Laura

Sioneva <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > that *is* funny...my fiance (the uk citizen) *always* has a Texas drawl when he
    > takes a stab at an "American" accent. As someone with a very "neutral" American
    > accent (ie, no one knows where exactly I'm from), I think it's absolutely
    > cringe-inducing
    >
    > Then again, I can't do any kind of accent in English other than my own (well, okay,
    > I can vaguely stab at a Texan accent) but I do great in other languages.
    >
    >
    >
    > --

Born (of a US mother and Scottish father)and expensively educated in Scotland, I have
a very neutral English accent which has elicited many amusing comments since moving
to Nebraska last year. Often I get the comment "you talk funny"... I reply that I
don't think it is me who talks "funny"!

I still have to repeat myself everytime when ordering in a restaurant (even if it is
only for a glass of waTer). Recently I had to indicate that I wanted a croissant by
the picture (obviously French pronounciation does not apply to French words in the
U.S. as I am told it is pronounced "cresent" here).

I was most amused during my flight to my job interview in Nebraska when the woman I
was talking to on the plane told me I spoke very good English for being from
Scotland! (I thanked her politely).

Targaff

Sioneva <[email protected]> wrote in news:3d49c25a$3 @news.usenetgateway.com:

    > that *is* funny...my fiance (the uk citizen) *always* has a Texas drawl when he
    > takes a stab at an "American" accent. As someone with a very "neutral" American
    > accent (ie, no one knows where exactly I'm from), I think it's absolutely
    > cringe-inducing

Well talking of cringe-inducing, my experience in a certain Pacific NW superstore:

Assistant: Hey, you're from England!
Me: Yep, i'm visiting my girlfriend here. Assistant: Yeah, yeah... you sound like
those Beatles.
Mf: Well... my mum's from Liverpool, so that's probably why. Assistant: Uh-huh, I can
really hear that Cockney accent...

--

Targaff :-x

Targaff

[email protected] (Laura) wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    > I still have to repeat myself everytime when ordering in a restaurant (even if it
    > is only for a glass of waTer). Recently I had to indicate that I wanted a
    > croissant by the picture (obviously French pronounciation does not apply to French
    > words in the U.S. as I am told it is pronounced "cresent" here).

Talking of croissants (edited):

Attempts to shield the French language from the linguistic hegemony of English have
just suffered a major setback.

Bureaucrats in Brussels have just told France to scrap one of its most important
pieces of linguistic legislation whose sole purpose is to keep the language of
Shakespeare off the supermarket shelves and out of advertising slogans.

The law, enacted in 1994, stipulates that all food products and advertising must be
printed in French - including labels on food imported into France from other EU
countries. But that, insisted Brussels, smacked of market protectionism and the
European court of justice agreed.

In a ruling which had French academics choking on their croissants it said that as
long as food packaging carried a picture of the product inside or was labelled in a
language which was "easily understood" there was absolutely no reason to print a
single word in French.

That was two years ago, but the French have resolutely ignored the hated ruling and
the commission has now lost patience and decided to get heavy. France has two
months to fall into line and rescind the language ban, or it will be hit with large
daily fines.

Defenders of French culture and language will have no choice it seems but to sit back
and watch in horror as supermarket shelves fill up with "chicken wings" as opposed to
"ailes de poulet" and "cornflakes" rather than "petales de mais." Unsurprisingly they
are not happy.

But as commission officials are anxious to point out, EU law on the subject
also benefits French food producers - they do not have to translate "croissant"
into "crescent" or "foie gras" into "fatty liver" when they export their
products to Britain.

TEST--

Anyhow, full story here if anyone's interested ;p

http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/...,768050,00.htm l

--

Targaff

Targaff

[email protected] (Laura) wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    > I still have to repeat myself everytime when ordering in a restaurant (even if it
    > is only for a glass of waTer).

I've generally resorted to getting someone else to order for me, since I'm either
incomprehensible or too quiet.

Then again, I still can't understand half of what the people in my home town say, and
I've lived here for 25 years...

--

Targaff

Jan

The guys at the Arbys drive thru dont understand me glad to say thats about the
only problem my accent has caused here. I initially found the people who didnt
understand me first time wernt actually listening anyway *shrug* I'm working in
Walmart now and dont have any problems with accents etc .... apart from being accused
by a couple of Scottish tourists of being brainwashed into saying "have a good day"!

Life is a learning experience ........... enjoy !

