The worst EVER...................British accent

[Gary the Enfield]

I dont really have a problem with anyones accent (bad accents in film excepted!) but i always think some accents sound a lot sexier than others when talking to women, actually any strong accent out of the north west sounds sexy in ladies. Welsh in particular!

Brummies sound like idiots.

Agreed, apart from South and East London

[Gertie]

I've just deleted what I was going to write as it made me sound 100 years old.

On another note, has anyone evolved/adapted their own accent? I was born and brought up in Bolton, but lived in Southampton for a while where I was mocked/teased for my Naaaaarfen accent. So now I have a strange Southern accent and loads of people always ask me where I'm from as "they can't place my accent"

I suppose I'm a Boltonian Steve McLaren for shhhurre

[Dujon]

Modified, Gertie? Mine has been totally rebuilt. I very much doubt that many people here would pick me as English (which I am), never mind being from the north-west of the country. The change was not a conscious one, it just happened. My guess is that the alterations came from not being understood and that constant incidents of such dictated a change. Then again, I was only eleven when I arrived in this fair land so adaptation probably was to be expected.

One of my neighbours is English as well - he supports Norwich - and he too you wouldn't pick as a 'Pom'.

On the other hand, Kevopey, a member of this site, still has an instantly recognisable N.W. accent. Which reminds me, Kevan, where the bloody hell are you?

[Bruce Rioja]

"'Ow am ya?" Arrrrrrrggggh!

[seanworth]

Remember the Farrelly brothers commenting on the screen test showing for their movie there's something about mary. The only critisism they got was that many people felt Lee Evans English accept was fake.

[fatshaft]

Oh dear, Scottish? Welsh? The various Scottish accents are as diverse as the English accents, there is no correlation whatsoever between Weegie and Aberdonian, Invernesian & Dundonian, they are as far apart as Scouse and Cockney. I'm not too good on the Welsh, but I can tell a northern Walser from a southerner with ease, they also are miles apart.

As for worst, surely it's Scouse > Cockney > the rest? Aberdonian is probably third though, it even sets my teeth on edge when I go home. The Bolton and Lancashire accents are imo about as easy on the ear as any, so can't agree with Apache, a broad Mancunian however is nearly as bad as a Scouser.

[Bruce Rioja]

Oh dear, Scottish? Welsh? ........

I have to say that I cringed when I noticed that.

[bobo the clown]

Oh dear, Scottish? Welsh? ........

I have to say that I cringed when I noticed that.

The characature Welsh is the Tom Jones valley's accent. Also the Windsor Davies accent of Gwent is well recognised by all, as these days is the quite extreme Swansea accent of Gavin & Stacey fame.

Cardiff is less 'Welsh' than these ones ... it's actually very harsh and is best explained by how they say their city name ... "Caaaardiff". The easiest example would be the girl on the Torchwood TV series maybe.

The north-east (Snowdonia & Angesley areas) 'Welsh-Wales' spoken-English accent is the result of it being, essentially, a second language for many. For those they speak English sounding like they are about to burst into tears.

Come to Clwyd ... North-East Wales and there's a harshness about it, but it's essentially a cross between a general north-west accent and a tinge of Scouse. That continues down the borderlands with West Mids, Hereford, Gloucester influences showing through.


Brought up in Horwich but at school in Bolton, with kids from a relatively wide geography .... Ramsbottom, Bury, Wigan, Leigh, Swinton, Walkden, Darwin ... I quickly learnt that there were a very wide range of accents even within this very specific area. My own, as a sub 12yr old was a cross between a Bowton and a 'mining accent' similar to a Wigin or Leygth. I only hear that now from my uncle who was born, educated and worked all his 80 yrs within a 800yard range.

Even within Horwich you could distinguish areas. That must now be diluted now that people move more freely and mix more readily (in my youth a Horwicher taking a walk through Westhoughton was taking something of a risk) and work across the region. More & more people get their information from radio & TV also.

All this must dilute the strong accent distintions of old.

[fatshaft]

Oh dear, Scottish? Welsh? ........

I have to say that I cringed when I noticed that.

The characature Welsh is the Tom Jones valley's accent. Also the Windsor Davies accent of Gwent is well recognised by all, as these days is the quite extreme Swansea accent of Gavin & Stacey fame.

Indeed, and a "Scottish" accent is either an approxiamation of the Weegie accent (think Russ Abbott see you Jimmy), or the slightly posh Edinburgh John Hannah style in most peoples minds I would imagine. What is an "English" accent though?

BTW Brucey, having visited the Granite city, how bad did you find the Aberdonian in comparison to Scouser say?

[CrazyHorse]

Oh dear, Scottish? Welsh? ........

I have to say that I cringed when I noticed that.

Quite.
But hey, it got a rise out of fatshaft so job done as far as I'm concerned.

[Bruce Rioja]

BTW Brucey, having visited the Granite city, how bad did you find the Aberdonian in comparison to Scouser say?

I have to say, Fatshaft, that I've never had any problem whatsoever with any of the Scottish accents. Obviously it difficult to understand a Weegie if he's geein ya his patter, but generally no problem at all. Years bag a pal of mine went up to study agricultural engineering at Aberdeen and came back with a pure Aberdonian accent (he's alright now though ).

