Poll: English/ British?

[MetaKnight19]

I'd call it an English accent, or to be more precise in my case a Gloucestershire accent. Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to drink some cider *starts humming 'Combine Harvester' by the Wurzels*

 

[Rafe]

I Don't really like British or 'Brit'. You see, we don't like the Welsh all too much or each other and the Scottish HATE us. Northern Island is cool. So that's why generalising everything as Britain can annoy people. For me, I just appreciate it when people from other countries recognise that I'm from England, it just seems that they've done their research.

 

[Blitzwarp]

British is a universal term which applies to anybody who lives in the United Kingdom.

English refers specifically to those who live within England, just as Welsh and Scottish refer to anybody living in Wales and Scotland. EDIT - Although I wouldn't recommend calling anybody from Northern Ireland 'British'. They're Irish. :>

So you can refer to either, so long as you only use 'English' to describe accents you associate with England. =]

 

[solar065]

I'm scottish, so british will do. Just.

 

[chiefohara]

because I don't consider it such and don't care if you do and it's difficult to argue about something without mentioning it.

Whether you consider it an insult or not scumofsociety, its still percived as one. So just give us a break and stop lumping the two together for the sake of a lazy generalisation.

we still call them the British Isles.

We don't.

 

[lolmynamewastaken]

i'd say its an english accent because there's no such thing as a britsh accent due to all the countries who are pretending to be one until you look closer.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

because I don't consider it such and don't care if you do and it's difficult to argue about something without mentioning it.

Whether you consider it an insult or not scumofsociety, its still percived as one. So just give us a break and stop lumping the two together for the sake of a lazy generalisation.

Lumping which 2 together? I am refering to the "British Isles" to make a very specific point.

we still call them the British Isles.

We don't.

That's fine, I'm not asking you to.

 

[Azolus]

I'm English, and to me I am English, I can see how it might be a bit confusing and wouldn't hold it again you if you said I was British, but i do tent to refur to myself as English.

 

[Cheesus333]

There's not really such a thing as an English accent, much less a British accent, because their tend to be different dialects for different counties or even cities. For example, I live in Yorkshire, and we have our own accent. It's kind of common and rough, but not everyone here sounds like that. Newcastle has a very distinctive regional accent, as does Birmingham etc. etc., so it would be hard to centre on a single 'English' accent.

 

[GrinningManiac]

There are a few accents. The main ones are

South English
Northern
Scottish
Welsh
Northern Irish

These all have variants, the biggest and most famous being Brummie, Geordie, Scouse, Mancunian, Cockney and Recieved Pronunciation

 

[Ramin 123]

Just, for the love of God don't call an Irishman Scottish, a Scottish man Irish or someone from the North of England either of those... It won't end well...

I can attest to that, i once made that mistake (calling scots english in this case) while on holiday and i had to step very lightly for the next couple of weeks.

I just wish people would realise the same thing applies to my country. If one more person says im from Holland instead of the Netherlands im going to hurt someone.

What is that all about if you don't mind explaining? Why did it used to be called Holland and now it's called the Netherlands?

 

[Mr_Jellyfish]

I'm English and have a rather flat, colourless accent. I certainly don't hate the Welsh! I lived in Cardiff and it was rather pleasant! I would say just call it a British accent, it's as equally general as us saying you have an American accent! I suppose if you wanted you could be specific and say it was English, Scottish, Irish or Welsh but I wouldn't go into any more detail than that, just leave it with an air of mystery...

 

[megaraccoon]

As an American who's never met someone from the U.K., and I've been having trouble lately deciding whether to refer to it as an english accent or a british accent. Which one do you tend to say?

niether i was born in wales, which means that i have a welsh accent when i speak english, which is rare, the accent depends on where in the u.k. they're from; england, wales, scotland, northen ireland, isle of white and finally isle of man. but really it doesn't matter just say british accent. but, and this is IMPORTANT for the love of god dont call anyone from wales or scotland, english as many americans i have met have. the reason? the scottish and us welsh LOATHE the english, yea just so you know.
Da boch! (goodbye)

 

[AnAngryMoose]

Its best to refer to the accent relevant to the country. Like English for England, Scottish for Scotland, Northern Irish for Northern Ireland and Devil speak for the Welsh (Just kidding ). Most people in England like to be referred for the local dialect however this is about as close as your getting without offending anyone.

Just, for the love of God don't call an Irishman Scottish, a Scottish man Irish or someone from the North of England either of those... It won't end well...

Needed to correct you there. We don't belong to you anymore!

Although, I would agree with the general consensus. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all part of the United Kingdom, but are separate countries, really. So you would have an English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish accent.

 

[AnAngryMoose]

British is a universal term which applies to anybody who lives in the United Kingdom.

English refers specifically to those who live within England, just as Welsh and Scottish refer to anybody living in Wales and Scotland. EDIT - Although I wouldn't recommend calling anybody from Northern Ireland 'British'. They're Irish. :>

So you can refer to either, so long as you only use 'English' to describe accents you associate with England. =]

That depends on which Irishman you call British, really.

