British accents: I love them (except one)

[radhead]

I've been a fan of British accents all my life. England and the other "British Isles." And I've always heard that there are a variety of different ones (like the US has a variety of accents). Lately I've been hearing that differentiation a lot more.

But there is one that I honestly can't stand. Maybe one of you British cats (Becksy, Welshman, etc) can help me identify it. I would call it aristocratic/uppercrust or something. I heard a guy on NPR radio a few weeks ago, and he had this accent to an excrutiating degree. It was almost like a parody. (Think of the fake-crippled professor/pizza guy in There's Something About Mary). Or perhaps, something like the TV character Hyacinth (Keeping Up Appearances) might use. I really couldn't stand it when I heard it from a real person, with no irony. (Sorry). So, does anyone know what I'm talking about.

 

[marlowe007]

I have the stereotypical 'posh' English accent you refer to. It's a well-known fact that Queen's English effectively raises the perceived IQ of its bearer by up to 25 percent.

 

[radhead]

I have the stereotypical 'posh' English accent you refer to. It's a well-known fact that Queen's English effectively raises the perceived IQ of its bearer by up to 25 percent.

Lol. That's cool, really. I wanted to add... I am positive that the accent itself is fine. I suspect that it was really just this one guy I heard on the radio who bothered me. I've never heard anyone else exactly like him. So maybe this was just a one-time occurance, rather than an entire region.

 

[RockstarDame]

I have the stereotypical 'posh' English accent you refer to. It's a well-known fact that Queen's English effectively raises the perceived IQ of its bearer by up to 25 percent.

English accents *melts*

 

[Blank123]

it might have just been the person that annoyed you, i can't imagine any English accent being annoying by itself when i was taking bible courses long distance out of the UK one of my profs had that posh accent - it made listening to the lectures a lot more interesting

 

[ceh85]

I'm guessing you mean the kid of drawling, plum-in-mouth accent? It can sound pretty condescending in my opinion, I don't really like it either. I met some people at uni with a similar accent and a few of them were pretty snobbish and just not very nice so that put me off. Although it's hilarious when you watch films or tv progs even from as recently as the 70s and everyone speaks in this totally artificial accent.

Mind you some of our regional accents are pretty choice too!

 

[ChooseTheRight]

I also think it was probably the person that was annoying, rather than the accent. One accent I can't stand though is the Scottish posh accent. Its a mix of Scottish and American. It sounds so put on. Just so un-natural. I'm Scottish and I try to speak politely, But I still sound fully Scottish.

 

[Luther073082]

It amazes me about the British Isles how many different identities and accents you find on one small Island.

You can find almost as many different British accents as you can different American accents. And look how much geographically larger we are.

 

[radhead]

I'm guessing you mean the kid of drawling, plum-in-mouth accent? It can sound pretty condescending in my opinion, I don't really like it either.

No, but I can imagine the one you are talking about. This one sounded fake, but the guy really was British. He was very talkative and enthusiastic.

The best example is the fake professor from "There's Something About Mary", but I can't find a clip of that. (Actor pic below)

 

[radhead]

I'm guessing you mean the kid of drawling, plum-in-mouth accent?

Is this the kind you are talking about? The actor playing Hannibal Lecter (Brian Cox).

(It's different than the one I've described.)

YouTube - Manhunter - Graham Verses Lector

 

[marlowe007]

There's a common form of dialect here known as 'Chavish,' which goes something like this:

Alri-mate, my mate 'ere has a bit of galloping knob-rot, and I'm feeling lairy, innit, and thing. Giv' us ur phone, giv us ur wallet you lanky streak of [wash my mouth]. Scally speak innit, be savvy to it, ENGER-LAND!

 

[Luther073082]

You know this got me interested and based on Wikipedia's list of words that arn't commonly used and or have different meanings its amazing we don't have more problems communicating.

Although I think some of the meanings and usage have crossed the pond.

For example the term "bloody" as a sort of mild curse word has entered my regular vocabulary.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_British_and_American_English:_A%E2%80%93L

List of words having different meanings in British and American English: M?Z - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of American words not widely used in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of British words not widely used in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[latteda]

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.

I think she's got it! I think she's got it!

 

[ceh85]

Is this the kind you are talking about? The actor playing Hannibal Lecter (Brian Cox).

(It's different than the one I've described.)

YouTube - Manhunter - Graham Verses Lector

Yeah I guess that is probably the modern version of the 50s/60s accent! I found this clip featuring some really posh accents which is pretty funny:

YouTube - Murder at the Gallop (1963) trailer


I've never seen TSAM so I don't know what that actor sounded like. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a ridiculous accent though, Hollywood seems to require that English actors are a) the bad guy and b) worthy of ridicule!

 

[Thomas1984]

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.

I think she's got it! I think she's got it!

By Jove!

 

[ceh85]

Haha oh no! Here come the impersonators

 

[Qyöt27]

So wait...are we just generally talking about the Received Pronunciation or not?

 

[lostaquarium]

By Jove!

I love the way some old-fashioned English people speak! I was taught by a professor who spoke like Brian Sewell and looked like Basil Fawlty He was brilliant. But I couldn't concentrate on his lecture content because he was too comical. He took himself very seriously, of course.

 

[Oddish]

Rad, you are referring to the what we call the Queen's English. I am sure that in American TV shows, the novelty British person always has that posh accent. I actually have it to a certain degree, it isn't strong but it is there.

The most unpopular here are Brummy (Birmingham)and Scouse (Liverpool) accents.

There's a common form of dialect here known as 'Chavish,' which goes something like this:

Alri-mate, my mate 'ere has a bit of galloping knob-rot, and I'm feeling lairy, innit, and thing. Giv' us ur phone, giv us ur wallet you lanky streak of [wash my mouth]. Scally speak innit, be savvy to it, ENGER-LAND!

Yep . A lot of people down here talk like that, but we call them Janners.

 

[radhead]

By Jove!

It's sort of amusing what the British find funny about themselves.