The English language

Another question for the Brits: I've noticed when I've visited that many people have a home accent for their family and mates, and a more BBC accent for everybody else, but less so with the older generation. It's clear that the media is gradually homogenizing accents. Are the regional accents and dialects strong enough to persist, or are they fading?

Some Ozhobbits believe we were given the accent that Eru gave us, and I'm more than ready to believe that. I'll look it up though... just to be properly sure (learnéd)... --- yep, it's here under "Eru's Chosen Ones" in the The Ozhobbitstani Bible, Third Edition.". Thought so.

yes Dave its true and I feel it happening, when I go home to visit my folks my accent goes into a broad Lancastrian immediately, but when I am here at home in a different country its more Southern, I pronounce words differently, as I used to live around Oxford and London for many years. My Northern accent was a bit of a hindrance down South, so maybe subconsciously I toned it down, they assume if you have a Northen accent you live in Coronation Street and your family has an ASBO. Being with Cockneys 24/7 meant that I picked up bits and pieces bit like a sponge. I guess my default setting is now a toned down Northern., like my hero Eccleston.

I slow down my speech when talking to non Scots as its quite a fast manner of speaking and we string words together all the time.
'what are you doing? for example would sound something like 'whiaeiyidaein?'.
My home town accent is even more unique for Scotland as after nearly 40 years of housing a massive US base a lot of Americanism have crept into it- there are several generations in this town who went to a secondary school that was compromised of 50% americans from all over the States, and they all brought new words with them. And in a school environment they were just absorbed into the general language.
We also probably speak a little slower than some other west coast accents because of the need to communicate with non-native speakers on a daily basis for so long.
Its slowly changing- but there is quite a bit of pride in our accent here and its uniqueness-part of the reason the increase in people form across the River Clyde with their whiney, nasal accent is so unwelcome (it really is a horrible sound to our ears!)

It would be interesting to know if the Americans take on Scottish words and accents too.

Talking about speaking slowly for non natives, I once lived in Newcastle for a year to do a study course and I remember vividly the first day there. I got into a taxi to take me to my digs and gave him directions and honestly I didnt understand a word the poor man said, he must have thought I was taking the mickey because I kept saying 'pardon', In the end I just told him I couldnt understand him, it took me months to understand a lot of things, like a stottie is a sandwich, it was something like 'yaswannastottie like'? er yes please.

If you ever come to Scotsdale Mrs Figg I would not recommend replying 'er yes please' to any question you dont understand!

I noticed a lot of regional words when I was in Leeds, at least half of what they said was some local word I hadn't a clue about.

Talking of Leeds and accents I had a near sexual ecounter in my youth there which involved all three!
I was about 16 at the time, staying with a mate there and we were driving along in his car when he spotted a burger van. So we pulled up and got out and there were two comely Leeds lasses serving up behind the counter.
Of course as soon as I spoke they went mad for the accent, and did that terrible thing of asking you to 'say something' at which point you of course can think of nothing to say at all.
Anyway, where's the sex bit? I hear you impatiently demand! Well one of these tasty Leeds lasses made me an offer round the back of the van that I need not go into in detail but which bears some resemblence to eating a hotdog (but hopefully with a lot less biting) and I was planning on trying her burger (did I mention I was 16?).
Well, I was on holiday and of course my mate was egging me on (and as this sort of thing didn't-and sadly still doesn't- happen to me on a daily basis) so I took my chances and went round the back of the van.
She had already got out of the van and was all over me in a second. But there was a slight problem.
She was nice, attractive and quite clearly at least 6 or 7 months pregnant. was my reaction, in order. (there isn't a runing away at speed emoticon or I would have that there too).

Interesting place Leeds.

just

Orwell wrote:Some Ozhobbits believe we were given the accent that Eru gave us, and I'm more than ready to believe that. I'll look it up though... just to be properly sure (learnéd)... --- yep, it's here under "Eru's Chosen Ones" in the The Ozhobbitstani Bible, Third Edition.". Thought so.

And what does the Ozhobbitstani Bible have to say about the accent of those heretical Kiwi's like a certain film maker whose name needn't be mentioned?

