Brits - North/South divide....

[Bonham]

It does. What's wrong with that? And I still think some American accents are cheesy sounding, but only the British would understand that.

[Rorer714]

Maybe you could offend us by saying that we have a North American accent?

Wait a minute,the Canadians would be offended with that one.

I know those Western Canadians have that certain British accent.Probably because they are comprised of the English,Welsh,Irish and the Scots too.

England couldn't possibly have that kind of melting pot,could it?

We need some South Americans to chime in here as well.

Do you think they get upset by calling their "collective tongue" Latino?

We are the "United States of the Offended" (Robert D. Raeford)

Are you truly offended Little Miss?

[Suz]

It does. What's wrong with that? And I still think some American accents are cheesy sounding, but only the British would understand that.

I gotcher yer cheese right here, pal!

Anyway. This is a fun thread to read. My accent is a combination of upper midwest and SoCal. It goes back and forth, too, depending on whether I'm talking to people here, or my family back in CA.

[Aquamarine]

It does. What's wrong with that? And I still think some American accents are cheesy sounding, but only the British would understand that.

I am British . . .

(Welsh and Irish with a bit of English=British. Says so right on my passport!)

[Bonham]

Oh, really? Louisiana kinda threw me off there.

[Aquamarine]

Oh, really? Louisiana kinda threw me off there.

Difference between ethnicity, nationality, and place of residence (since 1983)!

My neighbors think I sound English, my family think I sound American, and they've never specified what kind.

[Electrophile]

So, for example: If the Welsh speak English, and Americans speak English, doesn't that mean we all have an English accent?

No. "English accent" is a descriptor of how people speak in England. "Boston accent" is a descriptor of how people speak in Boston. We're both speaking the English language, but not with the same accents, as it's two separate countries. Language/accent are not always one in the same.

[Bonham]

No. "English accent" is a descriptor of how people speak in England. "Boston accent" is a descriptor of how people speak in Boston. We're both speaking the English language, but not with the same accents, as it's two separate countries. Language/accent are not always one in the same.

Then what is this?

"Well duh, no one is saying otherwise. I'm saying there's no such thing as an "American" accent. Because there isn't. No one here speaks "American". We speak English, with varying accents and dialects."

My point is, your accent is one of many American accents. Therefor, it is American! Yay!! but no A+ for you - you get a D. Bad times.

[Electrophile]

Ummmm, exactly what it said. Where in that bit that you quoted was there something you didn't get? There is no such thing as an American accent. That is fact. There is no one broad accent to cover the whole country. That is fact.

So again, point out the "confusing" part.

My point is, your accent is one of many American accents. Therefore, it is American!

Wrong. I speak with an upper Midwest/Ohio Valley accent. I don't speak with an American accent because there is no such thing. Your accent is analogous to what region you're from/live in, not the country as a whole. That's how it works over here. If you're from South Carolina, you don't say you have an American accent. You have a Southern accent. If you're from Brooklyn, you don't say you have an American accent. You have a Brooklyn accent.

So epic FAIL on your part, dude.

[Bonham]

You've just contradicted yourself again. There is no one broad accent over England either, but any English accent is an English accent. You're not grasping this.

[Electrophile]

You've just contradicted yourself again. There is no one broad accent over England either, but any English accent is an English accent. You're not grasping this.

You're not grasping that there is no such thing as an American accent. That concept does not exist. Your accent is based on what part of the country you are from.

When I spoke of the term "English accent" that was using terminology I saw people on this board who are from England use to describe the way they speak. They used that term, because the term "British accent" as a whole, does not exist as Britain is not one country, but four. I know that there are more than one accent/dialect in England, I'm not illiterate. I have seen people on this very board talk about what kind of accent they have AND I have English friends from varying parts of the country and none of them talk alike. So again, I comprehend the idea that there are varying dialects in England. The difference between England and the United States is that while it's acceptable to say "English accent" in relation to the way people in England speak, it is NOT acceptable to say "American accent" in relation to the way people here speak.

Is this clear now?

[Bonham]

Ummmm, exactly what it said. Where in that bit that you quoted was there something you didn't get? There is no such thing as an American accent. That is fact. There is no one broad accent to cover the whole country. That is fact.

So again, point out the "confusing" part.