Jan ) (10 weeks in the US and loving it) "rogerpenycate" <[email protected]>
wrote in message news:[email protected]...
    > I am from London (and am moving over soon to be with my American wife)
    >
    > I have been reading the threads on here regarding immigrants coming to the US and
    > "learning/or not" English. During my courting days and trips to the US I was amazed
    > at how many people in the US could not understand
    > me. There were times on my trips over (Maryland and Virginia) that I thought that I
    > was from another planet, and yet I was speaking the same language. On one
    > occasion my (new American) Niece had gathered together some school friends just
    > to listen to me speaking. They had seen Hugh Grant in movies and were totally
    > unprepared for a Danny deVito look-a-like !! When Ida (my wife) and I went
    > shopping, it got to the point where I just shut up and let her do the talking.
    >
    > My point is that although I am from an English speaking country (obviously) there
    > were times that I felt I might as well have been China, Russia or Sri Lanka. My
    > second point is that I am aware that when I arrive in the US in about 3/4 weeks,
    > initially my accent will be a novelty. However, I also know that I need to try to
    > adapt my way of speaking to make sure that "you lot" undertsand what I am talking
    > about, otherwise I may as well be Ukranian (no disrespect) I also am aware that as
    > an Englishman coming to the US, particularly in business, once again I may be a
    > uniquiety, initially but when it actually comes down to competing in business, I am
    > on a level playing field (the accent goes out of the window)
    >
    > My third point is that although I speak English, I recognize the shortcoming that I
    > may face and will need to adapt. When I lived in Iran and Spain I went out of my
    > way to learn at least some of the language, (which helped me as a Casino Manager,
    > gain my staffs respect (which is half the battle)
    >
    > To summerize (if I have not waffled) If one is to be accepted into a "foreign
    > county" we have to make an effort to be integrated.
    >
    > Years ago, English people used to go to Australia and moan "Your pies are not as
    > good as ours"....etc Hence the expression "Whinging Poms"
    >
    > I have absolutely no intention about moaning at all when I get to the US. If I have
    > a problem with the INS, IRS, DVLA..etc it is up to me to sort it out, and I will
    > (even if they don't understand me)
    >
    > And I promise I will not resort to wearing a "rag" over my head to get a driving
    > license.
    >
    > I rest my case.
    >
    > Allrighty
    >
    >
    >
    > --
    > Fulham Football Club for the Premiership Title ?????
    >
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Targaff

Patrick <[email protected]> wrote in news:3d48a926$1 @news.usenetgateway.com:

    > You will adapt very quickly, just don't say "I'm feeling a bit queer I think I'll
    > go outside for a fag"

When I was studying in France, I was sat with a friend of mine in a pub with some US
exchange students and he came out with "I'm just going outside to smoke a fag".

The looks on their faces...

--

Targaff

Donna Maindraul

    > I was most amused during my flight to my job interview in Nebraska when the woman I
    > was talking to on the plane told me I spoke very good English for being from
    > Scotland! (I thanked her politely)

That's an achievement!

I was once on a street corner in NYC with a Scottish friend and some tourists came
up, obviously lost, and asked something in a foreign language I didn't recognize. My
friend answered them, and they chatted a bit. Then she asked me for directions to
something. They looked puzzled at my reply, so she translated. As we walked off, my
friend mentioned that they were from the same island she is from (Lewis).

I asked, "So you were speaking Gaelic?"

She replied, "We were speaking English!"

I didn't catch one word of the conversation.

-Donna

L D Jones

[email protected] wrote:
    >
    > "Betastar" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > > I thought most Brits learn to speak Oxbridge-type english, like all Germans and
    > > Austrians learn High German in school.... it may be a struggle to speak it rather
    > > than in the "natural" accent, but it might also make it easier to be understood.
    >
    > that was the case in the 30's, 40's and 50's it was school policy to teach children
    > what they called Standard English, and suppress any regional accent and dialect;
    > but policy changed and now its encouraged, they still teach you proper English but
    > you no longer get punished for using regional words. The UK for such a small
    > country has a very rich array of different dialect you can go a matter of a couple
    > of miles and the people talk differently.

Even the BBC is hiring people with "strange accents" now, something that, I've read,
was simply not done years ago

Lisa Simmonds

I'm from Australia, and its been strange for me.

I was asked by someone when I was in australia (by a fellow aussie) if i was
american. I said no, since, I am australian.

I've got a tendency to pick up an accent. one of my friends wanted me to take some
photos of her and a guy for a school assignment (some say i'm a good photographer)
and I picked up on his american accent, and I was getting told off for talking like
an american

my accent is thick, and at times can be hard to understand what i'm talking about.
then again, some people have thought i was from england... *shrug*

as far as I am concerned, I don't have an accent, the rest of you do

people like my accent. they keep wanting me to talk so that they can hear
it.

