Yankees allowed?

[psycmajor]

Just thought I'd say that I think it's a cool idea that folks from other countries get their own forums, since there's so many of us from the U.S.

 

[ukok]

psycmajor - consider yourself an honoury brit - not that i have the power to bestow such a title upon you, but all's equal in cyberland. Welcome to the rivetting Brit forum!

 

[Unimatrix]

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[wblastyn]

No! Get out foreigner! J/k

 

[psycmajor]

Thanks. Actually, I think it would be cool to visit the UK. I know there's different slang and such, but at least I don't have to learn a whole new language.

And I love those accents!!!

 

[Totally Transformed]

May I come in and play too?

A religious British topic, hmmm, let's see. How is the state of the Christian church in England? Is it as divided as it is in the U.S.?

 

[ukok]

You know, to be truthful, i hadn't noticed that it was divided locally, but on a national scale, the opinions of C of E church goers are indeed split upon various elements of the C of E.

Many people view our new A of C Rowan Williams as being a bit of a threat - others adore his fresh and vibrant approach.

some have called him a radical, others have been waiting for someone like him to come along for a very long time.

you can read his enthronement sermon here : ( i hope )

http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/sermons_speeches/030227.html


tell me what you think of it, if you read it.

and by the way, you are most certainly welcome!

 

[Addaperle]

And I love those accents!!!

Which ones? We've got sooooo many! Like mi native toungue! 'Ells bells an buckets o' blood! It's great!

lol... I do love my accent! When I go to Summer Camp (in Essex) most of the people are Southerners, and I either end up going VERY broad, or completely Southern... it's sooo bizare!

Clare xx
(Off to enjoy mi Yorkshire puds and good ole Parkin!)

 

[Karl - Liberal Backslider]

Allowin' 'mericans in? Ah dunno 'baht that tha knaws.

Any road, we can confuse 'em bi using dialect terms. They'll not get nowt that we're gannin' on abaht.

 

[psycmajor]

Which ones? We've got sooooo many! Like mi native toungue! 'Ells bells an buckets o' blood! It's great!

lol... I do love my accent! When I go to Summer Camp (in Essex) most of the people are Southerners, and I either end up going VERY broad, or completely Southern... it's sooo bizare!

Clare xx
(Off to enjoy mi Yorkshire puds and good ole Parkin!)

Yeah! I've heard that people have different sounding accents depending on their locations in the UK. How many different kinds are there? Is there a list?

So tell me. When you see an American film with an American pretending to be British, can you tell that they're really NOT British?

 

[ej]

Anyone here read any of Irvine Welsh's literature?

(on the topic of dialect...)

 

[Karl - Liberal Backslider]

Yeah! I've heard that people have different sounding accents depending on their locations in the UK. How many different kinds are there? Is there a list?

So tell me. When you see an American film with an American pretending to be British, can you tell that they're really NOT British?

Usually. Some very talented voice actors can do it. But generally they just use Dick Van Dyke Not Quite Cockney or an exaggerated RP.

I wouldn't like to say how many accents there are - it depends on the hearer. I can tell the difference between Barnsley and Wakefield, but a southerner wouldn't be able to tell the difference between any Yorkshire or Lancashire accents.

Main groups are probably:

Scots
Welsh
Irish
North East ("Geordie" - IME Cumbrian accents and some NE Yorkshire accents are of this type)
Northern - Lancs, Yorks, East Midlands
Liverpool (Scouse - distinct from other NW accents)
West Midland - (Brummie)
East Anglian
South Western (Get off moi laaaaand!!!)
South East (incl. Cockney)
RP - not regional. Spoken mostly by ex-grammar school people and public/private school educated individuals.

Depending where you come from, you will see different subgroups. An Essex girl sounds pretty similar to a Kentish Maid to me, but I suspect someone from round there would say "rubbish - they sound completely different".

For the record, there are only three US accents I can distinguish. The one used by Homer Simpson, the one used by Cletus the Slack Jawed Yokel (isn't that a southern accent?) and the one used by Bill Gates, makers of IT training videos, and Kermit the Frog.

 

[ej]

What does RP stand for??

 

[Karl - Liberal Backslider]

Received Pronunciation. How the Queen talks. AKA talking posh.

 

[ej]

Oh... is that bad?

 

[Unimatrix]

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[ej]

Yep...that's as bad as it comes! The poor lass can't seem to get past the number two...she keeps saying 1

I don't understand..?

 

[Karl - Liberal Backslider]

One shouldn't assume that one can't get past one just because one says one a lot.

But the Queen would surely never mention number 2s.....

 

[GREG]

Yankee????????????? what about us southern folks

 

[ej]

Oh, I understand.

I speak with a generic home counties accent, not really posh though, and certainly not like the Queen!

I've been told I have 'Scottish vowels' since I've lived in Edinburgh 8 years.