Accents

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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:42 pm

^^^Mrs Lakeside was born in San Antonio, all four grandparents came up from Mexico. At an early age her family moved to south Louisiana. The first thing I noticed when I met her parents, brother, and sister was that each member of the family spoke with a different accent.
Dad - the Tex-Mex patois heard on the west side of San Antonio
Mom - slight lilt of Castillian encouraged in her private all-girls Catholic school.
Sister - soft Louisiana drawl
Brother - Cajun accent he picked up from his friends who came from "out on the bayou."
Wife - easily passes for a Midwesterner except for an occasional "cain't" and "y'all."

I find the Cajun and New Orleans dialects the most fascinating.

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:54 pm

Esox lucius wrote:

Being a West country lad

o/

West County lalala West Country lalala.

The Dutch speaking English is clearly the best accent. Always cracks me up.

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 6:32 pm

My favourite accent is from an Irish Colleen with the soft accent of the South - sounds like an angel singing. <sigh>

Whereas the raised tonal inflection on the last word of a sentence of some Australians sounds like every thing they say is a question!

(Music Man has an accent I can't describe Smile

)

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 7:16 pm

I have a British accent. I love American accents, especially the Southern states accent (I can't think of the proper name!) Very Happy

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 7:26 pm

My accent seems to be a mixture of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, with a veneer of 'ull on top (unfortunately, but after 15 years living here I suppose it was bound to happen. And I've just had a 'dear god, has it really been THAT long??' moment, so thanks for that. Wink

)

No problems with Geordie, thanks to family in the area - just takes a couple of phrases to get my ear in and I'm away. Plus I grew up watching 'Auf Wiedersehn, Pet' and it's sequels. Very Happy

Ah yes. Barry the brummie. Now there's an accent that's hard work. Sounds like it's being spoken through a mouth full of treacle.

I do like the gentle lilt and soft roll of a Scottish accent. As with most things though, it's a matter of extremes. At work I once had to speak with an elderly Scottish gent with a VERY thick accent. I know he was speaking English, but damned if I know what he said! Embarassed

But what about our international members? I imagine there's a big difference between the Francais spoken in Cannes and Marseilles. And how about Korea? Is there a difference between the North and South language/accents?

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 7:42 pm

Someone told me years ago it was wise to presume anyone I meet with an American accent was Canadian.

Reason being, Americans don't really mind if anyone mistakes them for a Canadian, because they quite like them in a big brotherly sort of way. Whereas, Canadians get all uppity if confused with Americans because they treat them like their little brother.

Then Pastor Frank came along.

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 8:46 pm

Two sibs from the same Mother, one more rebellious than the other...

Anyone got a accent mixer so we can figure out what Cougie sounds like? Wink

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:40 pm

@Cougar - I don't know about French or Korean variants but I do know a little something about variants of Spanish. My wife grew up in Panama and speaks fluent Spanish and English. She says the Cuban dialect of Spanish is almost indecipherable to her. Apparently, the Cubans speak very fast and tend to drop syllables. Very confusing...

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 30 Mar 2012 Posts: 949

Being an Okie, when I slow it down I can lay the "redneck" on pretty thick.

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 11:36 pm

Raga Man wrote:

@Cougar - I don't know about French or Korean variants but I do know a little something about variants of Spanish. My wife grew up in Panama and speaks fluent Spanish and English. She says the Cuban dialect of Spanish is almost indecipherable to her. Apparently, the Cubans speak very fast and tend to drop syllables. Very confusing...

I remember my mother-in-law making those same complaints about the Cubans and Puerto Ricans she knew. Especially the rapid cadences. Also, some African words crept into Caribbean Spanish that aren't used in other parts of Latin America.

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 12:29 am

Other than the accent of Romance (Canadian) the Icelandic language is to die for.

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:09 pm

Quote:

Anyone got a accent mixer so we can figure out what Cougie sounds like?

Your best fantasy or your worst nightmare. Sometimes at the same time. Wink

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

^^Meep?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 5:22 am

^^Anyone call?

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:51 am

TownEnder wrote:

Dutch speaking English is clearly the best accent. Always cracks me up.

Happy to oblige, but I can't remember we met. Wink

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 11:31 pm

My accent changes depending on where I am and who I'm speaking to but usually my accent is a Swedish-Utahn Accent but other times it can turn slightly Aussie or British sometimes as well. So I try to keep it standard or to an "International" form of English so that most people understand me. My bad habit is that I speak too quietly when I do speak. So I try to speak up and avoid using slang when I can.