Mrs Figg wrote:
Talking about speaking slowly for non natives, I once lived in Newcastle for a year to do a study course and I remember vividly the first day there. I got into a taxi to take me to my digs and gave him directions and honestly I didnt understand a word the poor man said, he must have thought I was taking the mickey because I kept saying 'pardon', In the end I just told him I couldnt understand him, it took me months to understand a lot of things, like a stottie is a sandwich, it was something like 'yaswannastottie like'? er yes please.

Ah the Geordie accent! When I was hiking and hitching around Britain 20 years ago it seemed that every blue collar pub had at least one belligerent Geordie in it, and when the volume and speed of the incomprehesible dialect got too loud it was time to put your guard up.

Did I ever tell the story here of coming down off the high moor late one rainy night into Horton on Ribblesdale, with no friends and nowhere to sleep? I bought into a round of 14 at the pub with a caving club, including a Geordie who was determined to get me into a fireman-carry and get the trousers off me. When I saw how the night was going to be going I turned to the Scot, because I'd learned to trust the accent, and said "Promise me that whatever happens tonight, I'll wake up in the morning under a roof with all my gear." And it was so!

Good call David. You can always trust a Scot to watch your back, until such time as you have something really worth nicking.
(And no Scot would ever think to steal off someone buying rounds!)

I had a simillar experience of having to trust a complete stranger, but it was an Ozzhobbit strangely enough. I was eurorailing round Europe on my own, and I got to Venice and ran out of cash, having nowhere to stay I went to the youth hostel on the Island opposite St. Marks square hoping to get a bed for free, and outside it was a bunch of drunken Ozzies, I explained my predicament and one of them decided to help out. He said he was in similar financial troubles until the next day when his folks were wiring money to him. He said he had a 'cunning plan'. Alarm bells should have sounded, but I was tired and a wee bit drunk. He told me not far down the road was a convent that let women stay for the night in dorms. But you had to pay for the bed, at about midnight we both climbed over a very high wall he had found a rope, and let me down with it to the other side then he jumped over too, the Ozzy bloke dressed in some of my clothes, luckily he was thin and girlie with long hair and in the dark if he didnt speak would pass for a girlie, anyway we sneaked in the convent found two empty beds and went to sleep. The next morning I woke up to find a dorm full of giggling girls looking down on this bollock naked Ozz snoring like a little piggie. We made a hasty retreat.
he also lent me some cash which I sent back to him once I got home.

A naked Ozhobbit....in a convent.....full of young ladies?!?!?

Your friend's name wasn't Odo by any chance was it?

I knew I had met him somewhere!

just reminiscing a bit, I once worked for a member of the Quality Street Gang, although I didnt know it at the time. While I was at Uni I had various part time jobs and one of these was a receptionist for a dodgy double glazing company. One day my dad walked into the reception and told me I was working for gangsters. I must admit I was of an age when that seemed quite a good idea, until one day the boss called me into his office to type some notes, got angry with someone on the phone, took out a gun and started firing it into the ceiling. I was deafened but when my hearing came back he said to me, 'Theres some plaster ceiling in me Bacardi and Coke, get it out girl'. So I went to the bathroom took off my tights and sieved the drink through them. seemed to do the trick. But I left soon after.

A naked Ozhobbit....in a convent.....full of young ladies?!?!?
Your friend's name wasn't Odo by any chance was it? - David

It does indeed sound very much like him.

"I once worked for a member of the Quality Street Gang"- Mrs Figg

I take it they didnt get their name from giving out chocolates?

I think they gave you chocolates as a last request before the concrete boot.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:I slow down my speech when talking to non Scots as its quite a fast manner of speaking and we string words together all the time.
'what are you doing? for example would sound something like 'whiaeiyidaein?'.
My home town accent is even more unique for Scotland as after nearly 40 years of housing a massive US base a lot of Americanism have crept into it- there are several generations in this town who went to a secondary school that was compromised of 50% americans from all over the States, and they all brought new words with them. And in a school environment they were just absorbed into the general language.
We also probably speak a little slower than some other west coast accents because of the need to communicate with non-native speakers on a daily basis for so long.
Its slowly changing- but there is quite a bit of pride in our accent here and its uniqueness-part of the reason the increase in people form across the River Clyde with their whiney, nasal accent is so unwelcome (it really is a horrible sound to our ears!)

