Kaffy Mintcake

I say "Crayg" essentially, is that what you say or not? Some names are just tricky like that. My husband's name is Mort (short for Morton) and whenever he introduces himself people assume he said Mark. We usually end up saying, "Mort, short for Morton, like the salt".

Kaffy Mintcake

When we flew to Edinburgh the pilot welcomed us to "Edin-berg". I think Edin"borough" is closer to being correct.

Kaffy Mintcake

Give one of the Americans on the forum a phone call. I guarantee you still sound British.

elfman

It's "Embra" in Trainspotting.

kimilseung

In Sunnydale, California, the Scooby gang say "Hell mouth"; but what I want to know is why doesn't Giles say "Hellmth"?

southerncomfort

Being a librarian surrounded by Californian teenagers can seriously effect your vocabulary.

like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like...

Tootsfromscotland

I've only been here 5 months but I can almost guarantee I won't lose my scottish accent. We lived in Florida 15 years ago for a year and I didn't develop so much as an american twang.

Granted I have to make some concessions with the names of things (or else I'd be faced with endless plates of crisps when I actually wanted chips!) and I have had to make a few changes with the way I spell things. Then of course there's the date thing being written backwards!

Otherwise, I am the source of much intrigue and hilarity at work with my scottish brogue and I intend to keep it like that! Indeed, I have been informed by my american co-workers that I'm getting even more difficult to understand! (admittedly I do this on purpose ..eg today when someone knocked on the department door, I answered "awa' ye go, thir's naebdee in!"...and much to my amusement and enjoyment, the puzzled expressions on my co-workers faces kept me giggling all day!

snowbunny

Yes - we as Americans tend to do that. I made my Professor Higgins quite cross once when I informed him that a television character he referred to as "Carrie" was really called "Kerry." He stuffily replied that those two names are pronounced quite differently in England - and they are.

I really like the name "Bernard" when pronounced in the English accent - it sounds horrid in the American accent, in part because we've kept the original French stress on the second syllable.

Craig1987

One of my best friends is called Aaron. He prefers the pronounciation "Air-on" so that's what I use when I talk to people with that name. It is a Dilemna though as I can see why some people might prefer the other pronounciation "Aaaaaron".

It is quite strange. There's no real formula to it. American's have their own little language at times. It will be fun to try and blend in.

Although I refuse to say Aloominum... It's Aluminium...

Your friend has a better reason for using an assumed name though... At least Americans will make an attempt to pronounce my name... Not having a go at Americans here. I'm sure there are plenty of American Craig's happy to be called "creg". It's just one of those things that will annoy the hell out of me...

I live in glasgow. Americans tend to pronounce this as "Glass Gow"... Should really be pronounced "Glazgo"... I have noticed the "Scatland" thing too.

Yes. That is the correct (at least in Britain) pronounciation. I have an unusual surname (due to adoption) and that get's a lot of annoying mis-pronounciations... Even though it is very straightforward and pronounced phonetically.

It is correct, although we have a tendency to say "Edin-bru"... At least in glasgow anyway... I'm feeling a bit hypocritical now...



I have to try this.

S Folinsky

A long time ago, I had a boss who spoke perfect RP. When asked where in England was he from, he would smile and say "Johannesburg."

S Folinsky

[QUOTE=Bob;9206539

Bit awkward as apparently our doctor was originally from NJ He took it well though [/QUOTE]I am a native Angeleno as are my two adult daughters. However, I am married to a Jersey Girl -- and damn if all of us pronounce "coffee" as a diphthong. Younger daughter worked for a while at Starbucks and everyone wanted to know where in "Joisy" she was from.

BTW, my dual national expat brother-in-law would often called on to translate between those who spoke Cornish and those who spoke Scottish -- it seems that they both understand "Joisy."

S Folinsky

This has been posted before.

robin1234

This is very true - and it is not just regional variations, but social class and age that contribute to different accents.

One characteristic of American speech that I hear from only a minority of Americans is dropping the "h" in words like "huge" .. there is one newsreader on NPR News who dropped the "h" in these three words over the last couple of days; huge, Hughes (as in Howard Hughes), and humanitarian. Related, and even weirder to my ears, is the reversing of the "w" and "h" in words like "where" .. I pronounce the words "where" and "ware" exactly alike, but some (many?) Americans say it so it sounds like "h-ware" ..?

robin1234

Yes that is rude, makes it seem like a shitty country..

S Folinsky

Actually, one of the tests to ascertain what part of the US an American comes from is the sentence

"Mary is merry because she is going to marry John."

BTW, I am amused at this thread because there are many different accents in this country. Same with the UK, no? -- see this link.