when your accent becomes a figure of speech
#31
Re: when your accent becomes a figure of speech
I try not to be an old duffer who moans about evolving language - of course language evolves, otherwise we'd still all be saying prithee and verily and spiffing and spazzo. But I have certainly raised an internal eyebrow at the speed of the almost univeral adoption of "Can I get...?" instead of "May I have...?"
#33
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Location: Cayman Islands
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Re: when your accent becomes a figure of speech
Sometimes, one gets it wrong. On a commuter train in Australia a few years ago, I overheard a young brownskin woman advising some man to get off at the next station and ask the stationmaster for directions to (wherever). Except she didn't say "ask", but "aks". Now that's a very Caribbean variant, and I asked (aksed!) her was she from there, and which island. No she wasn't, she said; she was Fijian. But her boyfriend (not present) was from Grenada! She actually was not aware that she had picked up the word from him, until I mentioned it. So... Not her accent, but her specific variant - was in full accordance with the spirit of this thread, I think.
#34
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Location: British Columbia
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Re: when your accent becomes a figure of speech
It's French. Ouvre la lumiere is "turn on the light" in French, but it literally translates to open the light. My anglophone ex from Montreal used to say it all the time. I have never heard it said in English in Canada outside of Quebec.
#35
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Re: when your accent becomes a figure of speech
I have heard Jamaicans order "Out de light", when they want it to be switched off.
#36
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Joined: Mar 2017
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Re: when your accent becomes a figure of speech
I can't understand Canadians use of the word "borrowed" instead of using "lent" as in. I borrowed him my car.
As a youngster in England i also could not understand why northerners put "happen" at the start of sentences.
As a youngster in England i also could not understand why northerners put "happen" at the start of sentences.
#39
Re: when your accent becomes a figure of speech
At this point I would be surprised if my accent did change as it seems to have frozen when I left (the posh, leafy suburbs of) Sheffield, (coincidentally about half a mile from where I think Jersey Girl was living at the time) when I was eight years old.
Living in Glaw-ster until I finished school didn't leave any impression on my accent, nor did uni and work in Landan. So here I am in NC, mostly sounding like I stepped off the plane yesterday.
Although I consciously adopted a lot of local vocabulary here in NC, and certain specific pronunciations - gah-raj, ledduce, and to-may-to (please don't judge me! ) among others, though not 'erbs!, there are still certain British words and phrases that I like to use. And recently, having, according to her, never used the word within her earshot in 22 years of marriage, and after first thinking I had said "wedge", Mrs P accused me of "making up" the word "wodge"! Luckily Google came to the rescue.
..... On a commuter train in Australia a few years ago, I overheard a young brownskin woman advising some man to get off at the next station and ask the stationmaster for directions to (wherever). Except she didn't say "ask", but "aks". Now that's a very Caribbean variant, .....
Last edited by Pulaski; Dec 2nd 2022 at 12:54 am.
#40
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Re: when your accent becomes a figure of speech
When I first left Australia - in 1963, aged 23 - I had such a strong accent (Queensland) that I had trouble being understood by Brits. But it was only once I hit the European mainland that I had to make a serious effort to sort out my vowel-sounds. ("val sans" at that point.) And of course I had to drop the Australian idiom, pretty much fully. But every once in a while I come across a new phrase that appeals to me, and I adopt it readily. The latest one is the endearing custom of saying "yeah... nah". "Yes I understand what you said, but no I don't want to, or don't agree." "Do you want another drink?" "Do you think this batsman will make a century today?" "Yeah... nah."
#41
Re: when your accent becomes a figure of speech
Or failing that, "effect" (depending on whether you're using "impact" as a verb or a noun) which I am sure to the surprise of many, is an entirely different word.
#42
dah diddly dah
Joined: Jan 2015
Location: White Rock BC
Posts: 155
Re: when your accent becomes a figure of speech
When I first left Australia - in 1963, aged 23 - I had such a strong accent (Queensland) that I had trouble being understood by Brits. But it was only once I hit the European mainland that I had to make a serious effort to sort out my vowel-sounds. ("val sans" at that point.) And of course I had to drop the Australian idiom, pretty much fully. But every once in a while I come across a new phrase that appeals to me, and I adopt it readily. The latest one is the endearing custom of saying "yeah... nah". "Yes I understand what you said, but no I don't want to, or don't agree." "Do you want another drink?" "Do you think this batsman will make a century today?" "Yeah... nah."
Regarding yeah, here in the Vancouver area of BC the word for yes seems to be "yah". I hadn't noticed it in Ontario so perhaps it's a west coast thing.
#43
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Joined: May 2021
Location: Stony Plain, AB
Posts: 102
Re: when your accent becomes a figure of speech
Back in Bristol, at knocking off time (when everyone finished work at 5pm), a friend of mine would shout 'douse all glims!', think it's olde english for blow out the candles. We were in a drawing office where the drawing boards had individual lights clamped on, those were the days ☺.
#44
Re: when your accent becomes a figure of speech
When I first left Australia - in 1963, aged 23 - I had such a strong accent (Queensland) that I had trouble being understood by Brits. But it was only once I hit the European mainland that I had to make a serious effort to sort out my vowel-sounds. ("val sans" at that point.) And of course I had to drop the Australian idiom, pretty much fully. But every once in a while I come across a new phrase that appeals to me, and I adopt it readily. The latest one is the endearing custom of saying "yeah... nah". "Yes I understand what you said, but no I don't want to, or don't agree." "Do you want another drink?" "Do you think this batsman will make a century today?" "Yeah... nah."
#45
Formerly known as Hangman
Joined: Jun 2014
Location: Calgary
Posts: 519
Re: when your accent becomes a figure of speech
Well sh*t, I go away for two and half years and the first thread I look at it's like I've never been away.
Looks like about half the contributors are the same old reprobates that were here when I left.
Looks like about half the contributors are the same old reprobates that were here when I left.