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Australia better than Canada?

Australia better than Canada?

Old Apr 23rd 2013, 12:18 pm
  #151  
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse
Yes, there are regional differences but I'm wary of 'class' distinctions. More a case of how your parents/rellies speak, as do you, I think. Of course, there are exceptions. Agree about the differences being far more pronounced in the UK, even in England alone. Travel 30 kms and you could be in a different country!
In Canada it is more about diction and grammar than accent. A tradesperson will often have simpler constructions and pepper their speech with colloquialisms, but the actual accent is not that far removed from a senior professional. I assumed that Oz would be the same way!
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Old Apr 23rd 2013, 1:02 pm
  #152  
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by Shard
In Canada it is more about diction and grammar than accent. A tradesperson will often have simpler constructions and pepper their speech with colloquialisms, but the actual accent is not that far removed from a senior professional. I assumed that Oz would be the same way!
hmmm...actually a good observation - Australia is probably more like this than the UK, that's for sure.
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Old Apr 23rd 2013, 1:20 pm
  #153  
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shard
In Canada it is more about diction and grammar than accent. A tradesperson will often have simpler constructions and pepper their speech with colloquialisms, but the actual accent is not that far removed from a senior professional. I assumed that Oz would be the same way!

Originally Posted by BadgeIsBack
hmmm...actually a good observation - Australia is probably more like this than the UK, that's for sure.
Yep, describes Australia to a 't'. Mind you, I do think that my voice is more pleasing to the ear than, say, Julia Gillard's. Then again, so is almost everyone's.
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Old Apr 23rd 2013, 3:25 pm
  #154  
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by BadgeIsBack
There would be class distinctions in the US too. In general the higher the education the better the speech.

Australia can be very city vs country - so I can hear a bit of a country accent in a King's educated farmer...because he spends all his time with bushmen...

anyone who says there is no class differences in accent - work in an office - then notice the difference when the tradies visit. It's probably true though it's not so wide as in the UK - where you can still hear cut-glass and Cockney in the same office. There is a huge middle ground in Melbourne - probably equivalent to Estuary English in the SE of England.
One thing that slightly irritates me is hearing my country pronounced OARstralia by those who inhabit the SE and likewise MelBOURNE when it should be Melbun, GEElong when it should be G'long.

Cuts both ways, in the UK, Thames equals Tems, Cholmondley equals Chumley, Milngavie equals Mulguy, Beauchamp equals Beecham etc.
I say Manchester but everyone else says something which sounds like Munchster; people in the north (which is south to me in Scotland) also talk of things like 'I was sat over there' and footballers/managers talk of 'getting a result' (well I think it's fair to say you will either win, lose or get a draw so you will get a result) and 'the boys done well'. Don't get me started on things like 'has the bell went'.
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Old Apr 23rd 2013, 3:28 pm
  #155  
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by OzTennis
One thing that slightly irritates me is hearing my country pronounced OARstralia by those who inhabit the SE and likewise MelBOURNE when it should be Melbun, GEElong when it should be G'long.

Cuts both ways, in the UK, Thames equals Tems, Cholmondley equals Chumley, Milngavie equals Mulguy, Beauchamp equals Beecham etc.
I say Manchester but everyone else says something which sounds like Munchster; people in the north (which is south to me in Scotland) also talk of things like 'I was sat over there' and footballers/managers talk of 'getting a result' (well I think it's fair to say you will either win, lose or get a draw so you will get a result) and 'the boys done well'. Don't get me started on things like 'has the bell went'.
Yes but if non-Aussies were to say Melbun, wouldn't it sound like we are taking the piss? Isn't it more Melburn (slight hint of an 'r')...?
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Old Apr 23rd 2013, 3:31 pm
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shard
In Canada it is more about diction and grammar than accent. A tradesperson will often have simpler constructions and pepper their speech with colloquialisms, but the actual accent is not that far removed from a senior professional. I assumed that Oz would be the same way!



Yep, describes Australia to a 't'. Mind you, I do think that my voice is more pleasing to the ear than, say, Julia Gillard's. Then again, so is almost everyone's.
Midlands and Merseyside regularly top the most unpopular regional accents charts. I need an interpreter to understand what Jamie Carragher is saying in his interviews. One funny thing is that we were back in Melbourne when the Glasgow airport terrorist incident was on and on the local news when they interviewed the Glaswegian baggage handler who semi-thwart the terrorists there were SUBTITLES at the bottom of the screen.
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Old Apr 23rd 2013, 3:35 pm
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by Shard
Yes but if non-Aussies were to say Melbun, wouldn't it sound like we are taking the piss? Isn't it more Melburn (slight hint of an 'r')...?
Yeah might do but OARstralia etc, rightly or wrongly sounds a bit condescending to my ears. Sue Barker is an awful one for the 'OARstralian Open'. We could argue forever more on Melbun or Melburn - it probably depends on what side of the Yarra you come from.
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Old Apr 23rd 2013, 3:38 pm
  #158  
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by OzTennis
Yeah might do but OARstralia etc, rightly or wrongly sounds a bit condescending to my ears. Sue Barker is an awful one for the 'OARstralian Open'. We could argue forever more on Melbun or Melburn - it probably depends on what side of the Yarra you come from.
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Old Apr 23rd 2013, 3:40 pm
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by OzTennis
Midlands and Merseyside regularly top the most unpopular regional accents charts. I need an interpreter to understand what Jamie Carragher is saying in his interviews. One funny thing is that we were back in Melbourne when the Glasgow airport terrorist incident was on and on the local news when they interviewed the Glaswegian baggage handler who semi-thwart the terrorists there were SUBTITLES at the bottom of the screen.
Tell me about it, I'm an Aussie married to a Scouser!! Took me ages to understand what he was saying, and by then it was too late