Again, there's Scouse and there's Scouse. Tom O'Connor, say. He's a Scouser but but you only ever want to tell him to shut the feck up because all his jokes are so shite, not because of his accent. Stephen Gerrard and Jamie Carragher on the other hand who speak in that nails-down-blackboard type gutteral whine I personally find unlistenable.

[bettyrasta]

Scousers, folk from Preston, and most of Yorkshire could qualify. Mind you, then we have the biblical Wingates on our own doorstep.

Please help me with this one. Is Wingates really mentioned in the bible? Did Jesus find time to play tuba in the legendary brass band? What's wrong woth the accent anyway? I mean I've got one...

[Worthy4England]

Oh dear, Scottish? Welsh? ........

I have to say that I cringed when I noticed that.

The characature Welsh is the Tom Jones valley's accent. Also the Windsor Davies accent of Gwent is well recognised by all, as these days is the quite extreme Swansea accent of Gavin & Stacey fame.

Indeed, and a "Scottish" accent is either an approxiamation of the Weegie accent (think Russ Abbott see you Jimmy), or the slightly posh Edinburgh John Hannah style in most peoples minds I would imagine. What is an "English" accent though?

BTW Brucey, having visited the Granite city, how bad did you find the Aberdonian in comparison to Scouser say?

I've been working with some Aberdonians for the last 4 months. Not found it as bad as you're making out to be honest Mr Shaft.

Apart from one guy, whose voice goes up the registers when he gets animated, to the point that he's screeching by the and of the sentence - just makes you want to say "Stonybridge" quite a lot.

[TANGODANCER]

Scousers, folk from Preston, and most of Yorkshire could qualify. Mind you, then we have the biblical Wingates on our own doorstep.

Please help me with this one. Is Wingates really mentioned in the bible? Did Jesus find time to play tuba in the legendary brass band? What's wrong woth the accent anyway? I mean I've got one...

I didn't say there was anything wrong with it. I lived in Westhoughton for ten years. It's still an area where thee and thou figure as the norm. If tha thinks thi don't, thart wrong.

[Wandering Willy]

Worst - Pauline Quirk & Cilla.

Most annoying - the "chillax bro' my bad innit" youth speak of today.

Sexiest - Geordie girls. Of course (being incredibly shallow) there is a weight limit.

[fatshaft]

Oh dear, Scottish? Welsh? ........

I have to say that I cringed when I noticed that.

The characature Welsh is the Tom Jones valley's accent. Also the Windsor Davies accent of Gwent is well recognised by all, as these days is the quite extreme Swansea accent of Gavin & Stacey fame.

Indeed, and a "Scottish" accent is either an approxiamation of the Weegie accent (think Russ Abbott see you Jimmy), or the slightly posh Edinburgh John Hannah style in most peoples minds I would imagine. What is an "English" accent though?

BTW Brucey, having visited the Granite city, how bad did you find the Aberdonian in comparison to Scouser say?

I've been working with some Aberdonians for the last 4 months. Not found it as bad as you're making out to be honest Mr Shaft.

Apart from one guy, whose voice goes up the registers when he gets animated, to the point that he's screeching by the and of the sentence - just makes you want to say "Stonybridge" quite a lot.

My wife is like that, annoying as feck.

I think my aversion to my own area's accent goes along with bruce's Liverpool analogy, the Aberdonian Tom O'Connor's and John Lennon's, that's fine, would probably even just about fall under the generic "Scottish" accent, it's the local Carragher and Gerrard's that grate, the type who you hear on the radio as youy hit the city limits and have changed to Northsound, and have phoned up to play the competition to win a £5 voucher for Farmfoods.

That said, maybe I've just become a snob, and you guys don't hear it nearly as badly as I do

[thebish]

Most annoying - the "chillax bro' my bad innit" youth speak of today.

you'll love the new Dickens translations written by the bloke who famously did shakespeare in text-speak ("To be or not to be, innit")

he's taken the trouble to translate 16 (yes, SIXTEEN) Dickens novels into yoof speak... (each is condensed into 9 or 10 pages though!)
I quite like his opening to A Tale of Two Cities (Da Tale of two Turfs):

“It was da best of times and, not being funny or nuffing, but it was da worst of times, to be honest.”


His version of Oliver Twist (Oliva Twist), begins:

“Oliva’s life was so screwed after his muvva popped him out of da womb and then came over all dead. Even his own farva had legged it, da swine, which meant that not only was da poor kid up da creek without da paddle, but dere was no other choice but to dump him in da workhouse for unwanted nippas and it sucked.”


Please sir, I want some more" becomes... "Oi Mate, Gimme Some More"

[bettyrasta]

Scousers, folk from Preston, and most of Yorkshire could qualify. Mind you, then we have the biblical Wingates on our own doorstep.

Please help me with this one. Is Wingates really mentioned in the bible? Did Jesus find time to play tuba in the legendary brass band? What's wrong woth the accent anyway? I mean I've got one...

I didn't say there was anything wrong with it. I lived in Westhoughton for ten years. It's still an area where thee and thou figure as the norm. If tha thinks thi don't, thart wrong.

Sorted, bro'.