|
|
Post by wetkingcanute on Jan 28, 2009 12:17:58 GMT
In Windsor, Berkshire, where I was born, a simple informal greeting would consist of:
"Air Hair Lair !" said in a glass cracking voice.
|
|
radge
New Member
Posts: 1,776
|
Post by radge on Jan 28, 2009 12:19:26 GMT
Brummie is worse than geordie when it comes to sounding stupid.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brittles on Jan 28, 2009 12:23:43 GMT
Brummie is worse than geordie when it comes to sounding stupid. I think you miss the point Radge, of course they all have stupid sounds but thats the charm and proves how lucky we are to have the diversity of speech. I can drive 5 miles along the road and the folk talk 'funny' - hey its brilliant. |
|
VikingHumpingWitch
New Member
"My philosophy in life is keep dry and keep away from children. I got it from a matchbox."
Posts: 8,018
|
Post by VikingHumpingWitch on Jan 28, 2009 12:26:53 GMT
I dunno, much as I think the diversity of accents in England is utterly marvellous, I do think we could manage without Brummie. Certainly I've never heard the word "charm" used in connection with that accent before.
|
|
|
|
Post by Victor Meldrew on Jan 28, 2009 12:28:17 GMT
Geordie is an abomination.
I couldn't agree less, VHW. I once had to phone BT because I had an ongoing problem with my account and the call was taken by a woman with a soft Geordie accent. I must have been on the phone for at least half an hour, and her accent mesmerised me so much that I had no idea whether the problem was sorted by the end of the call.
|
|
|
|
Post by tarrant on Jan 28, 2009 12:28:22 GMT
FACT alert: the bairns thing, which they use a lot in the North East, is a Scandy relic from Viking times. In Swedish child is barn. Also, Scots sometimes say "stop greeting" when they mean stop crying, I will eat my own legs if that's not also from the Scandy (Swedish for to cry is "gråta"). Linguistic spoddery ends. That's a nice bit of entomology. Not sure what you point is exactly. Do you know any derivations of Swedish words? |
|
radge
New Member
Posts: 1,776
|
Post by radge on Jan 28, 2009 12:29:12 GMT
Brittles dont get me wrong, Im all for the evolution of language and the variety of things that life can throw at us. I am a language enthusiast (who doesnt bother to learn many) heh heh. But i love how words change and how accents change, and ...hold on how do accents end up being so varied in such a small area!? Im just saying Brummie does sound stupid  |
|
|
|
Post by greenergrass on Jan 28, 2009 12:31:37 GMT
Broad Black Country as opposed to Brummie is a very bad accent. Having lived in Sutton Coldfield for a long period of time I find it still manages to make me cringe. Mind you regional accents are dying out and we are beginning to sound more and more alike.
|
|
VikingHumpingWitch
New Member
"My philosophy in life is keep dry and keep away from children. I got it from a matchbox."
Posts: 8,018
|
Post by VikingHumpingWitch on Jan 28, 2009 12:33:35 GMT
FACT alert: the bairns thing, which they use a lot in the North East, is a Scandy relic from Viking times. In Swedish child is barn. Also, Scots sometimes say "stop greeting" when they mean stop crying, I will eat my own legs if that's not also from the Scandy (Swedish for to cry is "gråta"). Linguistic spoddery ends. That's a nice bit of entomology. Not sure what you point is exactly. Do you know any derivations of Swedish words? No point, just I think it's interesting, but then I think languages are. Ombudsman is a Swedish word. |
|
|
|
Post by gibman on Jan 28, 2009 12:37:01 GMT
In Windsor, Berkshire, where I was born, a simple informal greeting would consist of:
WKC, did you ever frequent the Cider House on the Drift Road?
|
|
|
|
Post by jonren on Jan 28, 2009 12:41:32 GMT
Strange as it may seem, the finest and purest English is spoken in Inverness. Incidentally, earlier someone said "wain", It is actually 'wean' as of weaned. (off the breast or bottle)
|
|
|
|
Post by wetkingcanute on Jan 28, 2009 13:32:28 GMT
Hi Gibman,
That's off the Winkfield Road isn't it?
