Ending you sentence in a high note and the Americanisation of the Irish accent

v638sg7k1a92bx

Ending your sentence in a high note seems to be the default phonetic setting these days. Does anyone else notice this when they're talking to people, I've become paranoid that I might be doing it myself without noticing. I originally thought it was some type of insecurity issue that people had but it seems that everyone is doing it. I never considered this to be part of the north American vernacular but how has it become so widespread in Ireland?

Separately, on my way into work last week there were two early twenty college students and I swear they speaking with at 90% American accent. I wasn't sure if they were taking the piss at first but they kept it up, talking about they're class, subjects etc in an American accent!!!

RMAOK

This does my head in :mad:
Think it was called the mid Atlantic twang for a while - absolutely hate it tbh. Everything is phrased like a question. :mad:

Mint Sauce

In a high note? Do you mean saying something positive, or voice rasing a pitch at the end?

Very much doubt its a new thing, as people were telling me 10/15 years ago, my voice raised at the end of my sentences, possibly down to a mix of my accents. I have also observed it in a few of my friends and family as well.

clintondaly

That's what people get for having watched too much Barney

sbsquarepants

And this one time, in band camp....


I can not stand it, fúck right off you pseudo sceptic, valley girl wannabe shower of dicks!:mad:

I remember years ago being hit on by this fairly hot Calafornian girl and having to actually leave the pub - when single, I'd get up on cracked plate but this girls accent was hurting my very soul, I just couldn't bear it.

If she had of just shut the hell up, there'd have been no problem, but nooo!!!

Foggy Jew

Paschal Donohoe..... He sounds more of a caricature than Mario Rosenstock could ever make him

It drives me mad too - it sounds like the speaker isn't confident in what they're saying - but I suspect it's supposed to endear you to someone, as in make them seem 'insecure' in a cute way - CAN'T STAND IT.

Tell me how

Accents are extremely entertaining. I find it fascinating that we can have such variety here in areas separated by only 60 miles or so. Think Cork versus Limerick for example, or Cork/Waterford which is an even shorter distance.
There is something about this one which does seem to get on peoples nerves. I've heard it being quite common amongst some younger people around SCD.
Not sure if people grow out of it here or if it's just such people are still quite young.

But, before we judge accents too harshly, we'd do well to remember that many of us sound like we are in an episode of 'the Hardy Bucks' or 'The Young Offenders' which must have any foreign people who see these shows wondering just where we learnt to speak.

selwyn froggitt

RMAOK wrote: »

This does my head in :mad:
Think it was called the mid Atlantic twang for a while - absolutely hate it tbh. Everything is phrased like a question. :mad:

"Be a good yank, turn around and go home"

ohfa6muwtsvkc1

Sullivan Lazy Tangerine wrote: »

Separately, on my way into work last week there were two early twenty college students and I swear they speaking with at 90% American accent. I wasn't sure if they were taking the piss at first but they kept it up, talking about they're class, subjects etc in an American accent!!!

They might have been Americans? Or Canadians? Tbh in the new world, I think this is a good thing. Regional differences in accents can cause lots of trouble, misunderstandings and often lead to discrimination. The proliferation of Youtube will standardize (see what I did there?) spoken English, and I for one welcome it.

Cushie Butterfield

Uptalk/rising intonation- blame Neighbours/Home & Away. End each sentence as it’s a question. Very annoying.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I presume that most of these people grow out of the habit once they leave college?

The Pheasant2

Sullivan Lazy Tangerine wrote: »

Separately, on my way into work last week there were two early twenty college students and I swear they speaking with at 90% American accent. I wasn't sure if they were taking the piss at first but they kept it up, talking about they're class, subjects etc in an American accent!!!

They could well have been actual Americans - there are a **** load in UCD on exchange; and they're more likely to be overheard due to their general lacking of an inside voice

The Pheasant2

Cushie Butterfield wrote: »

Uptalk/rising intonation- blame Neighbours/Home & Away. End each sentence as it’s a question. Very annoying.

