Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

I have come across 1 person who says I sound posh, I think people in LA are just rude though and can understand me but choose to be picky:frown:

Where in Yorkshire are you from Zargof? I have the misfortune to have a Wakefield accent, probably one of the worse around:(

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

A Wakefield accent is pretty grim :p
My accent is a mixture of Dewsbury and South Cumbria and people over here have a hard time believing I come from anywhere other than Scotland or Australia :frown:

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

Occasionally, I've been asked here where we-meaning DH AND I are from. I can understand why they would ask about him, but me, er not so much. :blink:

Anyway, I answer, he's from old England and I'm from New England. :D

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

We tell people DH is from Kentucky.

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

A former neighbour in Greenwich was a well spoken middle class young man from Jamaica and he used Axe (ask) and Flim (film), I learned such words come from Jamaican Patois and are used by speakers of Jamaican Standard English (although he was discouraged by his parents who thought it low class). In contrast a Trinidadian friend now living in CA speaks perfect RP (with a very sexy baritone) and uses no Patois, so this must be a Jamaican thing. There are significant Jamaican expat communities in Miami, New York City, Toronto, Hartford, & here in Washington, D.C, so it makes sense some African-Americans pick up and adopt Patois words.

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

There's quite a bit of "axe for ask" type stuff going on here in South Louisiana.
Some of the broad Cajun accents can be pretty difficult to understand.

When I was working offshore earlier this year, a guy on the platform listened to me talk to someone else for a while then asked me if I was from "up north". I think he meant New York rather than Yorkshire. :rofl:

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

LOLOLOLOL!! :lol:

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

Googlin' it appears axe is in fact used in Trinidad Patois. One site suggests it's used in Scouse dialect so maybe it has a much older etymology, perhaps brought to the Caribbean by Liverpudlians and from there via the South into African American vernacular English?

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

Yes, also St Lucia etc. Not an indicator of social class or education.

This reminds me of a time, a year or two ago, when I was in a pub in Hammersmith. I'd stepped outside for a smoke and saw this young, white kid walk up to another smoker and ask for a cigarette - in a cod "black gangsta" accent.

The man replied "That depends, why are you talking like a n****r?", then looked up to see about 15 to 20 black people walking past! :eek:

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

Except- I had a friend from LA born and bred, who was white and used axe....... :D

Also oysters is another one, she used to pronouce it oys churs.

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

This etymology dictionary suggests ax for ask was a common dialect variation in old/middle English, so maybe it's another example of where some American's have kept older versions of words than we have.

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

I thik that's true, it's just survived more in some areas more than others. Goodness knows we have some funny old expressions back home.

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

I'm from East Yorkshire, Driffield, a small town about halfway between York and Hell... err... I mean Hull. There are times I've regretted leaving Blighty, but I've never regretted leaving Driffield.

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

I think I've been to Driffield. Pub called the White Horse, gas-lamps, live music?

Re: Is your accent a problem here?
 

Yep, a lot of islanders in Toronto. Years ago I worked with a guy from Trinidad (he pronounced it Trin'dad) When he wanted to mess with you he'd switch to an island patois that was undecipherable.