A tour of the British Isles in accents

[Major Nikon]

[pink-o]

1. Awesome!

I spent 5 years in London and the Home Counties, but because I worked at Heathrow I got to hear all sorts of regional accents. It was funny, cuz in the 70's, Brits couldn't imitate a decent Yank accent, but I could do most of theirs. Now, they're quite good and sounding just like me.

One friend told me in order to achieve good American speech, Brits have to project their voices from the backs of their throats--whereas English English comes from the roof of the mouth. So I tried it, going back and forth and damn if it isn't true! Maybe that's why Americans sound raspy as they age (and smoke) but the English never do.

Thanks for that! Bringing back a lot of memories.

[Skittles]

4. to me, Aussie is a mix of Brit and American

me mum was Brit and me dad was American

[BlancheSplanchnik]

6. my Dad was British Jewish

and my mother was American...Brooklyn Jewish. Oy vey!

My Dad worked to get rid of his accent, though. It was Cockney, but mostly gone. I used to scold him for that!


I want more of this vid!! More more---wish his examples went on longer.

[pink-o]

19. Blanche, if you're ever in London's East End, you'll be amazed at the Yiddish you hear!!

I was a child of 19 in Petticoat Lane Market, and I almost fell over when the merchants called each other Gonif or spoke of the Gelt they took in. My one friend was from Golder's Green, raised in a nice middle-class Jewish household and explained the history. Jews had a much longer presence in England than in the US, so I definitely met with some snobbery. But I was young and naive and I didn't care! Instead of going to college, I went to London--and never regretted it!

[T_i_B]

7. I always think there's a bit of cockney in the Aussie accent

If you try speaking with a cockney accent yourself and don't get it quite right then very often it comes out sounding quite Australian.

[Raffi Ella]

9. The Australian accent confounds me.

I never get it right.

[Skittles]

11. I don't quite get it right either

although I did figure out they say NO like NOY?

[Raffi Ella]

13. haha, you know I'm sitting here trying to say No now....

I saw a video from this girl who does accents. She speaks all different kinds and you'd never know she wasn't a native speaker, I think she teaches or something, anyway. She said that Aussies "chew up their words" and they really use their mouth when they talk. whatever.

All I know is I can't do it.

[Skittles]

14. I can do the lilt, which they do a lot with the last word of each sentence

because my Brit grandparents did the same

[Raffi Ella]

15. I'm jealous you had British Grandparents!

Did they read you stories when you were a kid?

[Skittles]

16. aw yeah

here I am as an English schoolgirl

[Raffi Ella]

17. Look at little Skittles!

You were very cute.

[pink-o]

20. Oy! Bare knees in that lovely weather!

Good thing you survive to tell the story, Mate!

[winter is coming]

23. Why aren't you kicking someone? n/t

[Skittles]

25. check my hands

I am.....hiding my weapons

[winter is coming]

26. LOL!

So's the kid next to you... unless that's your evil twin.

[Skittles]

28. my brother Glenn

he was 11 months older than me (passed away in 2004)....I also have a brother 11 months younger than me - I am a "double Irish twin"

[PassingFair]

22. It's the vowels....replace the long "A" with a long "I"

Snake becomes Snike.

Replace the short "e" with a short "i".

Deck becomes Dick.

Don't go out the back, there's a snike under the dick!

[winter is coming]

24. Considering the history of Austrailia, that's hardly surprising.

I expect a goodly number of the people who were transported had a cockney accent, as you could be considered an undesirable criminal for something as simple as stealing food.

[LeftishBrit]

27. There is a story, possibly an urban myth...

about a Labour activist who was very disappointed that he did not get selected as candidate for a safe Labour constituency on which he had pinned his hopes.

Someone who had attended the meeting told him, 'I think some people didn't want you because you're Australian'.

'But I'm not.'

'Well, you have an Australian accent.'

The activist thought for a moment; then said, 'All right, that does it. From now on, I'll drop the Cockney accent, and admit that I went to Charterhouse.'

[Demoiselle]

2. Brilliant! Thank you.

[DLnyc]

3. cool!

[pipi_k]

5. Really cool....and...

I thought I could hear just a bit of the Boston/New England accent in the Yorkshire accent

[Raffi Ella]

8. Cool.

I love British accents. I can mimic them pretty well but listening to someone talk, or better yet, read a story in a British accent puts me in a trance, lol. It's so relaxing.

[geardaddy]

10. He didn't really get the north Wales accent

It sounded too much like the south Walians. The north Walian accent is much more throaty a bit like the Scouse.

[pink-o]

21. The Liverpool bleed...

And you thought the Pennines could protect you from the English infiltration.

[pinboy3niner]

12. What does he mean, they "sound" a bit drunk

[kiva]

18. An excellent tour!

[steve2470]

29. that was genius ! nt