SultanOfSwing

Perhaps it would be best to choose a third, just to really confuse things.

Sally Redux

Oi am a coider drinkerrr

SultanOfSwing

That's the spirit. I said that in a Geordie accent, of course.

Sally Redux

"It's a trap!"

SultanOfSwing

Jonion

Orlroight, ow yam doin?

AmerLisa

Yes... But I was at a loss this morning to come up with a better description.

Sally Redux

The main thing is, it's less thick now

MarylandNed

I'm originally from Northern Ireland, spent about 8 years living in England, 7 in Canada and the last 16 in the US. As many of you are probably aware, a NI accent that has been anglicized can sound very North American. So a lot of people here understand what I say and actually think I'm from somewhere in North America (I usually get accused of being from Canada). My wife has a very English accent and has all sorts of trouble getting people to understand her. I often have to translate!

My 2 daughters got jobs at a local restaurant (just outside Washington DC) a couple of summers ago as hostesses and were the only kids who could understand British accents. Whenever someone from the UK would come in, one of my daughters would be dispatched to deal with them.

Before the others knew this, one of my daughters was chatting away to an English woman and got her party seated. When she went back up front, one of the other hostesses said "How did you understand what that woman said?" My daughter, very confused, said "How could you not?" One of the benefits of having an English mum! And spending many hours watching BBC America with her!

On another occasion at the restaurant, my other daughter greeted a family from London. Once my daughter heard the accent, she said to the woman in the party "Oh you're from London aren't you? What part of London are you from?" The woman was amazed and said "Oh you probably don't know our part of London". My daughter said "Sure I do. I used to live there and I visited my uncle there recently". "We're from Kingsbury in NW London" came the reply. My daughter had recently stayed in Kingsbury with my brother and we used to live in Canons Park which is nearby! The English woman was even more amazed and there then followed a conversation about Kingsbury! Again the other hostesses looked on in amazement! Oh the benefits of being bilingual!

AmerLisa

I will run that by him tonite and see what he thinks of me referring to him as having a "thick accent"

Sally Redux

Report back

MMcD

And while you're at it find out if he thinks thin makes thick ok.

AmerLisa

Google is my friend, I think.. Anyway, trying to find another descriptive term for thick accent and I've come up with heavy and broad.

MMcD

Regional accent or strong regional accent

BTW: I've always heard thick used as an adverb...."My god, she's thick", not an adjective.
That's why I couldn't grasp what Sally meant

If I said "Would you cut a thick slice for me please?....I don't think anyone would think I wanted a stupid slice.

But then I'm a thick Yank so maybe the adjective, adverb suggestion is....well thick

AmerLisa

Actually I mentioned this discussion to my husband tonite. "Hey honey, I told some people that you didn't really have a thick accent." He agreed with me that he didn't. Then I told him that someone had suggested that thick equates to stupid (which of course it can) and he thought that perhaps they were equating thick accents to a slow and dimwitted person. His example was someone who is like a country bumpkin, he did give examples from the UK, I'll not post because I'll be stuck in the middle, yet again.