What is it with the British accent?
- Thread starter The Diseased Toe
- Start date
Recommended Videos
It's really difficult to describe your own accent, especially as in England they seem to change subtley every 20 miles or so. It all becomes very much a local thing, where how certain words are said show where you're from.
For example, I'm from Northampton and there are two or 3 towns within 15 miles that sort of share the accent here. There has been a slight mix in the last 50 years as the exodus from London to here meant that the population jumped from 50,000 to nearly 300,000, so you can even tell those who have purer accents and those that are mixed with London influences.
One of the nearby towns is called Kettering. Those with the local accent call it "Kettrin" or an area of town called Duston we call "Dusson". We then have a village nearby called Cogehoe, which we pronounce "Cookno". We miss out the middle of words aswell. British to us becomes "Bri'ish"
Even that, in America was found sexy, which is hard to believe because when it's strong it's the most vile accent ever on a girl. That is when they didn't think I was German -.-.
For example, I'm from Northampton and there are two or 3 towns within 15 miles that sort of share the accent here. There has been a slight mix in the last 50 years as the exodus from London to here meant that the population jumped from 50,000 to nearly 300,000, so you can even tell those who have purer accents and those that are mixed with London influences.
One of the nearby towns is called Kettering. Those with the local accent call it "Kettrin" or an area of town called Duston we call "Dusson". We then have a village nearby called Cogehoe, which we pronounce "Cookno". We miss out the middle of words aswell. British to us becomes "Bri'ish"
Even that, in America was found sexy, which is hard to believe because when it's strong it's the most vile accent ever on a girl. That is when they didn't think I was German -.-.
What I want to know is why people call a Southern accent a British accent but when it comes to a Welsh, Scottish or Irish accent it's not a British accent. I also want to know what defines a British accent. Come up North and you'll find that we rip the piss out of the way Southerners talk with their 'grahss' and their 'plahster'. You can't lump all accents together.
If I said to you 'throw your hammer over here' in my accent you would think I was speaking a foreign language. But if someone with a Southern accent said it, you'd know exactly what to do.
If I said to you 'throw your hammer over here' in my accent you would think I was speaking a foreign language. But if someone with a Southern accent said it, you'd know exactly what to do.
I feel your pain, I'm from the North East and probably have a faint Geordie accent.Popadoo said:
I doubt they would like my accent. I'm from Sunderland (North East) and have a very strong Mackem accent.
I am from the midlands and there is about 4 different accents around here, plus i used to have a really bad yorkshire accent so i know what popadoo is going on about. The geordie accent is probably the most entertaining accent in England it brightens my day when I hear itDisaster Button said:
I live near Bristol in England and the people around here have fairly slight Bristolian/westcountry accents, but if you go into Bristol you hear some great ones. I'm from Southern Ireland, and funnily, despite the fact that we've been bombing you for the last forty years, the brits love the accent.
At least they don't think you're Irish...this isnt my name said:Whenever they say British its some English accent, no one likes the welsh
I don't know why; they just are cool. As a guy I find girls with a British accent attractive as well.
Well, speaking as a gal who finds the Brit-speak absolutely ENTHRALLING... *ahem* ...I've wondered about that myself, why it is that it's so far beyond sexy you'd need a telescope to research it.
This goes out to each and every one of you fine British fellows. Region is NOT withstanding... Wales, Cornwall, Yorkshire, I don't care, this is for all of you.
I think it may be the notions around the edges of it, honestly, the essence of linguistics and human nature. In language we communicate, and we find familiarity, which of course breeds comfort, but also contempt, laziness and stagnation. In America, most people speak American English, in some flavor or fashion. Different states and directions have grown to produce a slightly different twist on the language over time, as have different sub-cultures and ethnicities. The southern drawal and ebonics are good examples of versions of the same language spoken, with different inflections and phraseology but as we're more used to these unusual turns of dialect, they aren't particularly interesting. We even have cultural and in some instances, physical stereotypes come to mind at just the thought of them.
Now, as to "The Brits"... The accent by itself takes the language we are used to hearing and adds something unusual, a seasoning of sorts, a tone, almost musical, we aren't familiar with. Thus, our curiosity is piqued, a touch of something new and unusual adds the notion of interest, mystery and a sense of something to be learned. Women tend to like a little mystery to their men, and this gets the ball rolling. Now, the language spoken also tends to come at a different pace. It's less perceptible, but definitive, the product of a different location with a different culture. The average American working-class-Joe and the average British working-class-...person... (dunno if 'Joe' would be appropo) lead different lives, with different places of interest and pacing to their day. Even with some similarities, general mealtimes and such, they value certain aspects of culture at different levels and this results in different emphasis in words and a different pace to speech. This draws in our attention, like new music playing on the car stereo during a trip you've never heard before, your ears focus in and you listen more intently, if for no other reason because you want to figure out what you're hearing. Now, add in new terms and phrases. Using different words than what we are normally used to hearing to express similar emotional response can have a dramatic effect on the people around you. As American girls, we're used to calling someone we don't like by specific terms and with specific inflections. We call someone an "a-hole" in traffic and place some pressure into the word, gravel, it's grating and irritating, an expression of emotion due to the person's interaction with us. We hear the British fellow, who seems to be speaking the same language as us, just a bit smoother, more musical, suddenly get gravelly, a bit angry as he spits out "Burke" at some guy in traffic. "Burke"? We wonder... "Is that the guy's name? Does he not like this Burke guy?" But we learn that this is just another way to basically state an assessment of character. Our Brit friend does not like that guy, and he was saying so. Now, we've heard cursing all our lives, and it's always looked down upon as cultural stigma. "bad words" and "bad language" carry with them the notion of violent thought, poor vocabulary and even low intelligence and these notions increase in magnitude with their use. The concept of expressing these same notions of negativity without resorting to "foul" language subconsciously shows a sophistication, a leap in intellect and culture which is disarming and alluring to us.
