A Question about British English (Page 4): British accents can be difficult. As a Southern boy (Virginia), this event comes to mind. I was a pilot flying a commuter airliner. One of...

RCJets Loc: Virginia

British accents can be difficult. As a Southern boy (Virginia), this event comes to mind. I was a pilot flying a commuter airliner. One of our trips was from Baltimore to JFK to take passengers to connect to the Concord while it was still in service. Our flight was called The Concord Conection. We were being handled by British Airways and were parked right next to the Concord. It had just landed, and since we had about an hour on the ground there, I asked the gate agent if we could get a look in the Concord. He was happy to take us aboard. As we approached the cabin door the Flight Attendants were just coming out. They started asking us questions and I could not understand them at all. I jokingly asked them to speak English so I could understand them. The Captain was just coming out and heard me, and got a good laugh out of my comment.
I did get a good tour of the cockpit of the plane. WOW! that was a real treat!

RCJets Loc: Virginia

British accents can be difficult. As a Southern boy (Virginia), this event comes to mind. I was a pilot flying a commuter airliner. One of our trips was from Baltimore to JFK to take passengers to connect to the Concord while it was still in service. Our flight was called The Concord Conection. We were being handled by British Airways and were parked right next to the Concord. It had just landed, and since we had about an hour on the ground there, I asked the gate agent if we could get a look in the Concord. He was happy to take us aboard. As we approached the cabin door the Flight Attendants were just coming out. They started asking us questions and I could not understand them at all. I jokingly asked them to speak English so I could understand them. The Captain was just coming out and heard me, and got a good laugh out of my comment.
I did get a good tour of the cockpit of the plane. WOW! that was a real treat!

RCJets Loc: Virginia

oops, Sorry about the double post. My bad.

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

My Daughter-in-law's dad is from Newcastle-upon-tyne, he works abroad, and when he comes to visit we often strike up a conversation (or try). I find it difficult to follow his 'Geordie' accent, and I only live about 35 miles from Newcastle! It reminds me of the time me and my wife went on a coach holiday down to Bath (southern England), and I went into a camera shop to buy an SD card, the guy serving me let me have my say, and then he said "can I guess where you come from...Newcastle" I said "close enough, but If I was from Newcastle you would have a hard job understanding me!". When I worked in London I could follow their 'lingo' quite easily, but they had a job following mine. While I'm on about accents, my Daughter-in-law has a cousin who was brought up in Glasgow in Scotland...again it was almost impossible to follow her conversation. Before I finish this ramble It is said the 'Geordie' accent is related to the Norwegian Language from where Viking invaders came from well over a thousand years ago and settled down in that area.

pilgrim1951 Loc: New Jersey

There are numerous different accents even withing London. Ray Davies, of the Kinks, in his Storyteller cd talks about North Londoners, Southern Londoners, etc. One line he responds to a fellow Londoner and says, "I recognize that accent."

therwol Loc: USA

Doddy wrote:

My Daughter-in-law's dad is from Newcastle-upon-ty... (show quote)

I see where you live on a map. I've driven the A66 many times but never turned off to visit there. I will do that the next time I visit England. If I were you, I'd get in my car and eat at Betty's in Northallerton.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

PaulBrit wrote:

I love the Cockney accent or the rhyming slang as it used to be called.

Yes, I like hearing the rhyming slang in English shows and usually being able to figure it out.

therwol Loc: USA

jerryc41 wrote:

Yes, I like hearing the rhyming slang in English shows and usually being able to figure it out.

Do you remember when Dick Van Dyke tried to pull off a Cockney accent in Mary Poppins? A lot of people groaned over that. It seems that more and more actors are becoming fluid in their accents now. Think of Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep. I've seen shows and plays in London where the setting was in America, such as Driving Miss Daisy, Chicago, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and School of Rock. Most of the actors put on convincing American accents. It's strange to hear Rose McIver (Ghosts) from New Zealand or Rebel Wilson and Nicole Kidman, both from Australia speak in their native accents on talk shows.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

therwol wrote:

Do you remember when Dick Van Dyke tried to pull o... (show quote)

I can't believe how upset some people get over a lack of reality in movies! It's a movie! It's entertainment! It's not a documentary! Remember "Robin Hood" with American-talking Kevin Costner?

I can often spot English actors putting on an American accent. Then I look up the actor to see if he's English or American. I was surprised to learn that Carey Elwes is American. He was very convincing in Princess Bride and other movies.

therwol Loc: USA

jerryc41 wrote:

I can't believe how upset some people get over a lack of reality in movies! It's a movie! It's entertainment! It's not a documentary! Remember "Robin Hood" with American-talking Kevin Costner?

Is laughing the same as getting upset? But here is what I think. If you can't do the accent of the character, don't try. Just talk. In the movie Mrs. Miniver, Walter Pidgeon made no attempt at a British accent. It doesn't bother me in the least. (He did the same in other movies he made with Greer Garson.) On the other hand, Richard Ney who played the son, an American actor, did a horrible job of trying to sound English. It sort of ruins it for me, but it's comical at the same time. Barbara Stanwyck made no attempt to change her Brooklyn accent when she played Victoria Barkley in The Big Valley. I hardly notice. On the other hand, Ralph Waite applies a bit of a drawl to his Brooklyn accent in The Waltons. It sounds weird. The ultimate is Walter Brennon applying a drawl to his New England accent in some of the stuff he did. It may be important to have the correct accent under some circumstances, for instance playing Queen Elizabeth or any other famous person. If you can't do it, don't play the part and look foolish.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

therwol wrote:

Is laughing the same as getting upset? But here i... (show quote)

It is funny when actors mess up the accent or switch back and forth.

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

therwol wrote:

I see where you live on a map. I've driven the A66 many times but never turned off to visit there. I will do that the next time I visit England. If I were you, I'd get in my car and eat at Betty's in Northallerton.

Ha Ha, My wife got two two 'High tea tokens' to go to Betty's as a Xmas present, and she opted to take our daughter to the one at Northallerton! I suspect my eating habits are not to her liking in an establishment like Betty's...lol.

therwol Loc: USA

Doddy wrote:

Ha Ha, My wife got two two 'High tea tokens' to go to Betty's as a Xmas present, and she opted to take our daughter to the one at Northallerton! I suspect my eating habits are not to her liking in an establishment like Betty's...lol.

Yum, Betty's. When we visit England, we stay on a farm in Little Salkeld, which is near Langwathby. That's quite a bit farther from Northallerton than you live. Nevertheless, my wife likes Betty's so much, we've made that drive a half dozen times just to eat lunch. Look at the price on the cake. Our friends we stay with say that the Betty's in Harrogate is insanely busy. If you ever visit Northallerton, check out the Barkers department store. There is a large, open car park behind High street on the same side as Betty's.

(Download)

Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

jerryc41 wrote:

I can often spot English actors putting on an American accent. Then I look up the actor to see if he's English or American. I was surprised to learn that Carey Elwes is American. He was very convincing in Princess Bride and other movies.

Or John Wayne as the centurion at the crucifixion in The Greatest Story Ever Told. "Surely this maaaan was the son of God". That one is a classic.

Of course, despite being a fan of his movies, my assertion is the John Wayne never acted a day in his life. He played John Wayne in every movie he made!

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

We often go to Northallerton and go into Barkers Restaurant which is very nice. The last time we went there it was early morning and most shops in the high street hadn't opened, including Betty's....but the queue waiting outside must have been 50 yard long! If you get the chance pop into Harrogate...beautiful town with a much larger Betty's.