Wrong. I speak with an upper Midwest/Ohio Valley accent. I don't speak with an American accent because there is no such thing. Your accent is analogous to what region you're from/live in, not the country as a whole. That's how it works over here. If you're from South Carolina, you don't say you have an American accent. You have a Southern accent. If you're from Brooklyn, you don't say you have an American accent. You have a Brooklyn accent.

So epic FAIL on your part, dude.

Epic fail? I think not. To someone like you, who is foreign to Britain, you may say I have an English accent. I don't expect you to say, "Oh, I like your South-Western accent". Just like I wouldn't say, "Oh, Electrophile has some Ohio Valley accent" (Like that's distinguishable from most anyway).

Ohio Valley is in America, so to me and other Britons, you have an American accent.

[Bonham]

And might I add it IS acceptable, what the fuck are you gonna do if I say "you have an American accent"? Stick it up your ass, pippy.

[Suz]

I am confused. I think we say "British accent" when we are talking about English people. So I guess it would be just as easy to say "English accent." If I heard a Scottish accent, I'd say "Scottish." If I heard a Welsh accent (which I think I can sort of recognize), I would say "Welsh accent." Same with Irish. Now, I get the feeling that the people from those countries (esp Scotland) would not necessarily like to be told they have a British accent. Am I wrong? Tell me if I am. Would people from Northern Ireland mind?

I guess it would be easy to say "English" accent, instead, if it pisses you off. I thought a lady from Yorkshire was from Scotland once, and boy did she not like that. But someone overseas asked me if I was Canadian a long time ago, and it didn't piss me off at all. Why do we even care about this shit? You have good reasons to be irritated by us, but I don't think this is one of them.

Anyway, I didn't even realize there was a north/south rivalry over there. The whole country's about as big as the state I live in, so it never occured to me.

[Electrophile]

Epic fail? I think not. To someone like you, who is foreign to Britain, you may say I have an English accent. I don't expect you to say, "Oh, I like your South-Western accent". Just like I wouldn't say, "Oh, Electrophile has some Ohio Valley accent" (Like that's distinguishable from most anyway).

Ohio Valley is in America, so to me and other Britons, you have an American accent.

Epic fail? I think so.

I am not foreign to Britain. I haven't physically entered the country, but as I said in my previous post, I have many friends from England and I have heard them speak and none of them sound alike. That would tell me that there is in fact, more than one accent in that country. Either that or they're all great voice actors.

And an upper Midwest/Ohio Valley accent is VERY distinguishable from other accents in this country. Like night and day. I would not presume to say that accents in England are indistinguishable, don't presume to do the same.

And might I add it IS acceptable, what the fuck are you gonna do if I say "you have an American accent"? Stick it up your ass, pippy.

I'd tell you you're wrong. If I was then asked what accent I DO have, I would tell them. Easy as pie.

So stick that up your ass, fuckstick. To the Island of Misfit Toys you go.

[Bonham]

I've already acknowledged that England has varying accents all over, I do live here. I'm saying as a whole, they're all English accents. So if I'm speaking with my accent, it is recognised as ENGLISH. Just like YOURS is, jesus, woman.

I don't care if someone says, "Oh, hey, your accent is British, right?" it doesn't bother me. What bothers me, is that you can't accept that there is a tree called England, and there is a Tree called America, and on those trees are branches, and each of those branches represent the accents of that country.

[Bonham]

I'd tell you you're wrong. If I was then asked what accent I DO have, I would tell them. Easy as pie.

So stick that up your ass, fuckstick. To the Island of Misfit Toys you go.

I wouldn't ask you what accent you have, I'd know from your accent that you were a yank, bitch-tits.

To the incestual valley you go!

[longdistancewinner]

I am confused. I think we say "British accent" when we are talking about English people. So I guess it would be just as easy to say "English accent." If I heard a Scottish accent, I'd say "Scottish." If I heard a Welsh accent (which I think I can sort of recognize), I would say "Welsh accent." Same with Irish. Now, I get the feeling that the people from those countries (esp Scotland) would not necessarily like to be told they have a British accent. Am I wrong? Tell me if I am. Would people from Northern Ireland mind?

I guess it would be easy to say "English" accent, instead, if it pisses you off. I thought a lady from Yorkshire was from Scotland once, and boy did she not like that. But someone overseas asked me if I was Canadian a long time ago, and it didn't piss me off at all. Why do we even care about this shit? You have good reasons to be irritated by us, but I don't think this is one of them.

