Sound Familiar to anyone?
Mar 22nd 2007, 2:28 pm
#16
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Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
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Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
Indeed it is. I confess I was nonplussed when someone started talking to me in the hardware store, at first I thought she must be begging but taking a long while to get to the point.
Mar 22nd 2007, 2:31 pm
#17
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Joined: Nov 2006
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Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
I'm not British and guilty of saying those words too, but never with the intent of making fun of anyone as I have my own accent; I make that comment simply because I do love the sound of proper English being spoken, it sounds very regal to my ears and wish I could speak like you so please don't get offended when someone tells you they like your accent, chances are they mean it.
Mar 22nd 2007, 2:33 pm
#18
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Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
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Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
No, its called "civility", it might take a while to get used to it after living in the big bad city for so long...
Mar 22nd 2007, 2:37 pm
#19
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Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
They think its great when I say "bloody hell" . I also get the quotes from Monty Python.
I called someone a "cheeky sod" yesturday they seem to think that was funny.
Mar 22nd 2007, 2:59 pm
#21
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Joined: Oct 2006
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Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
I, too, have heard the "talking funny" discourse. The funniest reply, though, was when a lady from Saskatchewan showed me a document (after a couple of hours of chit-chat) and gently asked me "Can you read English?" I blinked in amazement and said "Er... beg pardon?"
"Well", she replied, "with this French accent of yours..."
"Well", she replied, "with this French accent of yours..."
All 3 of us have been mistaken for either Aussie or Kiwi.
Mar 22nd 2007, 3:11 pm
#22
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Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
A few weeks ago a boy walked up to my daughter in school(8th grade)and said "g'day mate" bold as brass and thinking he was being funny. She replied "I beg your pardon", "You're Australian aren't you" he said.I can just imagine the the poor lads face when he was on the recieving end of one of her looks and her reply "er,no,actually I'm English'.
All 3 of us have been mistaken for either Aussie or Kiwi.
All 3 of us have been mistaken for either Aussie or Kiwi.
It is funny what you get told as well. Within a few days of landing someone said to us that you cant possibly use the word mate, because the Canadians wont understand what you mean. Stupid eh?
Mar 22nd 2007, 3:12 pm
#23
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Location: small town SW Ontario
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Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
Sweet mother of God! What kind of redneck hicks are you running into?? I'm from small town Canada, and I don't think I've ever had trouble understand someone from England due to their accent. Maybe it's because my mom watched Coronation St. when I was growing up?
I do believe that people make a big deal of your accents, though. I love languages and accents, so I've been known to comment (not to strangers, though). We had exchange students from everywhere when I was in high school. The only time communication became an issue was when there were vocabulary differences.
Here in Hong Kong, most British people I've met have been great. However, I met this one #$%$ from London. She proceeded to rant and rave about how Americans don't speak English, they speak American. Finally, I said 'well, Canadian accents are very similar to American accents, so does this mean that I don't speak English?' She said 'that's right'. Even though I was seething, I calmy informed her that if I didn't speak English then there's no way we would be having this very civil conversation. Is this a common sentiment in the U.K.? I mean, I can understand all of you getting pissed off if people tell you that you 'talk funny', considering you're from the Motherland, but still....
I do believe that people make a big deal of your accents, though. I love languages and accents, so I've been known to comment (not to strangers, though). We had exchange students from everywhere when I was in high school. The only time communication became an issue was when there were vocabulary differences.
Here in Hong Kong, most British people I've met have been great. However, I met this one #$%$ from London. She proceeded to rant and rave about how Americans don't speak English, they speak American. Finally, I said 'well, Canadian accents are very similar to American accents, so does this mean that I don't speak English?' She said 'that's right'. Even though I was seething, I calmy informed her that if I didn't speak English then there's no way we would be having this very civil conversation. Is this a common sentiment in the U.K.? I mean, I can understand all of you getting pissed off if people tell you that you 'talk funny', considering you're from the Motherland, but still....
Actually I don't get pissed off by it.......I just reply "Moi? Speak funny? Ah, that's because I'm a filthy foreigner"......which usually breaks the ice......
On reflection - I recently got really angry because I was told I didn't get a certain job - telephone surveys - because I sound "too English"....but that's, so far, the only incident.
I gave the company the benefit of the doubt; maybe they were afraid I'd have to repeat myself too often to those on the other end of the phone. I doubt if I'll ever lose my accent - I've had it for far too long. Eventually you do adopt some of the phraseology, though, which can make life a little easier, eh!
Mar 22nd 2007, 3:42 pm
#24
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Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
For a split second I hesitated between telling her (gently!) to sod off and giving her a "dang, ma'am, I sure can git it done" in a Larry-the-Cable-Guy voice. Hey, she said North America, not "the Northern part of North America", didn't she?... Absolutely. The local vocabulary/phraseology creeps upon you unknowingly.
Mar 22nd 2007, 4:00 pm
#25
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Location: Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island, BC
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Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
A few weeks ago a boy walked up to my daughter in school(8th grade)and said "g'day mate" bold as brass and thinking he was being funny. She replied "I beg your pardon", "You're Australian aren't you" he said.I can just imagine the the poor lads face when he was on the recieving end of one of her looks and her reply "er,no,actually I'm English'.
All 3 of us have been mistaken for either Aussie or Kiwi.
All 3 of us have been mistaken for either Aussie or Kiwi.
she politely told her rain and walked away 
Mar 22nd 2007, 4:03 pm
#26
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Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
I have also been mistaken for being Australian. My husband has been more than me though, as he has a bit of a cockney geeza accent and says mate a lot.
It is funny what you get told as well. Within a few days of landing someone said to us that you cant possibly use the word mate, because the Canadians wont understand what you mean. Stupid eh?
It is funny what you get told as well. Within a few days of landing someone said to us that you cant possibly use the word mate, because the Canadians wont understand what you mean. Stupid eh?
No offence like.
Mar 22nd 2007, 4:55 pm
#27
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Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
When I was in England last summer I was asked on a number of occasions if I was American. I guess if your travelling (or living) somewhere where people speak with an accent different from your own, the questions are bound to come up - and some may be pretty dumb
Come to think of it, the only guy who asked if I was Canadian was an Italian guy in Leeds who could barley speak English.
I'm curious though if there is anywhere in the UK where the natural accent does sound like us here in Canada. We all came here from somewhere else after all.
Come to think of it, the only guy who asked if I was Canadian was an Italian guy in Leeds who could barley speak English.
I'm curious though if there is anywhere in the UK where the natural accent does sound like us here in Canada. We all came here from somewhere else after all.
Mar 22nd 2007, 5:00 pm
#28
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,606
Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
[QUOTE=rwin;4547927]Come to think of it, the only guy who asked if I was Canadian was an Italian guy in Leeds who could barley speak English./QUOTE]
That characteristic is common to most people in Leeds. Particularly if they've been on the barley.
That characteristic is common to most people in Leeds. Particularly if they've been on the barley.
Mar 22nd 2007, 7:12 pm
#29
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Mar 22nd 2007, 7:20 pm
#30
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Re: Sound Familiar to anyone?
In Canada we call snow (*$#%(*&@#$^$#%&%$*(#@
Especially in March.
Especially in March.