sky

and I am from Leeds!!! how do they work that out then!

OzTennis

You are thankful that they can't spot where you really come from? (Bound for Division One and all that I mean, Mark Viduka seems to be offering himself around in anticipation of that, Galatasary of Istanbul mentioned lately).

OzTennis

sky

eh?
no idea wot u on about ... bit like when the deep south kiwis talk to me

Gill and Rob

I have the same problem, they guess Scottish first and Irish second. I'm from Co-Durham, with a slight Geordie accent.

Gill

JaneandJim

I'm Northumbrian and the Aussies think I'm Welsh. A Welsh lady here thinks I'm Irish!

Jane

ANA123

I'm a brummie and have also been mistaken for scottish several times
I think here the assumption is if you're not from London you must be scottish, irish or welsh!

OzTennis

Lots of people think Chris Coleman (manager of Fulham) and Neil Kinnock are Geordies rather than Welsh. I've lived in Scotland quite a long time so when I go back home some people think I'm a 'Jock' - no one in Scotland thinks I'm other than an Aussie. I have been accused of being English a few times in Australia also but once I drop a few 'ockerisms' and remember to put an upward inflection at the end of the sentence soon cures that*.

OzTennis

*Why do Aussies go up at the end of their sentences? Because our forebears went down at the start of their's. (with apologies as I've posted this before)

sky

upward inflection I like that, have been wondering what to call it

OzTennis

I saw one of those useless newspaper surveys once which ranked UK regional accents in terms of popularity etc. Geordie and Scots were top and Scouse, Cockney and Brummie were at the bottom.

No doubt it has been raised on here before but regional variations in accents are less noticeble but still distinguishable in Oz. It is usually possible to distinguish someone from Sydney from someone from Melbourne and it is definitely possible to distinguish someone from the 'bush' from someone from the city.
It gets a bit more complicated when it is an expat from Sydney, Melbourne or the bush.

OzTennis

Pants

I'm from Surrey and so far have been asked if I am a kiwi...or from up north.!!!! must be my Hilda Ogden hairdo !!!Lol..

My hubby is an Aussie born and bred and the poor bloke is always mistaken for a pom...by the Aussie's..!!!bless him my accent has certainly rubbed of on him !!

Pants

OzTennis

Sorry, Sky, I didn't want you or anyone to construe that I thought it would be better to be thought of as Irish or Scots than English down under. So I made a reference to the fact that the football team from Leeds is probably about to be relegated. Ya' ken what I mean like?

OzTennis

ducatiandy

I for one find this all very amusing, because everytime I go on holiday be it europe or USA I get asked where in England I am form and I like to correct people by asking them if they are from a country I they don't particularly like! Or are ruled by. i.e. to a kiwi I ask where in Oz are you from and Canadian's which part of US are you from, this usually makes them realise you are not from the offending nation they ask.

PS Born and Bred in Scotland, however my poor father was born in england he is what we call a sasinak.

MeganEkno

Your husband is in the same boat as me!

I go home and they all think I am English. Yet, the English think I am (in their word) "the most Australian Australian they have ever heard". Can't win!!!!

WheelsOfSteel

I am currently listening to radio naidheachdan from the BBC in scotch gaelic and have no idea what they are saying either.

Sounds good though and I got the word Tony Blair a few times...