Anyway, I didn't even realize there was a north/south rivalry over there. The whole country's about as big as the state I live in, so it never occured to me.

England's never seemed to be the best of friends with Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Both Wales and Scotland are fiercely independant and I don't think they'd take it to kindly to being called British - they want to be called Welsh or Scottish. Couldn't say about Northern Ireland - though if the IRA is anything to go by...

[Bonham]

I heard somewhere Northern Ireland wanted to remain as part of the UK seperate from the Republic of Ireland.

[Electrophile]

So if I'm speaking with my accent, it is recognised as ENGLISH. Just like YOURS is

I do not speak with an English accent, am I not English. I am American, and I speak with a Midwestern accent. The only thing we have in common is the language. Accents do not traverse countries. People in Canada do not have the same accents that people in Australia do, even if both countries speak the same language.

Our accents take the name of the region we're from. You just said that when speaking with your accent, it's just referred to as an "English accent". When speaking with my accent, it is NOT referred to as an "English accent" because that refers to a different country.

I have given this topic far too much thought. I should email my linguistics professor and see what she has to say about all this. Maybe Mandy should weigh in, that's her field.

I wouldn't ask you what accent you have, I'd know from your accent that you were a yank, bitch-tits.

To the incestual valley you go!

My comment was not specifically aimed at YOU asking me. It was aimed at the person who, after being told I do not have an American accent, asked what accent I did have. See the difference there? Reading is fundamental.

And what is the "incestual" valley? Some slam on the South or something? I'm not even Southern, so that was lamer than lame, dear. BTW, "incestual" is not a word. For someone lecturing me on English, you clearly don't have a decent command of it. Might want to work on that.

And bitch-tits? Why, that's straight out of 3rd grade. How common.

[Bonham]

My comment was not specifically aimed at YOU asking me. It was aimed at the person who, after being told I do not have an American accent, asked what accent I did have. See the difference there? Reading is fundamental.

And what is the "incestual" valley? Some slam on the South or something? I'm not even Southern, so that was lamer than lame, dear. BTW, "incestual" is not a word. For someone lecturing me on English, you clearly don't have a decent command of it. Might want to work on that.

And bitch-tits? Why, that's straight out of 3rd grade. How common.

You talk to your linguistics teacher, and tell them they are an ass for putting up with you.

"I'd tell you you're wrong."

That sounds like me, to me. Maybe incestual isn't a word, maybe it should be. That is the wonder of the English language, so bastardised. You understood what I meant didn't you? So there, it could be a new word.

And I took incestual from the fact you said "valley" not Ohio. Also bitch-tits is no less immature than fuckstick - you still resorted to name calling, like me! What makes you sparkle and shine? You're just as shit as me.

I'm done arguing with you, maybe neither of us are right - different perspectives and all. Like it matters, anyway. The longer we continue to argue over who is right about accents, the more we age and look like fucking nerdy losers.

Anyway, I am now on MSN defending your country from my ignorant friend. Care to see?

Floppy says:

So far I've called her pippy

Floppy says:

And bitch-tits

Floppy says:

I wonder how far we can take this

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

well you could take it to americans are so dumb they create weapons and have to get us to go over and show them how to use it

Floppy says:

I'm not changing subject

Floppy says:

It's not americans anyway, it's just their leaders

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

yeah but on whole most of them are obese idiots

Floppy says:

That's just generalising rob

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

generally they are though

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

so you have to genralise

Floppy says:

I don't agree

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

you cant not agree when something is in general it has to be geralised you cant get it exactly down to the tee because its in general

Floppy says:

I can not agree

Floppy says:

It's your opinion, there's nothing general about your opinion

Floppy says:

It's not fact

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

its fact that something like last year there was something like 75 % of obese illiterate americans

Floppy says:

Floppy says:

No, I don't believe that for one second

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

im not sure if illiterate was the word i was looking for and watch the news sometime it was on that after all just like there was about 30 % of british that where exactly the same

Floppy says:

There was no poll saying most Americans are idiots, obviously there are obese people there, like there is in this country too, but it's not "most". Do you seriously think 70% of Americans are obese? No. 70% is three quarters of their entire nation

Floppy says:

And that's absurd

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

they are known to be stupid i mean come on they cant even shoot the right side in wars

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

besides you cant come out with me genrallising when you did with that other person by say ing and i quote '' I'm guessin they're all imbred ''

Floppy says:

That was a joke

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

its still generalising so you can't say jack about me generalising

Floppy says:

But you believe it

Floppy says:

Imbreds are mainly in the south

Floppy says:

Ohio is not south

Floppy says:

She said valley, i thought, bumfuck!