This is a bit of what I've figured up.
Again, British accent? Sexy as hell-hades on a terrace by the moonlight in a tank-top with a rose in it's teeth.
This goes out to each and every one of you fine British fellows. Region is NOT withstanding... Wales, Cornwall, Yorkshire, I don't care, this is for all of you.
I think it may be the notions around the edges of it, honestly, the essence of linguistics and human nature. In language we communicate, and we find familiarity, which of course breeds comfort, but also contempt, laziness and stagnation. In America, most people speak American English, in some flavor or fashion. Different states and directions have grown to produce a slightly different twist on the language over time, as have different sub-cultures and ethnicities. The southern drawal and ebonics are good examples of versions of the same language spoken, with different inflections and phraseology but as we're more used to these unusual turns of dialect, they aren't particularly interesting. We even have cultural and in some instances, physical stereotypes come to mind at just the thought of them.
Now, as to "The Brits"... The accent by itself takes the language we are used to hearing and adds something unusual, a seasoning of sorts, a tone, almost musical, we aren't familiar with. Thus, our curiosity is piqued, a touch of something new and unusual adds the notion of interest, mystery and a sense of something to be learned. Women tend to like a little mystery to their men, and this gets the ball rolling. Now, the language spoken also tends to come at a different pace. It's less perceptible, but definitive, the product of a different location with a different culture. The average American working-class-Joe and the average British working-class-...person... (dunno if 'Joe' would be appropo) lead different lives, with different places of interest and pacing to their day. Even with some similarities, general mealtimes and such, they value certain aspects of culture at different levels and this results in different emphasis in words and a different pace to speech. This draws in our attention, like new music playing on the car stereo during a trip you've never heard before, your ears focus in and you listen more intently, if for no other reason because you want to figure out what you're hearing. Now, add in new terms and phrases. Using different words than what we are normally used to hearing to express similar emotional response can have a dramatic effect on the people around you. As American girls, we're used to calling someone we don't like by specific terms and with specific inflections. We call someone an "a-hole" in traffic and place some pressure into the word, gravel, it's grating and irritating, an expression of emotion due to the person's interaction with us. We hear the British fellow, who seems to be speaking the same language as us, just a bit smoother, more musical, suddenly get gravelly, a bit angry as he spits out "Burke" at some guy in traffic. "Burke"? We wonder... "Is that the guy's name? Does he not like this Burke guy?" But we learn that this is just another way to basically state an assessment of character. Our Brit friend does not like that guy, and he was saying so. Now, we've heard cursing all our lives, and it's always looked down upon as cultural stigma. "bad words" and "bad language" carry with them the notion of violent thought, poor vocabulary and even low intelligence and these notions increase in magnitude with their use. The concept of expressing these same notions of negativity without resorting to "foul" language subconsciously shows a sophistication, a leap in intellect and culture which is disarming and alluring to us.
This is a bit of what I've figured up.
Again, British accent? Sexy as hell-hades on a terrace by the moonlight in a tank-top with a rose in it's teeth.
Accents in England are so diverse, its hard to pinpoint a exact accent to a non english person (hell even some people in England have a hard time telling the accents from each other).
I originally lived in the south east and have a Kentish accent, but Kentish accents aren't as thick as most of the other accents that are around in other parts of England (such as Brummie or Cockney).
I originally lived in the south east and have a Kentish accent, but Kentish accents aren't as thick as most of the other accents that are around in other parts of England (such as Brummie or Cockney).
as a girl, i looove the accent myself.. (however im also a huge fan of the aussie, irish and scot accents.. irish is my personal favourite).. i think i like the british-speak largely because in so many movies (and ld punk bands i suppose), there is generally a bad, dirty, smoking, scruffy british guy who usually gets my motor running.. the accent is just icing on the badboy cake.
Jason Statham is an excellent example of the foxy badboy with a sexy accent.
dont question it.. just accept the fact that simply having a conversation with an american girl (in my case, a canadian girl) will have her thinking of you naked.
consider it your super power.
just remember.. with great accent power comes great accent responsibility.
Jason Statham is an excellent example of the foxy badboy with a sexy accent.
dont question it.. just accept the fact that simply having a conversation with an american girl (in my case, a canadian girl) will have her thinking of you naked.
consider it your super power.
just remember.. with great accent power comes great accent responsibility.
Its because those Americans are amazed that someone can actually speak Englis and sound diffrent then them.
I'm from Shropshire but I dont really have a strong accent at all, maybe a teeny bit midlands, but not to the extent of Brummie.
I'm jsut so glad I dont have a Shropshire accent. It's great not sounding like a farmer Having said that, I dont know how anyone, anywhere, can find a full on Brummie accent sexy.
I'm jsut so glad I dont have a Shropshire accent. It's great not sounding like a farmer
Having said that, I dont know how anyone, anywhere, can find a full on Brummie accent sexy.