I feel a little sorry for the girl... desperation? the need for love...? thinking she might get some love from a rambunctious Scotshobbit... sad sad sad.... (I have a terrible vision of you running across a meadow, your kilt a'flyin' in the breeze, Petty...that's the worst part for me...

EDIT: Btw I quoted the wrong Petty quote, but Wisey is on the mini-palantir just now, so you'll have to work it out yourselves!

A Scostshobbit Lad once went to Leeds,
Planning on some derring deeds,
his kilt was long back in those days,
of sweet naivety and innocent ways.

Now in the town he found a caravan,
selling burgers, fried frogs, Marzipan,
and buckie flavoured bubblegum -
shit to most, Eru-food to some -

and at the bench a startling wench
her doe-like gaze from Heaven sent;
our Scotshobbit blanched pink to red,
the cockles of his heart were warmed (it's said),

"I'd like a big hot bag'o newts, Dear Lass,"
(in those far off days he was polite, not crass)
"and something warm to drink, it being cold,
nothing fizzy." "What of milk, if I may be bold?"

"Aye! Milk would be as fine silk to drink,"
said our Scottie (quite poetically, I think!)
"Oh Dear Scot, would you like it body-warm?"
"Och! What the nee? Is that the norm
in Leeds?"

The girl from Leeds smiled with a blush -
And our Scottie's heart softened to mush -
His eyes shined, he felt quite lucky,
His head was hazy as if on buckie;

She said, "The food here's quite nice,
I prefer myself a good'n hot hotdog."
"Och! But I canna see 'em on the menu;
I'll look agin! ... Noo! ... Now that's odd!"

"And would a nice Scots lad be a likin'
a most moist burger, pink and tasty?"
"Ock the noo! Bejools bejellkins!
You mean...!
A tender cut to fill my face wi'?"

"Indeed! Indeed! Don't delay!
Come around here and don't be slack."
"Ock me Nanny! My mouth drips a'drooly!
What's that you say? Coom 'roon the back?!"

And 'roon the back the lad
pranced and cantered like a pony,
With feet light as feathers, and silent
on the path, which was quite stony.

She met our brawny hobbit lad - at speed -
at the back end of the caravan -
Her face as sweet and soft
as two to three cups of Bondi sand,
(perhaps only an Ozhobbit will understand).

Into his muscly arms she fell, "Oh my!
You saucy scrumptious Scottish crumpet!"
"Ock, my Lass of Leeds - Ock! Hey!
What's this you bear inside your stomach?"

After that, things went marvellous fast,
A Scottish blur by Glasgow passed,
Some as say it was a young and startled Scot,
Who broke the Land Speed Record, what!



"A Tale of an Scot and an Hotdog - his hotdog in fact." Robbie Burns, if he had of.

Wisey Banks.

Thats worryingly accurate! {{{As well as hysterical }}}

As far as I understand it, Petty, channeling is an arcane art ---- arcane!

'A Tale of a Scot and a Hotdog', is going to get my vote for Best Channel of the Year at the Forumshire Awards.

Eldorion wrote:My accent is Baltimorese, which is basically normal American English, but with a few pronunciation differences. The most notable one is that I struggle to pronounce the letter T. Hence why I live in "Baw'more" and drink "wadder". I've made a conscious effort to fix some of the weird pronunciations so it's not as pronounced as it used to be, though.

Usually referred to as "Baltimoron", Eldo.

Americans tend to appreciate any european/british sounding accent, which includes australian and Hong-Kong english. Middle easterners tend to put a musical slant on it as well. To our ears the 'lower class' british dialects are simply delightful, and the upper crust british has a refinement we wish we were capable of expressing.

As for me, I have the same accent as my twin brother, and it's not regional.

I bet you sound Great Gatsbyesque, or maybe Age of Innocencesque. I imagine Ferguson sounds posher than that.

He is very good at accents!