lucky_charm
Forum Senior
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2012
- Reaction score
- 53
That's when I say can I use your bathroom or I'm just going to the loo lol depending on familiarity!
Literature The British English vs American English thread!
- Thread starter Muggle
- Start date
I dont find Scottish hard to understand at all. Perhaps with living close to the border? i dont know.
I did notice that Billy Connelly was being understood more than I expected on his Route 66 show. Unless they had a translaters on hand for the Americans.
Are regional accents as noticably varied in the US as they are here?
I did notice that Billy Connelly was being understood more than I expected on his Route 66 show. Unless they had a translaters on hand for the Americans.
Are regional accents as noticably varied in the US as they are here?
Lord Snot
Parsley Provider
Also, do American people really have trouble telling if someone is English or Australian? It's a bit of a running joke but I've never worked out if it's true or if it's one of those herp derp American stereotypes.
OP
OP
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2012
- Reaction score
- 1,354
If you can't tell the difference between a New Yorker and a Texan then something is wrong with your ears.
Although, I do struggle to tell the difference between most American accents unless they're really obviously different.
ledboots
Peace
Well yeah those are obvious, but I mean regional within a State. For example,to you guys I probably have a Newcastle accent but to a Newcastle-er I sound posh and have a very strong Durham accent. My friend Dr has a Sunderland accent...but we're all from the same 'region'...If you can't tell the difference between a New Yorker and a Texan then something is wrong with your ears.
Although, I do struggle to tell the difference between most American accents unless they're really obviously different.
I don't find Scottish accents that hard to understand.
Geordie, however, is like a foreign language.
haway man, we're not tha' hard to mack owt like man...
OP
OP
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2012
- Reaction score
- 1,354
Come to Shropshire. We have about 800 different regional accents here.
Just say "alreet mon?" to everybody and you might get past unnoticed. Otherwise, outsiders are fed to the sheep.
Lord Snot
Parsley Provider
OP
OP
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2012
- Reaction score
- 1,354
It's okay, they are kind of similar.
I don't sound Australian!
Oh gods, you should hear one of my friends try to do a Welsh accent. I'll give you three guesses what she actually ends up sounding like, and it's not a native accent to the UK....
AeryFairy
Anachronism
I don't sound Australian!
Oh gods, you should hear one of my friends try to do a Welsh accent. I'll give you three guesses what she actually ends up sounding like, and it's not a native accent to the UK....
Jamaican?
Lord Snot
Parsley Provider
OP
OP
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2012
- Reaction score
- 1,354
Lord Snot
Parsley Provider
That's the one.
It's hilarious.
Welsh is one I can actually do, mostly because one of my favourite audiobooks has a Welsh character. I don't know if it's convincing to a Welsh person but it sounds good to me
GingerFoxx
No effin' whey!
I am American born and raised, and one of the most boggling differences I find with American vs. British English is when talking about clothing.
What Brits call trousers are what we refer to as pants, but I believe pants are what they call women's underwear.
What we call suspenders are what Brits call braces,. Suspenders to a Brit are what hold your stockings up, also known as garters in the U.S. Correct me if I am wrong, but garters to a Brit are what hold socks up.
A sweater in the U.S. is what Brits call a jumper. A jumper in the U.S. is a type of dress worn by women
Another different I am always cautious to point out to people is the usage of the word "pull".
In the U.S. if someone does something another person is known for doing, one might say "They pulled a <insert person's name>" For example, my coworker Sandy is known for being overly dramatic. If I were to display such uncharacteristic behavior at the office, one might say I "pulled a Sandy". However, to a Brit, to "pull" is to pick someone up, like in a bar, for example. So it's easy to see how someone saying I was "pulling a Sandy" might give the entirely wrong impression.
What Brits call trousers are what we refer to as pants, but I believe pants are what they call women's underwear.
What we call suspenders are what Brits call braces,. Suspenders to a Brit are what hold your stockings up, also known as garters in the U.S. Correct me if I am wrong, but garters to a Brit are what hold socks up.
A sweater in the U.S. is what Brits call a jumper. A jumper in the U.S. is a type of dress worn by women
Another different I am always cautious to point out to people is the usage of the word "pull".
In the U.S. if someone does something another person is known for doing, one might say "They pulled a <insert person's name>" For example, my coworker Sandy is known for being overly dramatic. If I were to display such uncharacteristic behavior at the office, one might say I "pulled a Sandy". However, to a Brit, to "pull" is to pick someone up, like in a bar, for example. So it's easy to see how someone saying I was "pulling a Sandy" might give the entirely wrong impression.
Lord Snot
Parsley Provider
All correct Ginger, except pants are usually men's underwear, women's would be called knickers. Though I use pants for both.
Let's not forget the infamous fanny packs
Let's not forget the infamous fanny packs
RabbitLuvr
I love rabbits.
I don't, but I grew up watching Monty Python and the like. (There was also an Australian foreign exchange student in my Junior year of high school, and he was in most of my classes.) I think a lot of Americans would recognize the English accent prevalent on, say, BBC news, but be less able to understand/distinguish other accents. When faced with a thick accent that they don't know, they might just guess something random that they're not familiar with.
