when americans say english what do they mean? Do they mean the stereotypical poshness that few of us actually speak? I love my nothern , Mancunian accent. It rocks. I also love the leeds accent and an irish accent is sexy i think!!!
i don't know anyone who speaks in a posh accent, but then i didn't go to public school and end up as a barrister or working for the BBC - i'm pretty sure they're the only english people who speak like that. maybe americans think we're all Jeremy Irons and have an evil plan? my accent is a bizarre mish-mash of council estate manc and well-spoken leicestarian. it confuses even me sometimes. that said, i work with a san franciscan (is that the right way to say it?) and i wouldn't know his accent from someone living in maine or nebraska. its true what eddie izzard said to his san francisco audience though - we do all live in our own castles.
Well, BBC America has a blurb they put before most shows, suggesting people turn on Closed Captioning. In it, they refer to the British accent as if there were only one. I'm not sure it's fair to jump on Americans (i.e. US Americans, as opposed to Canadians or other members of North or South America) for referring to the British accent. And in fact, US America also possesses a wide range of accents, too. Even my tiny Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a broad variety, from the Kennedy drawl to the somewhat nasal Worcester ("WIStah") accent, to the Somerville dialect. Do all UK/British accents sound alike? No, but from a great enough distance they may seem very similar. They are certainly more alike than a Georgia (US) accent is like Liverpudlian.
they actually do that? they tell you that there is only ONE british accent?? that is appalling! mind you, we don't even get that kind of heads up when American shows are broadcast over here. in an attempt to enlighten american forumers (and as a way to extend a deeper form of apology to mammamaia who i now realise was not in the wrong at all) there is no such thing as a 'British' accent. the British Isles comprises four very distinct and seperate countries. obviously, this 'British accent' referred to on BBC America refers to the English accent. England is a very tiny country but regional accents can vary from distances as small as 20 miles. maybe a fun thing to do would be for British forumers to watch some American tv shows and try to identify regional accents and for American forumers to do the same thing on BBC America. what do you think?
When I came to Chicago, everyone sounded the same to me (still do)... and to them, I was likewise. Kind of disappointing.
No, thy simply refer to "the British accent". They don't explicitly say there is only one, but they don't say it isn't either. Mind you, their Closed Captioning spot is mostly humor (or humour). And I actually do pay some attention to the differences in accents, although I don't always know where they are local to. But I also pay attention to the different American accents. My son has a particular knack for imitating accents. He also has a frightengly good talent at mimicking celebrities. It's a funny thing, though. The Galifreyan accent sounds like it comes from the British Isles, not untold light years away...
I'll never forget the day in second grade in upstate New York, when we gained a new kid from "Naw Car'linaaa" (North Carolina). The teacher introduced him around the class, and he suddenly broke out giggling and snorting. "Heee hee heee! Y'alll doo tawk FUnnnee?" The entire class was practically rolling on the floor in seconds.
Isnt the ACT OF UNION a wonderful thing. I have scottish, irish, welsh and english members of my family ( not to metion jews, but we dont need to go there). I do see my homeland a mix of 4 distinct countries.
I would have thought that BBC America is run by americans. I also don't blame americans for thinking british means english and that all english people speak like the Queen, because that's how they are betrayed on American TV - at least every time i see them on american TV.
