29 Jul 14 - 06:53 AM (#3646247)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Stu

Brummie - I grew up there so love it.

South Wales - My maternal family are from Aberdare and the accent is a real joy to hear.

Irish - especially the west.

Sing-songy accents like west country, Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Also London - on my paternal side the families roots are in the east end and easter side of the city since the year dot, and despite being in west London for a generation or two they've not lost their cockney brogue or love of life, and are wonderful family to have.

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29 Jul 14 - 07:11 AM (#3646250)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: jacqui.c

I love the Down East Maine accent, for fairly obvious reasons.

I've got a Norf London accent - not particularly pleasing in the UK but, as an import to the colonies......

Quite often, in the shops in Maine, I get told how much they like my accent - occasionally am told "I could listen to you all day". My reply is "Tell that to my husband".

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29 Jul 14 - 07:46 AM (#3646258)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Ed T

Jamaica 

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29 Jul 14 - 09:25 AM (#3646280)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Rapparee

Something understandable, not like nothin' all y'awl tawk.

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29 Jul 14 - 09:29 AM (#3646281)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: GUEST,Dani

Irish, in English, on a man. Gets me every time, beyond reason.

I do love a good Boston MA accent, and for nostalgia, I love the Philly/S. Jersey one. Was recently up there where they drink wooder and cwawfee. And I was 'down the shore' there, not 'at the beach'.

Dani

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29 Jul 14 - 10:47 AM (#3646309)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Tattie Bogle

Going back to Suffolk, the weirdest one I ever heard was my schoolfriend's Dad, who had come down to Suffolk as a young man from rural Ayrshire, so his was a hybrid of lowland Scots and Suffolk.

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29 Jul 14 - 11:12 AM (#3646315)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: bubblyrat

Richard Burton ; wonderful !!

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29 Jul 14 - 11:24 AM (#3646320)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Padre

The Tidewater (a subset of the Lowland Southern accent) - different from the Inland Southern.

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29 Jul 14 - 11:54 AM (#3646324)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: GUEST,MikeL2

Hi

As an Englishman I like most of the Scottish & Irish accents, especially when "we are in our cups" hic lol

But I have to agree with Guest DTM that the Inverness accent is a great one to listen to and it would have to be my favourite too. ( I lived in Inverness for two years, and at one time I " acquired" the accent; much to the astonishment of my parents and friends.

Cheers

MikeL2

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29 Jul 14 - 11:58 AM (#3646325)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Ebbie

Bob Hope (Who was born in England) is supposed to have said: If you suddenly wake up an Englishman, he'll talk just like anyone else.

That said, I like accents but I can't think of any favo(u)rites. For one, I can't identify the various regions of the UK from which individual accents come. I can, on occasion, identify European accents when they are speaking English.

Someday I hope to see (and hear) a group of Americans who hail from all parts of the USA. Just for starters: an Alabaman, a Georgian, a North Carolinian, a Louisianan, a Texan... even though they are close geographically their accents, phrasings and idioms are distinctly different.

Add to the mix, someone from Maine, one from Jersey, another from Buffalo, NY, a Kansan, a Missourian... and we haven't even crossed the Rockies yet.

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29 Jul 14 - 01:04 PM (#3646355)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Herga Kitty

From diagonally opposite ends of England, Newcastle (on Tyne) and Dartmoor - I think because they're both quite musical...?

Kitty

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29 Jul 14 - 01:33 PM (#3646368)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Mrrzy

Oh, yeah, Boston accent is all warm and fuzzy from loving my college years there...

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29 Jul 14 - 01:54 PM (#3646374)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Ed T

Some accentx rdmind me of Autralian comedy singer Kevin Bloody Wilsons assessment if why some people talk the way they do.

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29 Jul 14 - 02:34 PM (#3646383)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Ed T

Wow, my typos are getting more frequent, versus fewer, typing with my tablet:
(Reminds, accents, and of- in the last post)

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29 Jul 14 - 06:48 PM (#3646435)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: JennieG

When Himself and I have visited Canada we make a point of speaking a little slower than usual - Ozzies can talk fast, and anyone who is not familiar with the accent (what accent? we don't have an accent - the rest of the world does) has a little trouble adjusting to it.

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30 Jul 14 - 12:02 AM (#3646476)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Ebbie

I do the same thing, JennieG, when I visit Virginia and North Carolina. Doesn't take long to get back to speed though when I return home.

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30 Jul 14 - 12:29 AM (#3646478)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: JennieG

Ebbie, my late aunt used to talk very quickly and whenever I was with her I noticed that I was speeding up too! I had to make a conscious effort to slow down.

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30 Jul 14 - 01:20 AM (#3646483)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: MGM·Lion

JennieG's post three above reminds me of my first visit to US in 1971. It was one of those programs where one travelled from town to town, staying a week or two as guests of different families whom one had not previously met. Our hosts in Damascus, Md [a bit north of Bethesda] were a delightful couple. But at least twice a day I would make some casual remark in my normal RP English accent, for my hostess to exclaim "Doesn't he talk funny!".

≈M≈

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30 Jul 14 - 01:35 AM (#3646485)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Padre

From John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath"

'I knowed you wasn't Oklahomy folks. You talk queer kinda- that ain't no blame, you understand.'