Yes the whole upspeak thing is very prevalent amongst Australians for whatever reason

sbsquarepants

Zayden Nervous Lump wrote: »

They might have been Americans? Or Canadians? Tbh in the new world, I think this is a good thing. Regional differences in accents can cause lots of trouble, misunderstandings and often lead to discrimination. The proliferation of Youtube will standardize (see what I did there?) spoken English, and I for one welcome it.

Was talking to a neighbour there about the madness kids watch on you tube a while back, she has a kid around the same age as mine (5 - 6)
She says sure I was talking to him (her son) the other day and he just gets up and walks off saying "don't forget to leave a comment down below":D

Greengrant

Any Irish person who says "Mom" deserves a dinner date with Ted Bundy.

Boom_Bap

Greengrant wrote: »

Any Irish person who says "Mom" deserves a dinner date with Ted Bundy.

Ted never killed anyone he had dinner with.


Also, there is not just a single American accent

Day Lewin

Saw an article once, and the author claimed quite persuasively that it could all be traced to "Friends"

Apparently before 3/4 of the world's teenagers watched that show, the upwards-ending-sentence was not heard in the other English-speaking countries.

Not to mention A B Ceez and X Y Zees.

And when did the expression "I said..." get replaced by "I'm like..." ???

Tell me how

Whatever about the mid-Atlantic twang spoken about above, what I find really irritating is the vocal fry as practised by the Kardashians and the likes.

ohfa6muwtsvkc1

Greengrant wrote: »

Any Irish person who says "Mom" deserves a dinner date with Ted Bundy.

Why do you think that is an Americanism? Are you that unaware of the linguist traiditons of your own country?

orourkeda1977

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_rising_terminal

The Tetrarch

Day Lewin wrote: »

And when did the expression "I said..." get replaced by "I'm like..." ???

"So, I was saying" ......... is another one.

bodice ripper

Some of us actually have this accent and are sick to the back teeth of dealing with middle aged men, who believe they are the salt of the earth, thinking they've made some insightful observation when they have you cornered in a pub.

Happily, I don't have the rising tone thing.

zapitastas

Zayden Nervous Lump wrote: »

They might have been Americans? Or Canadians? Tbh in the new world, I think this is a good thing. Regional differences in accents can cause lots of trouble, misunderstandings and often lead to discrimination. The proliferation of Youtube will standardize (see what I did there?) spoken English, and I for one welcome it.

I think a lot of regional accents are on the way out. In some cases it might not be such a bad thing but it will be fairly dull to have everyone sounding like they are on an American sitcom. The one thing I have a strong dislike for though is the accent of people from the north once they make it onto the PGA. Is sore on the ears, American with a hint of northern

Fr_Dougal

Greengrant wrote: »

Any Irish person who says "Mom" deserves a dinner date with Ted Bundy.

It’s a popular saying down in Kerry, derived from the Irish word for mother.

greenspurs

the little b0ll0xes are watching sooo much sh1te 'youtubers' with American accents , they are turning into them !

Greengrant

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

It’s a popular saying down in Kerry, derived from the Irish word for mother.

There are also many who say it because they heard it watching the Kardashians or some other American tv show.

SexBobomb

I have noticed this half American accent (or rather a lack of an Irish accent) in younger children too, it must come from the American kids shows on tv.

Bigbagofcans

Do you even lift brah?

its this race to the bottom nowadays. To be irish is to sound American etc. I bleeding hate that question taking upper inflection having orange county sounding ****E!!!!

you hear it now on almost all kids on irish TV as well, spawned by generation Disney FFS! Even my boss speaks this way and he's in his 50's, I do want to gore my own eyes out when I hear it. and t his MY MOM shyte, I remember hearing some dope on first date saying it over and over , jasus wept!

topper75

It sounds patronizing, as though they don't trust you to be intelligent enough to understand them. They appear to be checking that you are still with them at the end of every sentence. :-)

I find it off-putting and often distracts from the message. My mind drifts instead to "why are they talking in this silly way?".

ohfa6muwtsvkc1

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

It’s a popular saying down in Kerry, derived from the Irish word for mother.

