Re: 'British' accents
 

I get asked if I'm Scottish all the time too. I've had people ask if I'm from England and when I say no Ireland (no point in saying Northern Ireland as a lot of people don't know the difference) they apologize thinking they've really insulted me as all Irish people must surely hate the English:rofl:

Re: 'British' accents
 

I speak with near enough RP* and still get asked not infrequently if I am from Australia. It's a puzzlement but not restricted just to Newfoundland or indeed Canada, as I got asked the same thing when visiting USA.

* the RP sometimes goes a bit "Estuarial' which I put dahn to livin' in Essex all thoze years. I usually do it to annoy the wife who doesn't feel that 'Awlright Treacle?' is an acceptable form of address.;)

Re: 'British' accents
 

Yes that is true too, we have had that as well:rofl: Sometimes I say NI and then they say "oh Dublin" and I'm like...... oh this is a lost cause:p

The Scottishness would be even stronger in your accent though Elaine than in mine, you being from Larne and all that, us mere mortals from South Down don't have just as strong a Scottish accent as you lot up there in the wilds of Antrim:rofl:

Re: 'British' accents
 

But (Howard would no doubt like to know) how many times did they ask about your social class?

Re: 'British' accents
 

I am a Lord doncha know? Bloody colonials.;)

Re: 'British' accents
 

Well, of course, I know that. But you'd never guess from your accent.

Re: 'British' accents
 

You make a good point Larne is only 20 miles from Scotland!

Re: 'British' accents
 

Same here, the majority of new Canadians meet ask why I moved here from Australia. Seems they find it difficult to differentiate between an antipodean and an English accent.

Re: 'British' accents
 

It's all just payback for the confused looks and comments we get when traveling in the UK ;)

Re: 'British' accents
 

I've mentioned this before but it's fun to repeat.

We used to have a flying instructor at the airport I worked at who also came from Liverpool. So one day as a joke I issued his take-off clearance with a thick scouse accent.
His student turned to him with a totally befuddled look and asked what language that was?
The instructor calmly stated it was English, why what did it sound like to him?
The poor student replied he thought it might have been Korean?:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Needless to say had I not lost a substantial amount of my accent prior to 1972 I doubt I would ever have been employed as an Air Traffic Controller. :(

Cheers
Steve

Re: 'British' accents
 

As in where aboot is that shop!! Better keep with it then, so maybe folk will think I'm a true Canadian ;) when we get there. I'll fit right in! well when I talk to people from the US that is!! :rofl:

Re: 'British' accents
 

Well ....... as I still sound as though I just hopped off the boat I am usually asked if I am either:

English
Irish
Australian

Here where we stay there are quite a lot of Scots, so if someone needs to ask ..... they missed the "burr" in the accent ;)

At a Burn's Supper the other night I recited a couple of verses of the "Jeely Piece" song............. now that confused them!!

Re: 'British' accents
 

I too think I have a near enough RP Surrey accent, just with slightly toned down "a" due to the years living up't'north and constant nagging by Mr L2S. e.g. prouncing path as "path" instead of with the southern hard "a" as "pa'r'th"

- 80% think I am a Kiwi (and think they are really clever for not accusing me of being an Ozie, in the whole not accusing a Canadian of being a Yank type way)

- 10% think I am a Ozie

- 6% South African

- 4% British

Maybe being blond, sporty, frequenting ski resorts no Brits would go to and working in engineering means that I can't be British!

The Canadian guy I was sat next to on the chairlift at Sun Peaks at Christmas, who asked me what part of Oz I was from (cos no Brits go to Sun Peaks!) said that my accent was very "corrupt"...hhmmm

Whenever people ask me where I am from, I deliberately reply saying that we live in the westend of Vancouver, when I know that they are asking where my "accent" is from.

No-one can understand Mr L2S after a few beers when his Lancashire slur comes out

Re: 'British' accents
 

At my last job in the UK there was a guy there who sounded so Irish the first ever time I met him. But no-one else knew who the Irish guy on the 7th floor was, until we worked out that I had mistaken a American accent for being Irish.

To this day, this American guy is know as Irish John. I wonder if anyone remembers how he got this nick-name?

Re: 'British' accents
 

I (Canadian) can't hear very well fullstop, but when I'm pretty sure about an accent I will purposefully make the wrong assumption... just to be a shit. ;)

I'm 40 going on 11. :o