'Ever'body says words different,' said Ivy. 'Arkansas folks says 'em different, and Oklahomy folks say 'em different. And we seen a lady from Massachusetts, an' she said'em differentest of all. Couldn' hardly make out what she was sayin'.'

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30 Jul 14 - 05:52 AM (#3646528)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: banjoman

Scouse

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30 Jul 14 - 06:01 AM (#3646531)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Roger the Skiffler

As I'm from Birmingham (UK) I probably have one of the least loved accents, tho' mine is softened by 50+ years living elsewhere. I have a soft spot for both North and South Wales accents, having lived in both areas for a while but I also find Geordie attractive.
RtS

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30 Jul 14 - 03:32 PM (#3646725)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: mayomick

cockney

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30 Jul 14 - 04:57 PM (#3646748)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: GUEST, topsie

Swiss French

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30 Jul 14 - 05:16 PM (#3646752)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: GUEST

The best ones are dying out. I like the Buckinghamshire accent but I don't hear it from anybody without a bus pass.

Also the one which probably didn't last for more than a generation which is the Essex / Cockney hybrid spoken by a handful of people who grew up before the war in places like Collier Row, then a hamlet, now swamped by suburban housing on the edge of London.

I think that busing kids to large comprehensives is helping to homoginize accents.

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30 Jul 14 - 08:52 PM (#3646789)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: GUEST,Dani

Ebbie, that sounds like the Getaway : )

Dani

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31 Jul 14 - 12:23 AM (#3646818)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: LadyJean

Scots.

Lancashire, not like other English accents, and Lancastrians are always pleased when I recognize it.

Kentucky. I had family there.

Least favorie, mid Atlantic, 1/2 British 1/2 American gets on my nerves.

I live in Pittsburgh, but talk like a Bostonian, my mother, like a lot of Pittsburgh girls of her generation was sent to college in Boston, in part to pick up the accent, which sounds better than the Pittsburgh nasal twang. Like a lot of Pittsburgh girls of my geneation, I picked up the accent from her.

Pittsburgh is interesting. A lot of Scots settled here, including Andrew Carnegie, though he was a Johnny come lately. But you will hear people named Kowalski and Coscarelli saying "Redd up" or "Slippy" instead of slippery.

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31 Jul 14 - 12:30 AM (#3646820)
Subject: RE: BS: Favorite Accent
From: Donuel

Jamaican- freindly
Chinese, where everyone uses the same distinct pitch for certain syllables. The Chinese have a language induced perfect pitch ability westerners do not have by a huge margin.

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31 Jul 14 - 02:39 AM (#3646850)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: bbc

One of my favorites is Minnesotan, similar to some Canadians.

bbc

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31 Jul 14 - 05:45 AM (#3646906)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: GUEST,Shimrod

My favourite is a Norfolk accent - reminds me of my Norfolk granny.

The interesting thing is, why do different regions have different accents and why are such accents so constant in those regions? It would also appear that most people can't acquire another accent after a certain age. For example, I've lived in Manchester for nearly two-thirds of my life but still retain my native Peterborough accent ("are y'all right, mate? Did'ja come on y'bike?" - 'right' and 'bike' with a trace of an East Anglian 'oi' sound).

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31 Jul 14 - 07:12 PM (#3647154)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Rog Peek

Norfolk accent always reminds me of Allen Smethurst, The Singing Postman of "Hev Yew Gotta Loight, Boy?" fame.

Had a mate at University with the same accent, thought it was great.

Rog

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31 Jul 14 - 08:04 PM (#3647171)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: kendall

I've been told that my Maine accent is almost musical, no sharp edges.

I do enjoy listening to a cultured person speaking English. (Not American English)

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31 Jul 14 - 08:48 PM (#3647179)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Ed T

What part of Maine is it from, Kendall?

Like in many areas, a few hundred miles reveals a completely different accent.


I have found some parts of Nova Scotia, Canada, around Cape Sable Island, similar sounding to some coastal areas of Maine.

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31 Jul 14 - 09:00 PM (#3647182)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Don Firth

Back in the Sixties, I met a young French exchange student who was attending the University of Washington. She wanted to take guitar lessons from me, but she was short of money. My three years of high school French was all but moribund, so we swapped lessons. I'd give her a guitar lesson, then she'd have me read a simple book in French, correct my pronunciation, and work me on grammar and vocabulary. As I recall, she started me on Le Petit Prince and we went on from there.

In addition to her being a very pretty girl (I would say, "beautiful"), her accent in both French and English was pure music. She did well on the guitar, but, alas, at the end of the year, she returned to France….

And her name was—what else? Michelle.

(*Sigh*).

Don Firth

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31 Jul 14 - 09:21 PM (#3647185)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: Nigel Parsons

Favourite accent?

Circumflex

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01 Aug 14 - 04:19 AM (#3647248)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: GUEST, topsie

Nigel, the circumflex is too angular for me. I prefer the little circle you get above an A in Swedish

   Å   å

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01 Aug 14 - 10:57 AM (#3647340)
Subject: RE: BS: Favourite Accent
From: GUEST,Tunesmith

I've come across a few black Southern Africans recently and I love their accent.
Their accents are very rich, and precise. And not at all like the Afrikaan accent which I don't think is particularly attractive.

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