Floppy says:

It was a joke

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

and of coarse i believe it it is a fact that 9 times out of ten when you ask someone if in general americans are

Floppy says:

It isn't a fact

Floppy says:

Find me a statement of this fact, and i'll believe you

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

just ask ten ppl

Floppy says:

Ten ignorant people?

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

ive already got two saying they are

Floppy says:

Ask an American then

Floppy says:

Death is my friend , my sidekick,my work colleague, every person, why be afraid of him when you should be afraid of yourself says:

that kinda defys the point but americans will say most of them are stupid

Floppy says:

Unlikely

I got sick of debating with him - he goes on forever, stubborn idiot.

[longdistancewinner]

So stick that up your ass, fuckstick. To the Island of Misfit Toys you go.

My, ever the tolerant.

Your country should be very proud to have a citizen like you.

Island of Misfit toys? Wtf? And you said bitch-tits was lame.

I'm almost ashamed to say I defend your country sometimes.

[Electrophile]

My, ever the tolerant.

Your country should be very proud to have a citizen like you.

Island of Misfit toys? Wtf? And you said bitch-tits was lame.

I'm almost ashamed to say I defend your country sometimes.

If he can dish it out, he can take it. That's how it works. You don't come at me unprovoked and expect me to just to sit there and smile.

And my country should be proud to have me as a citizen. I don't break the law, I pay my taxes, I vote and sit on juries (all my civic duties). I show pride in this country by not violating the laws and serving it to the best of my ability. That's more than most people can say.

And if you don't know what the Island of Misfit Toys is, that's your problem. Watch the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas special this year and maybe you'll figure out what I'm talking about. I'm frankly shocked more people haven't heard of it. I thought everyone knew what it was.

And what's wrong with defending the United States? Do you think all Americans behave/think/feel/act one way? There are some real embarrassing sacks of shit from your neck of the woods roaming about the earth, you don't see me assuming that everyone from England acts like that do you? I'm not indicative of what an American is, anymore than someone else from the US on this board is.

[beatbo]

Ummmm, exactly what it said. Where in that bit that you quoted was there something you didn't get? There is no such thing as an American accent. That is fact. There is no one broad accent to cover the whole country. That is fact.

So again, point out the "confusing" part.

Wrong. I speak with an upper Midwest/Ohio Valley accent. I don't speak with an American accent because there is no such thing. Your accent is analogous to what region you're from/live in, not the country as a whole. That's how it works over here. If you're from South Carolina, you don't say you have an American accent. You have a Southern accent. If you're from Brooklyn, you don't say you have an American accent. You have a Brooklyn accent.

So epic FAIL on your part, dude.

brooklyn is an american accent...one of many american accents.

[Electrophile]

I could scream right about now if I have to go through this one more time. I am aware of that. Really. I am. However, just like there is no such thing as one "English" accent, there is no such thing as one "American" accent. I don't speak with an American accent, I speak with a Midwestern accent. There are many accents in both countries. However, you don't hear anyone say "She has an American accent." They might say "She has a Southern accent" or "She has a New York accent". You are more likely to hear though, "She has an English accent" because unlike in England, MOST of our accents are easy to recognize, even by people not from this country.

any actor who has been trained in phoenetics has to learn to transpose. and there is an entire curriculum devoted to american accents. the division of them is done by dialects (which are regional).

i know because i paid my own college bills....

I e-mailed my linguistics professor after I posted last in this thread, and she said that she doesn't see a problem in saying accent/dialect when speaking about the same thing. So to me, it's 6 of one, half-dozen of the other. Regional accents/dialects are the same concept as I was taught. Both refer to a specific way of speaking a language. I've heard people even here where I live refer to it either as a Southern accent or a Southern dialect. I have even times interchanged the two. It depends on who you're speaking to; some people call it their accent, others call it their dialect. Where I do say dialect specifically is with the New York accents....as each borough has their own dialect that differs from the next. Someone from Brooklyn speaks slightly different than someone from Queens. And if you from either area, you can spot the difference right away.