Do you have a strong regional accent?

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by stargazingboi

OK...sooo I've been told I have an accent. I've been told it's abrasive *shrugs* I don't see it...do you?

To say someone's accent is "abrasive" seems oppressive to me. Maybe classist, definitely regionalist. Some accents are "deeper," in my opinion, than others—more thoroughly immersed in the way of speaking in a certain region. Why is that a bad thing? An "abrasive" thing?

My dad had a different accent than I do. He had a masculine, upbeat, Texan twang. He was the only person in my world with that accent. I can still hear it. I channel his encouraging words.

I went to an Ivy League graduate school and there, for the first time in my life, people corrected my pronunciation of certain words (for example, I would say IN-sur-ance, not in-SUR-ance) and grammar. Some constructions, like "lay" and "lie" will never come naturally to me, but I know how to do it right.

When I'm with my sister, I don't bother self-correcting.

[Trev]

One particular conversation comes to mind when I read the title of this thread. I was asked during this conversation, "can you repeat that without your accent?" I actually thought for a moment to Myself if that was possible. After I was finished laughing, because she was darn cute and serious about it, I did try. You'll never take the country out of this good ole boy.

So, I will defer to Ms. Candelion, who can answer this better than Myself.

[Candelion]

Originally Posted by Trev

One particular conversation comes to mind when I read the title of this thread. I was asked during this conversation, "can you repeat that without your accent?" I actually thought for a moment to Myself if that was possible. After I was finished laughing, because she was darn cute and serious about it, I did try. You'll never take the country out of this good ole boy.

So, I will defer to Ms. Candelion, who can answer this better than Myself.

It's slower and thicker than molasses in January. His accent, that is.

[grenade]

Originally Posted by Ginger

To say someone's accent is "abrasive" seems oppressive to me. Maybe classist, definitely regionalist. Some accents are "deeper," in my opinion, than others—more thoroughly immersed in the way of speaking in a certain region. Why is that a bad thing? An "abrasive" thing?

I'm the someone who found and still finds it abrasive at times.

It's the harshness, the bluntness. It's foreign to me. It's been explained to me numerous times and I certainly try to not take it personally. Sometimes, I try and fail. It is what it is.

I grew up in Kansas and Texas. I grew up with slow drawls, "honey, sugar, and baby". "Yes, ma'am" and "where y'all headed?" Life here is slow paced and laid back.

It's more of a cultural difference issue than one of oppression.

[cinnamongrrl]

Seeing how I'm Massachusetts born and bred, people expect me to have a strong accent. I have to explain that I grew up in western and central Mass, anf only out further east do you really get THAT accent...

But everyone who is from here knows that I'm from "away" as they say in New England. And not even so much by my accent but by how fast I talk. That's a New England trait I'm not likely to lose lol

[imperfect_cupcake]

I found some enlgish accents to be hard on my ears. I *hate* plummy accents, they make my brain curl. And all the different dutch accents, I loved amsterdam the most - hard, and guttural with sharp edges but everything is sweet and diminutive lol. But I dislike "RP" (properly announciated and upper class educated style) dutch. It sounds like they have a piece of cheese stuck in the back of their throat.

Some accents will sound pleasing and lovely to a listener's ear. I loved West Country UK accents the best. Then south east working class London, then Geordie and Yorkshire accents. But plummy makes me want to pull my ears off.
There is nothing wrong with the people who have those accents.

I also can't stand certain kinds of music because it hurts my ears, the way it jangles in my brain. Doesn't mean they are crap musicians. I love accents many people hate. Some people probably don't like the sound of mine. In fact, having been a foreigner, I know they don't. I've been told. Oh well.

[Daniela]

Originally Posted by imperfect_cupcake

I found some enlgish accents to be hard on my ears. I *hate* plummy accents, they make my brain curl. And all the different dutch accents, I loved amsterdam the most - hard, and guttural with sharp edges but everything is sweet and diminutive lol. But I dislike "RP" (properly announciated and upper class educated style) dutch. It sounds like they have a piece of cheese stuck in the back of their throat.

Some accents will sound pleasing and lovely to a listener's ear. I loved West Country UK accents the best. Then south east working class London, then Geordie and Yorkshire accents. But plummy makes me want to pull my ears off.
There is nothing wrong with the people who have those accents.

I also can't stand certain kinds of music because it hurts my ears, the way it jangles in my brain. Doesn't mean they are crap musicians. I love accents many people hate. Some people probably don't like the sound of mine. In fact, having been a foreigner, I know they don't. I've been told. Oh well.

Ok, I had to look up "plummy"...is it a snooty upper-class British accent? One example gave Hugh Grant as an example. But yeah, I'm not a big fan of snootiness in any culture/language. lol

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Daniela

Ok, I had to look up "plummy"...is it a snooty upper-class British accent? One example gave Hugh Grant as an example. But yeah, I'm not a big fan of snootiness in any culture/language. lol

I was wondering too! Thanks for doing the research on that because I'm lazy.



I actually like Hugh Grant but as a whole package...the next time I see something with him in it, I will pay better attention to his voice and less about his mannerisms.

The Grant fella is an oik when you watch/listen to proper 'plummy' or RP English. Best example I can think of is in a film such as Anthony Asquith's The Importance of Being Earnest [1952]...the one with the inimitable Dame Edith Evans as Lady Bracknell and Micheal Redgrave as Ernest. Now *that's* RP!

If you're a Wilde fan then this version is a must see.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044744/news?ref_=tt_nwr_sm

[imperfect_cupcake]

Originally Posted by Daniela

Ok, I had to look up "plummy"...is it a snooty upper-class British accent? One example gave Hugh Grant as an example. But yeah, I'm not a big fan of snootiness in any culture/language. lol

No. Hugh Grant is an actor and thus speaks RP english. What BBC broadcasters use and with a slight southern, thus very slight plummy accent. A strong plummy accent is far more pronounced. But he does have a bit of one. Edit to add: now that I think of it, some of his roles have had stronger plum than others...

It's not snooty. Snooty is more of an attitude. The queen speaks with a Strong plummy accent. It's hooking the back of the tongue softly against the palate at the end of "o" and prolonging certain vowels - like you are talking around a plum. Strong plummy accents are also called "horsey" accents.

It's a bit nasal, long open vowels and over articulate. People try to make it stronger to appear more upperclass. And that's when it's gets very annoying.

The accent I picked up was a cross between sauf an' east london, yeah? South London is very relaxed and sloppy and east London is choppy so along with my west coast canuck and Polari slang, people had no clue where the fuck I was from after 10 years.

So to explain, a south London accent is Lauren (and her best best mate) in this clip, whereas david tennant (dr who/the teacher), is speaking with a very soft and "educated" scottish accent.

South London and Scottish



And an east London accent is Dell in this clip:

East London accent, expressions and slang


I managed to pick up quite a bit a bit of Polari living in the east end (London drag queen/queen chat-slang and wot-not) gay scene. Click on the link

a fabulous drag queen explains Polari