btw - I've just pronounced 'Melbourne' out loud a few times, much to the puzzlement of my dog, and I'm ashamed to say it came out as 'Melbun' every time
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Old Apr 23rd 2013, 3:42 pm
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse
Tell me about it, I'm an Aussie married to a Scouser!! Took me ages to understand what he was saying, and by then it was too late

btw - I've just pronounced 'Melbourne' out loud a few times, much to the puzzlement of my dog, and I'm ashamed to say it came out as 'Melbun' every time
Scouse accent is bar none the most opaque of all British regional accents! Unless you're scouse, of course.
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Old Apr 23rd 2013, 3:49 pm
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by Shard
Scouse accent is bar none the most opaque of all British regional accents! Unless you're scouse, of course.
Yes, they seem to natter among themselves quite easily...

First time I went to Liverpool, we went to my husband's brother's house for dinner (sorry, for tea). His niece was getting ready to go out, and kept dashing up and down the stairs. Eventually she sat beside me and asked......something. I was jetlagged, bemused and bewildered, and do you think for the life of me I could work out what she was saying? Of course, by this time everyone was looking so I took a wild guess that she was saying 'do I look alright'? Wanting to get in the new in-laws good books, I answered 'you look beautiful!'
After everyone had finished falling about laughing, I was told what she really said - 'would you like a vodka'?
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Old Apr 23rd 2013, 4:45 pm
  #162  
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by Shard
Scouse accent is bar none the most opaque of all British regional accents! Unless you're scouse, of course.
It's amazing how that accent even held up over time, considering that most people be it north, east or south would probably comprehend a Klingon more just by having watched Star Trek.
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Old Apr 24th 2013, 2:06 am
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by Shard
Yes but if non-Aussies were to say Melbun, wouldn't it sound like we are taking the piss? Isn't it more Melburn (slight hint of an 'r')...?
no, it's not taking the piss....
I say something between m'bun and Mel'brn....
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Old Apr 25th 2013, 4:18 am
  #164  
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

I am a brit moving back to the UK.I have lived 11 long years in melbourne, perth and sydney.i have no complaints about the weather.it is not fair to give a reason to hate australia just because of weather.
Any developed nation is better than australia.
To be honest there is no culture in Australia. Go overseas and then people will understand culture.

and you say anything negative about aussies you get potty mouthed backlash with the usual "Its real simple if you don't like it here then go back to where you came from .*** off"

Aussies are obsessed with what everyone thinks of them. They think that everything is always all about them.For Aussies, what even anonymous strangers think of them matters a great deal.The Australian economy relies on commodities, like iron ore. Once China stops buying our iron ore, that will be the end of the "mining boom".

This country has had it's issues with racism, but now it's even worse as they have become Americanized. So not only is this country saturated with such ignorant racists, it's now incredibly stupid, self-centered and egotistical.

There is a huge secret obsession with america.but in person the more you show your hostility towards americans the more patriotic aussie you are.talk about hypocrites.
Australian movie industry is down ..they hardly produce any quality movies.. even aussies don't watch those pathetic movies..no good aussie tv shows or sitcoms.unanimously they are obsessed with and can't live without american movies,america tv shows and sitcoms.and if there is an aussie actor in hollywood movie , it is a sense of pride for them. they talk about it all the time and try to support the movie by watching it many times.
have you heard of any aussie scientists? any research from australia? any discovery or inventions? nothing.. not even space research.Empty boasting as the greatest country in the world.
you can never have a decent conversation with them.they always bring australia into the conversation and saying how beautiful australia .. banging on and on and on there is no merit behind it.you tune into any international news channels or read any newspaper from asia, europe and america , you will not find australia making into the news in everyday life.why? because the world community doesn't really care about some country somewhere down under.this kind of isolation has forced aussies to make them look better among others so they keep banging to others how great they are.sick of it.when you say anything negativeabout australia you get a foul mouthed response.they are consistently worried what others think of them.this is not helping them .it only makes them look bad.even the australia media is pathetic.they actually believe they are better than everyone and how wonderful they are and how beautiful the country is.

it is true some of the places have natural beauty but they are so far away.you have to drive to those places for hours and can't get back in a day or two.once you get there you have absolutely no idea what to do after watching it.because? .Nothing else to do.and most of the land is not even habitable.
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Old Apr 25th 2013, 5:48 am
  #165  
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Default Re: Australia better than Canada?

Originally Posted by Hugh Lowell
I am a brit moving back to the UK.I have lived 11 long years in melbourne, perth and sydney..
What a rant of a first post ! Eleven years and three cities is solid Aussie experience. Did you stay so long because of work?
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