Aha! A convert. We'll have dbd33 speaking metric next.

Should we follow Flanders and Swann's advice when talking to eminent men of science such as yourself?

"Ah, H2SO4, Professor. And the reciprocal of pi to your good wife."

You can regard me a fake all you like - I still have my manc accent but it's only wording that has changed so that people here can understand what I'm on about. I would, however, say that you must be one big attention seeker, loves to hog the limelight when you talk to Canadians. "Hey, look at me, talking all British lingo and everyfink, and you don't understand a word I'm saying". It just gives you an excuse to draw more attention to yourself and talk some more of your britishness while you explain your way around jumper/sweater, boot/trunk, bonnet/hood, petrol/gas, loo/washroom, and the likes. As a previous poster has said, there are more valid reasons to be p*ssed off than just a bloody accent!! Get a grip

Ah divvn't knaa wit yer taakin aboot, hinny.

You can regard me a fake all you like - I still have my manc accent but it's only wording that has changed so that people here can understand what I'm on about. I would, however, say that you must be one big attention seeker, loves to hog the limelight when you talk to Canadians. "Hey, look at me, talking all British lingo and everyfink, and you don't understand a word I'm saying". It just gives you an excuse to draw more attention to yourself and talk some more of your britishness while you explain your way around jumper/sweater, boot/trunk, bonnet/hood, petrol/gas, loo/washroom, and the likes. As a previous poster has said, there are more valid reasons to be p*ssed off than just a bloody accent!! Get a grip
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Calm down dear, no need to get your knickers in a twist, actually you must consider Canadians pretty stupid if you think you need to explain words like petrol/ loo/ etc. I have never needed to translate.Very patronising.I dont think I have ever said "everyfink" in my life.
And whats wrong with speaking "all British"? I am British. Would you expect visiting Canadians to Manchester to suddenly start speaking as though they were auditioning for Oasis.
Why would you insult the intelligence of canadians by assuming that they will only be able to understand you if you attempt a poor imitation of their accent.

Annie

It seems a rather trivial thing to be concerned about, however....

I moved from Canada to Saudi Arabia, finally coming to the UK at the tender age of 10.

The minute I hit the school playground, my North American Accent brought ridicule / insults / bulying etc... You can guess it went within a week, and I was forced to 'learn' to speak in a British Accent . This is a learned accent of the area - SW London / Surrey, however on starting Uni in Leeds - guess what - I became a notherner for 3 years!

I would go on holiday to Ireland / Australia and so forth, and start talking 'like the locals'. It is not because I am trying, I am naturally able to speak like those around me. My mother has never really lost her Canadian Accent and I speak Canadian to her.

My brother too had to learn to speak English, however, he was a year and a half younger than me, and on starting Uni in Newcastle didn't become 'native'. He now lives in Houston and does for the most part still speak with a british accent - although he does have a twang.

I am no fake, and no doubt will have my canadian accent back to perfection within a month of being there - but then again, I don't really care if that p*sses people off!:curse:

Bandit

rant over !!!!

You're scaring me now. http://youtube.com/watch?v=-FF95JjCdaM

The Canadians for whom English isn't a first language seem to have a real problem with it. They're only tuned into Canadian accents, they're not expecting anything else and it throws them. Mr B will never order fast food, he makes me do it - if he goes to the counter he comes back with the wrong stuff every time because he can't/won't modify his speech or pace.

He sees nothing wrong in saying things like "I'll give you a bell in a fortnight" and wondering why people look at him like he's got two heads

Are you sure. This was from your own post a couple of months back:

I miss..
Next
My decent hairdresser
The Sea
Hearing English voices
The telly
Not having to repeat myself to be understood

Er.... Repeat means to say something over again...
Translate means to explain the meaning of...
No. Ive never found it necessary to translate.

Completely different.

Maybe they've have come up against the people I met who told me I should lose my English accent - it would help me find work! I've mentioned this in MBTTUK forum......... it happens quite a lot in this part of Ontario. :curse: I've had my accent a long time and don't intend to get rid of it. What I do find, though, is I pick up words - gas for petrol, garbage instead of rubbish, and so on; have done for years, so even when I'm back home I use them.

That's the spirit, shout louder and louder until the colonials finally get what you're on about

Absolutely. If Johnny Foreigner doesn't understand the Queen's English, just
S P E A K
L O U D E R
A N D
M O R E
S L O W L Y

Who mentioned shouting? No need to shout (or adopt a phoney cringey accent either)

Ahhh ha, that's so funny, cos you have just said that they can't understand what you are saying, probably because of your accent.