"rogerpenycate" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    : I am from London (and am moving over soon to be with my American wife)
    :
    : I have been reading the threads on here regarding immigrants coming to the US and
    : "learning/or not" English. During my courting days and trips to the US I was amazed
    : at how many people in the US could not understand
    : me. There were times on my trips over (Maryland and Virginia) that I thought that I
    : was from another planet, and yet I was speaking the same language. On one
    : occasion my (new American) Niece had gathered together some school friends just
    : to listen to me speaking. They had seen Hugh Grant in movies and were totally
    : unprepared for a Danny deVito look-a-like !! When Ida (my wife) and I went
    : shopping, it got to the point where I just shut up and let her do the talking.
    :
    : My point is that although I am from an English speaking country (obviously) there
    : were times that I felt I might as well have been China, Russia or Sri Lanka. My
    : second point is that I am aware that when I arrive in the US in about 3/4 weeks,
    : initially my accent will be a novelty. However, I also know that I need to try to
    : adapt my way of speaking to make sure that "you lot" undertsand what I am talking
    : about, otherwise I may as well be Ukranian (no disrespect) I also am aware that as
    : an Englishman coming to the US, particularly in business, once again I may be a
    : uniquiety, initially but when it actually comes down to competing in business, I am
    : on a level playing field (the accent goes out of the window)
    :
    : My third point is that although I speak English, I recognize the shortcoming that I
    : may face and will need to adapt. When I lived in Iran and Spain I went out of my
    : way to learn at least some of the language, (which helped me as a Casino Manager,
    : gain my staffs respect (which is half the battle)
    :
    : To summerize (if I have not waffled) If one is to be accepted into a "foreign
    : county" we have to make an effort to be integrated.
    :
    : Years ago, English people used to go to Australia and moan "Your pies are not as
    : good as ours"....etc Hence the expression "Whinging Poms"
    :
    : I have absolutely no intention about moaning at all when I get to the US. If I have
    : a problem with the INS, IRS, DVLA..etc it is up to me to sort it out, and I will
    : (even if they don't understand me)
    :
    : And I promise I will not resort to wearing a "rag" over my head to get a driving
    : license.
    :
    : I rest my case.
    :
    : Allrighty
    :
    :
    :
    : --
    : Fulham Football Club for the Premiership Title ?????
    :
    : Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Dave And Emily

I'm a Brit, born in Birkenhead (don't start!), and now living in South Carolina. I've
been asked "Are you Australian?" and "Are you Irish?"; and last week I was asked
"Have you seen the Queen in person?" and just today (by the same person) "Have you
ever been to a castle?"

They're lovely people, but when someone gets a stereotype in their head...my USC wife
still insists that all British people have bad teeth. Unfortunately, I'm in no
position to prove that we don't!

Dave.

Dave And Emily

justme wrote news:[email protected]:

    > How do the Brits pronounce oregano?

'Ori-gah-no'.

Telman.8

"justme" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > NC Penguin wrote:
    > > Ask an American to say the name of the herb (or "erb" as Americans
say)
    > > oregano. It'll raise a smile to many Brits.
    >
    >
    > How do the Brits pronounce oregano?

"or" as in "orange" - "ig" as in "igloo" - "ano" as in "Are no ......."

Is that special?

Telman

Betastar

On Fri, 02 Aug 2002 10:22:04 -0400, L D Jones <[email protected]> wrote:

    >Betastar wrote:
    >>
    >[ ... ]
    >> And don't forget the Beatles have Manchester accents.... so it's not
    >
    >I think you misspelled Liverpool

Sorry - you're right. I'm a Stones fan, so I try to block out all things Beatles

(I was probably thinking of an ex-boss who was from Manchester and had a pretty heavy
accent.... )

    >> just Oxbridge we're exposed to. Also, the movie "Mary Poppins" has Dick Van Dyke
    >> attempting all sorts of Brit-regional dialects.
    >
    >And doing it horribly too. In my experience of the UK most "Brits" are not taught
    >any particular type of English (accent) but I met people who consciously changed
    >their own accents to make themselves "sound better."

Really? That's interesting - I thought kids were taught Oxbridge still. Hrm...
another little factoid to store away

Betastar

Betastar

On Fri, 2 Aug 2002 15:12:27 +0000 (UTC), <[email protected]> wrote:

    >> Dick Van Dyke attempting all sorts of Brit-regional dialects.
    >
    >Dick Van Dyke should of been shot for that mockney accent, then perhaps we wouldn't
    >be getting re runs of Diagnosis Murder every afternoon )
    >

Not the word "attempting" - I figure if you can understand him, you can understand
almost anyone.

Want to hear another good mockney (though he does it a lot less now) listed to Mick
Jagger's version. That, too, can be amusing.

Texandie

Since we are on the sort of on the subject of the English (aka British) I would like
to ask this question to those of you married to British Citizens: Does your spouse
become offended when someone refers to him/her as British?? Mine becomes totally
IRATE and almost screwed up his immigration papers because he was ADAMENT that he
would NOT put down that he is a "British Citizen"....he wanted to put
"English".....his reasoning is that "British" is too general, and that it could be
misconstrued that he might be from Scotland, or Ireland or Wales....and in HIS
opinion, THAT would be the WORST thing! I had to point out to him that his passport
says he is a "British Citizen" so he would put it correctly on his documents. I have
to chuckle at him sometimes. It amazes me that even though the UK is supposed to be
UNITED, even the people in the SAME country hate each other. (People from
Chesterfield hate the guys from Sheffield (about 10 miles apart!!), etc.) He has told
me stories about visiting a pub in a different "region" and then having to run for
his life because as soon as they heard him speak, they were all going to kick his
@ss! I have heard stories about football games that would curl your toes! Could you
imagine if the people from Texas hated everyone in Louisianna?? Gee.....it's scary
and sad, really. Anyway, just thought I would put a twist on this whole thing a bit.

Andria