The British Accent - A lesson on ignorance.

[mandrilltiger]

Isn't it English Accent!

 

[quiet_samurai]

People also consider the West-Coast American accent as the "American Accent." That's because of the media, even in places like Boston or in the south, people on the TV won't have the distinct accent that is common to that area.

 

[Cmwissy]

You, on the other hand, were ridiculously provocative for no good reason.

How?

quote the first provocative thing I said?

No it isn't:

Yes, it is.

Not 'do you have the maturity of a six year old' because, well, you do.

I'm not even being generically insulting anymore; and yet you carry on.

 

[Cmwissy]

If you wanted this to end prehaps insulting people was a bad idea.

EDIT: On xbox live sometimes jerks insult people team kill and then leave, thats more or less what you've done here. If you do want things to end then just leave, don't make a parting shot.

I really don't even remember quoting you, or including you in that comment?

Carry on, sir.

 

[Dahaka27]

Anyway to maybe get back on topic

The whole British Accent thing can vary. If you have a vaguely English accent you are dubbed British by all those who arent British and that IS true. (I even do it myself, but to a lesser degree, by just calling them squeeky English twats)
But there are a handful of people who live near Edinburgh and the lothians that don't really have a surefire telltale accent. Well thats what we all think anyway, but from people who comment on my accent online tend to lean to me being Irish in Origin.... Oh yes, for those who have not realised, Edinburgh is in Scotland.

 

[Apostropartheid]

For the last time, it's not an accent, it's a dialect. Accents are completly different.

Well, you're right in a sense but also mistaken. We're talking about the sounds of things here, which is purely accent. Were we talking about vocabulary or grammar, you'd be perfectly correct to swoop in and correct.

Interestingly, "England" used to be a perfectly acceptable way to refer to the whole of Britain. The Oxford History of England is about the isles, not about England itself. It wasn't until well into the 20th Century, with the rise of Scottish and Irish nationalism, did the English-speaking world revert to "British". But the effect wasn't global; the French still refer to us all as anglais--English.

 

[Cmwissy]

Snip

I apologize sincerely.

 

[Cmwissy]

Snip

I apologize sincerely.

Please excuse me if I doubt your sincerity.

I'm afraid I can't offer you more than that - I apologize, I was wrong;

If you still can't accept that, then, that's kinda it.

 

[Loop Stricken]

Apparently, I have a Birmingham accent. At least, that's what those people I was arguing with about my country of origin on TF2 said.

I feel your pain, but I'm actually Brummie.
Best way of checking, I find, is to see if you sound like Ozzy Osbourne. He's the most well-known Brummie I can think of.

 

[Nomad]

One, I'd say you've switched from British to UK without realizing it: your sources talk about the UK, but that's different from Britain, technically.

I wholeheartedly agree there's a difference between Britain and the UK. If you re-read what I wrote, you'll see that I never once mentioned Britain. Nor did the post I quoted. It's all been UK for as long as I've been involved.

Two, I'd say look at my source (which does the same think with 'UK' and 'Britain':

countries within a country | Number10.gov.uk
countries within a country

The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page823

It is - does it say anywhere in this quote 'Britain is a country' - No.

Then what does the phrase "countries within a country"--which the title of the webpage and the heading of the section I quoted--refer to?

I'd say the Prime Minister's Office is a pretty good source too.

I do not in any way disagree with your source. The United Kingdom is made up of four countries, that's been established already. I do not deny that the UK is a country either. It is possible for both to be true at the same time, you know. I'm starting to think you're confusing me with the other guy.

Third, I don't know about calling Northern Ireland a 'country' in the same sense as the others. That's a tricky issue. Northern Ireland was not united through an Act of Union: it's the remnant of the country of *Ireland* which makes it more like the Channel Islands--remnants of the Duchy of Normandy, 1066 and all that--than like Scotland or Wales.

I would agree with that argument, except that it's been established by official authorities that Northern Ireland is, in fact, a country. Being a country is usually related to a political division, but not necessarily so. The only requirement is really that it's a cohesive geographical unit. Regardless of any of this, what has been established by the official authorities as the proper definition always stands, until the definition is officially overturned. And it is the official stance that Northern Ireland is a country. Like it or not, that's the way it is until someone convinces the officials otherwise.

Four, you say: "I don't have a passport myself, so I don't know what terminology they use, but I would assume it says nationality or something similar, rather than "country"?"

All that would get is concluding that when people say 'British' and they refer to someone's coutry they are wrong, but if they are referring to someone's nationality they are right.

Which...is a little silly, isn't it? To make a big deal out of that fine a distinction? Are we really going to say nationality is not about what country you're from?

No, see, you're jumping to conclusions here. A country is not necessarily a nation, and a nation is not necessarily a country. But the two usually (although not always) link together. Referring to someone's country as Great Britain or United Kingdom is entirely acceptable, since it's a country. It just also happens to be a nation. Which means that saying someone's nationality is British is also fine. From what I understand, you've been discussing country vs nation all along. I'm just pointing out that passports are sort of irrelevant in the context they were used as an example, since they most likely point out nationality rather than country... Thereby making them irrelevant to the subject of country altogether.

Saying someone's nationality is "Northern Irish", however, would make me twitch a little. Because while it is a country, it is not a nation. It can be both things, but it doesn't have to.

A cow is a mammal, but a mammal is not automatically a cow.

As for fine distinctions being silly... That may be so, but I thought the whole point of the discussion was to highlight the fine distinctions? If you choose to ignore them, then the whole discussion sort of falls flat to the ground.

 

[Phenakist]

I've found the more influenced your voice is by your "local" accent the more... light in the head you are. Take your typical ASBO Chav for example...

 

[Lexodus]

It's British because it comes from Britain...so while there are many, it still falls under the same flag, now doesn't it.

All countries have a plethora of accents...huzzah.

exactly

everyone in canada sounds different.. AND WE DONT SAY EH
execpt for maybe newfies..(people from Newfoundland for you non-canadians)
and dont get me started about quebec (no offence)

Newfies: Because even the Canadians need somebody to be the butt of their jokes.


There is not a 'British accent' because there is not one single accent that everyone in Britain has. You can have 'London'/'Mummerset'/'Liverpudlian' etc., but not 'British', in the same way that, if I know the place of origin, I will say 'Californian accent'/'Virginian accent' etc.

 

[Berethond]

All right.
Now all you British people have to learn to tell the difference between Denver and Colorado Springs and Alamosa and Santa Fe and Albuqurque and Fresno and Bakersfield and Provo and Salt Lake City and Sacramento and San Francisco and Oakland and west & east Los Angeles and San Diego and Imperial Valley. To name a few American accents I've heard.

 

[cheese_wizington]

I know that British people have different accents depending on their location/upbringing. I'm just too fuckin lazy to actually try to remember them all.