 

[Zipa]

Depends people forget that the UK is made up for 4 small countries so to speak
Ireland
Wales
Scotland
England


Since I personally live in England I would refer to myself as having a English accent.
Most people outside the UK would say I have a British accent because to them we sound very much alike. I know some Americans that can't tell my accent from another part of the country which sound different. Im in Lincolnshire (second largest county of England) and the other person was from Oxford, two very different accents.

Ireland is not in the UK.

Northern Ireland is.

 

[NeuroticDogDad]

because I don't consider it such and don't care if you do and it's difficult to argue about something without mentioning it.

Whether you consider it an insult or not scumofsociety, its still percived as one. So just give us a break and stop lumping the two together for the sake of a lazy generalisation.

Unfortunately you're choice to be offended doesn't actually grant you any rights or privileges. You have chosen to take a word that isn't being applied to you politically or culturally as a political/cultural insult and that is your problem and nobody else's.

Equally, scumofsociety could be insulted by your devotion to not being called British (despite the fact that you actually weren't) and insist that you stop insulting him. However, he would have the same rights and privileges as you to stop being offended (i.e. none).

we still call them the British Isles.

We don't.

You are correct with your last statement, the gaelic phrase specifically refers to Eire (Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór), so presumably you don't refer to all of the islands as the British Isles.
As for the rest, you are unfortunately wrong. In the English language the lands upon which you and scumofsociety are located are geographically known as the British Isles, Eire included. You are speaking English and as such English language definitions are used.

Interestingly, the British Islands is a legal term referring to the lands of the United Kingdom (i.e. not the RoI). Very subtle name changes can mean completely different things.

For example: Should one of the Carribean islands wish to politically no longer be referred to in any way as Carribean then politically and legally they wouldn't, but geographically they still would be, in that they don't have a choice.

In summation: Politically you are in the Republic of Ireland, Lawfully you are not in the British Islands but geographically speaking you are on the British Isles.

 

[Species5618]

What is that all about if you don't mind explaining? Why did it used to be called Holland and now it's called the Netherlands?

The name of the country is the Netherlands. Holland is only a small part of it.

 

[General BrEeZy]

hmm. very good Q.
i like to think of america as english since we were british colonies but were becoming too different now with so many mixed races and ethnic backgrounds. i'd call it a british accent. but thats me, other people know history and linguistics better than me, so they can be the bigger voices.

 

[chiefohara]

because I don't consider it such and don't care if you do and it's difficult to argue about something without mentioning it.

Whether you consider it an insult or not scumofsociety, its still percived as one. So just give us a break and stop lumping the two together for the sake of a lazy generalisation.

Unfortunately you're choice to be offended doesn't actually grant you any rights or privileges. You have chosen to take a word that isn't being applied to you politically or culturally as a political/cultural insult and that is your problem and nobody else's.

Equally, scumofsociety could be insulted by your devotion to not being called British (despite the fact that you actually weren't) and insist that you stop insulting him. However, he would have the same rights and privileges as you to stop being offended (i.e. none).

we still call them the British Isles.

We don't.

You are correct with your last statement, the gaelic phrase specifically refers to Eire (Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór), so presumably you don't refer to all of the islands as the British Isles.
As for the rest, you are unfortunately wrong. In the English language the lands upon which you and scumofsociety are located are geographically known as the British Isles, Eire included. You are speaking English and as such English language definitions are used.

Interestingly, the British Islands is a legal term referring to the lands of the United Kingdom (i.e. not the RoI). Very subtle name changes can mean completely different things.

For example: Should one of the Carribean islands wish to politically no longer be referred to in any way as Carribean then politically and legally they wouldn't, but geographically they still would be, in that they don't have a choice.

In summation: Politically you are in the Republic of Ireland, Lawfully you are not in the British Islands but geographically speaking you are on the British Isles.

The argument is over, why are you trying to stir it up again?

Unfortunately you're choice to be offended doesn't actually grant you any rights or privileges. You have chosen to take a word that isn't being applied to you politically or culturally as a political/cultural insult and that is your problem and nobody else's.

To call an Irish person British is to bring up bad history and bad memories, its not a question of rights or privileges, its a question of basic common courtesy. Scumofsociety knew he was hitting a nerve by saying Irish people were British and yet he did it anyway, and repeatedly so i might add, despite being courteously corrected by another poster on it. He implied that we were british for 'geographical' reasons, which like it or not is still an insult, and he knew it and he continually persisted in it because he knew he was being annoying.

Interestingly, the British Islands is a legal term referring to the lands of the United Kingdom (i.e. not the RoI). Very subtle name changes can mean completely different things.

That point was already made in this thread. The British say one thing, the Irish another. Why are you reiterating it?

Geographically France is the mainland of Britain, yet to say so implies a meaning and an ownership some British people would take issue with. The same applies to Ireland and Britain.

Look at it another way. Irish people view the identity of 'Britishness' in a different way that the British people do. To the British it is a common identity and a nobel thing meaning that ye are all in it together.

Irish people were second class citizens in the UK, to us 'Britishness' implies ownership of us. We weren't equal to ye, we belonged to ye. To call me British is like calling me a slave, and quite frankly ... i don't bloody like it... call me British and i will take issue with you on it. You don't like it... well tough. I have as much right to address you on it as you have as much right to disagree with me on it.