No, but in the late sixties, I used to go the the Ricky Tic a lot (big old house down by the swimming pool) - till it burnt down. Then it transferred to the Thames Hotel (I think) ...anyway a pub on the river by the bridge.
Before that I used to go to a coffee bar in Eton.
|
|
|
|
Post by puffin on Jan 28, 2009 14:04:42 GMT
Jaysus. It's damper than changing time in an old people's home in here. English may not be these kids first language but the entire curriculum is in English and they're taught in English, they speak to other kids in English and sometimes they may slip into their native tongue. Every other kid in my class in High School spoke another language but we all spoke English to each other and they even taught me some phrases in Urdu. Seriously, get a grip 100% right, Joliet. one languge, well spoken=good. Two languages, well spoken=better. Several languages, well spoken= best. Many of the children I taught spoke, and wrote, better English than those who were native English speakers. |
|
|
|
Post by Libby on Jan 28, 2009 21:56:26 GMT
Where i live it's a case of Spot The Brit! There are so many multi-cultures here! You name it, we have them all! There isn't just one accent, there are hundreds! Shopkeepers are all Indian, i can't understand a word. The British kids who come into the shops all speak in their own teen lingo, i can't understand them either! I am either losing my grip, or this is a sign of things to come lol! A big city to blame and too many immigrants i guess!
|
|
Nebula
New Member
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Posts: 142
|
Post by Nebula on Jan 28, 2009 22:09:20 GMT
pyar boss lid!
|
|
Nebula
New Member
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Posts: 142
|
Post by Nebula on Jan 28, 2009 22:15:25 GMT
I think the way southerners pronounce the words 'grass'. 'bath' and 'bus' to be a crime against god...
What the Aussie fella said earlier in the thread, about he well-spoken Chinese person - I got that when I first moved dahn sahf and heard my first cockney-chinese - I thought, you should sound scouse or shangahainese or kowloon or something...
one of the hardest things to get used to when I first moved to London was the amount of foreign accents I heard all around everywhere, but you get used to it.
BTW - Victor - I work on Fish Island in Bow - I see 10 year old girls going to school on my drive in, and some of then wear the full veil - that still disturbs me.
|
|
|
|
Post by Libby on Jan 28, 2009 22:19:50 GMT
|
|
Nebula
New Member
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Posts: 142
|
Post by Nebula on Jan 28, 2009 22:24:16 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by vania on Jan 29, 2009 11:33:53 GMT
How do you 'know' Victor. You said you heard these peopel on the street? Do you know them personally? If not how are you fit to comment on how good their English is?
|
|
|
|
Post by Victor Meldrew on Jan 29, 2009 13:05:47 GMT
Vania, I said I heard these kids shouting and playing in the playground at lunchtime, as you do with all primary school playgrounds. I'm sure you know what they are like. We were there for 20 minutes talking to a teacher who was on playground duty, and not once did I hear any child in that playground communicate in English. I don't need to know them personally, as you would well know. When in the playground, children are in recreation mode, and they will generally converse in whatever language they use in their homes. Or are you suggesting they all speak the Queen's English perfectly, but speak to each other in Bangladeshi just at break times? If you think that's crap, look at the comments at that Ofsted report on the school. It firmly admits that all pupils of the school use English as a second language (i.e. they don't gneerally speak it at home). I also lived amongst that community in east London for nearly 20 years before I left the area. As part of our trip down memory lane, I went back to the house where I used to live. The street is occupied 100% by Asian families, and again, I never heard a word of English spoken either in that street or in the vicinity. Do you think everyone was just speaking in foreign languages for my benefit? Blimey, even I'm not that paranoid.  |
|
