is your accent something that gets commented on alot
Mar 17th 2009, 8:43 pm
#76
Who?
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Stepford
Posts: 3,098
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
Sometimes I get a lot of comments and then none for ages.
Most people want to know where I am from and then they ask lots of questions to keep me talking. Normally I can talk all day but at that point my mind always goes blank. I am always told I sound like Emma Thompson.
I have recently started teaching calligraphy classes again and I was really nervous on my first day and told the class to always remember to bring a rubber with them. I knew what I should have said but I just blanked and out came the wrong word.
We have struck up conversations with all sorts of people because we sound different. It's fun.
Our local park is trying to ban dogs from the park and so a big group of us have been going to the town council meetings. I was asked to speak for them all at the first meeting because of my accent...they thought it would intimidate the town managers
Most people want to know where I am from and then they ask lots of questions to keep me talking. Normally I can talk all day but at that point my mind always goes blank. I am always told I sound like Emma Thompson.
I have recently started teaching calligraphy classes again and I was really nervous on my first day and told the class to always remember to bring a rubber with them. I knew what I should have said but I just blanked and out came the wrong word.
We have struck up conversations with all sorts of people because we sound different. It's fun.
Our local park is trying to ban dogs from the park and so a big group of us have been going to the town council meetings. I was asked to speak for them all at the first meeting because of my accent...they thought it would intimidate the town managers
Mar 17th 2009, 10:21 pm
#77
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 69
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
All my US friends take great delight in attempting a British "war-tur" when we're eating out; Thankfully they sound more ridiculous than I do!!I too have had the German thing- twice. Once by a friend who I had known for about 4 months at the time and he had no idea at all that I was English...
Mar 17th 2009, 10:26 pm
#78
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 20
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
Good luck with that then...
From my own experience's ( I come from just outside Glasgow ) I found it quite difficult to be understood, the way I spoke changed very quickly ( mostly without trying ) to allow me to say things once rather than three or four times. I still sounded unmistakedly Scottish, but communicated without problems.
Having said that I also know a few people from your parts that found it even more difficult, one in particular who picked up the nick name "50 /50".
From my own experience's ( I come from just outside Glasgow ) I found it quite difficult to be understood, the way I spoke changed very quickly ( mostly without trying ) to allow me to say things once rather than three or four times. I still sounded unmistakedly Scottish, but communicated without problems.
Having said that I also know a few people from your parts that found it even more difficult, one in particular who picked up the nick name "50 /50".
If I ever get to be in the USA surely not even the Americans could ever mistake my Edinburgh Scots accent for an Oz one? 
If I was there for ever I would never change my accent in any way at all. I would make a determined effort never to allow Americanisms to tarnish my accent in any way...no way. I may well like the Americans as people but their accents are mostly something else.
If I was there for ever I would never change my accent in any way at all. I would make a determined effort never to allow Americanisms to tarnish my accent in any way...no way. I may well like the Americans as people but their accents are mostly something else.
Mar 17th 2009, 10:27 pm
#79
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 8
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
I married my wife because of her accent. A british accent on a woman is incredibly attractive to American males...It's very feminine. Inversely a british accent sounds incredibly gay when a male has it. It's like really red hair. It's great on women and terrible on men.
Mar 17th 2009, 10:29 pm
#80
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Joined: Jul 2004
Location: Victoria, BC Canada
Posts: 61,698
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
I married my wife because of her accent. A british accent on a woman is incredibly attractive to American males...It's very feminine. Inversely a british accent sounds incredibly gay when a male has it. It's like really red hair. It's great on women and terrible on men.
I love men with english accents, in fact I stalk this guy every time I see him at timmies because of his beautiful sexy accent. I try to get a table beside him just to listen to him speak - he's not a looker by any means, but the accent is SO SEXY.....!
Just a canadian opinion........
Mar 17th 2009, 10:40 pm
#81
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 8
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
au contraire I love men with english accents, in fact I stalk this guy every time I see him at timmies because of his beautiful sexy accent. I try to get a table beside him just to listen to him speak - he's not a looker by any means, but the accent is SO SEXY.....!
Just a canadian opinion........
I love men with english accents, in fact I stalk this guy every time I see him at timmies because of his beautiful sexy accent. I try to get a table beside him just to listen to him speak - he's not a looker by any means, but the accent is SO SEXY.....!Just a canadian opinion........
Mar 17th 2009, 10:52 pm
#82
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 10
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
i wonder how 'feminime' a chavvy manc accent or a scouse accents sound. not all brits sound like emma thompson!
and only that posh accent can be seen as wimpy because so many other british accents sound rough as hell!
and only that posh accent can be seen as wimpy because so many other british accents sound rough as hell!
Mar 17th 2009, 10:53 pm
#83
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,190
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
I married my wife because of her accent. A british accent on a woman is incredibly attractive to American males...It's very feminine. Inversely a british accent sounds incredibly gay when a male has it. It's like really red hair. It's great on women and terrible on men.
Mar 17th 2009, 10:53 pm
#84
Not living a 9 to 5 life
Joined: Jun 2002
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 11,061
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
The young woman who asked me (I am a Londoner) if I was German was from deepest rural Northern Cali. Hey we're all European!
On that note, before I moved here I thought Asia, Africa and Europe were large diverse multi-national continents, not generic terms liberally utilised by my new countrymen.
As a Brit we don't often see ourselves as European! Until now.
And have you noticed how "Asian" means Japanese, Chinese, Korean maybe . . . . never Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi?
As a corollary, in London we often ordered a "Chinky" from the "Chinky" - a Chinese takeaway from the Chinese takeaway. My husband nearly add a coronary in Sab Francisco Chinatown in a bakery when I used the word chinky as it is apparently pretty racist! Just shows there's two sides to every story . . .
On that note, before I moved here I thought Asia, Africa and Europe were large diverse multi-national continents, not generic terms liberally utilised by my new countrymen.
As a Brit we don't often see ourselves as European!
Until now.And have you noticed how "Asian" means Japanese, Chinese, Korean maybe . . . . never Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi?
As a corollary, in London we often ordered a "Chinky" from the "Chinky" - a Chinese takeaway from the Chinese takeaway. My husband nearly add a coronary in Sab Francisco Chinatown in a bakery when I used the word chinky as it is apparently pretty racist! Just shows there's two sides to every story . . .
Mar 17th 2009, 10:55 pm
#85
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 35,082
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
I married my wife because of her accent. A british accent on a woman is incredibly attractive to American males...It's very feminine. Inversely a british accent sounds incredibly gay when a male has it. It's like really red hair. It's great on women and terrible on men.
Mar 17th 2009, 11:44 pm
#86
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Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,179
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
I can empathise with the rubber thing too.............. at Office Max, many years ago. Could not understand why the chap looked shocked...
Good luck with the doggy campaign!!!
Mar 18th 2009, 12:56 am
#88
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Mendocino County, California
Posts: 53
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
Needless to say these usages are always debatable as to racism or no. I am an immigrant now of course so I feel I know what it is like!
Mar 18th 2009, 12:58 am
#89
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Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
Mar 18th 2009, 1:19 am
#90
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 35,082
Re: is your accent something that gets commented on alot
Whether the Chinese people like it or not!