Around most gaeltachts tbh. I didn't grow up in one but within driving distance. Everyone said/says "Mom".

To have someone tell me that it's unIrish is as hilarious as it is tragic.

topper75

Day Lewin wrote: »

And when did the expression "I said..." get replaced by "I'm like..." ???

Probably around the same time as Absolutely replaced Yes.

my brother lives in NZ and he speaks the same, it's so infuriating too.. I have to dumb my brain to just tune in....anyone speaking this way literally operates on a different frequency and it's slower!! hence they are too

Grab All Association

Nothing wrong with American accents depending on the region. East coast accents are a huge turn off whereas Nebraska, certain parts of Kansas would just melt you.

Irish girls and twats in Dee Forbes (get it?) putting them on though need a good smack of the back of the hand off the priest

Dufflecoat Fanny

Have ye ever heard susan cahill on the radio? Not a mid Atlantic accent more like a news reader on acid. Make ya want to rip the radio out.

Wibbs

Zayden Nervous Lump wrote: »

Around most gaeltachts tbh. I didn't grow up in one but within driving distance. Everyone said/says "Mom".

To have someone tell me that it's unIrish is as hilarious as it is tragic.

"UnIrish"? That in itself is a Yankism. "UnAmerican" is a popular word in those parts and bloody odd anywhere else(and sounds beyond ridiculous even in its original context). On the "mom" front, ages ago now I set a little challenge for all those out there who said "Mom" was as Irish as spuds* to go and find any Irish person on TV, or film, or radio, or in print using "mom" before the mid nineties. There's plenty of data out there on the interwebs and yet...

Now I have no doubt that it might have been used in some gaeltacht areas - though my memory of it on many visits to same as a kid was it was closer to a broader A than O, more Maom, than mom if you see what I mean. Even the spelling is with an A, as is the more formal spelling for mother. Regardless no way in hell was it as widespread as today. Funny enough John B Keane, as Kerry as you can get used "mam" in his writings. I've heard the occasional elderly born and bred Dub using mom because they picked it up from their grandkids and a long way from Irish speaking they are. On the Dublin front I specifically remember it being an "alien" pronunciation as in my teens in the 80's I knew an American lass who had moved here with her parents in the recent past and she get some gentle slagging when she'd use "mom" and other American pronunciations. Mid Atlantic accents in Irish people were seen as seriously uncool and only reserved for low rent DJs. I even remember reading a book by Billy Connolly of all people who noted it on his travels in the US and made some low wattage joke how it was Wow upside down.

Maybe it was an Irish speaking isolate in one small part of the country, but in the vast majority of the rest of the country it's an almost guaranteed loan word from American cultural influence, just like the increasing mid Atlantic accent and vocal inflection, and not just among young people. And that's fine, accents shift, but at least we can be honest about why.

bodice ripper wrote:

Some of us actually have this accent and are sick to the back teeth of dealing with middle aged men, who believe they are the salt of the earth, thinking they've made some insightful observation when they have you cornered in a pub.

To be fair yeah that's a pain if you are an American/Canadian and it's just your accent.



*that comparison works better actually

Wibbs

Tell me how wrote: »

Whatever about the mid-Atlantic twang spoken about above, what I find really irritating is the vocal fry as practised by the Kardashians and the likes.

The Enbalmer

The Transatlantic Interrogative Inflection is the proper,like,name for it.

Used by airheads,halfwits and D4 wannabies for the past 10 years or so and becoming more,like prevalent.

Ariadne

I say mom, I was raised to say mom and most of my friends used ''mom'' too. There were some lads that used to tease us about it because they said mam but otherwise it seemed fairly normal. I've noticed it seems to be a middle class city thing. Like middle class children in Cork city and Dublin city seem to grow up saying mom. It's really only being on boards that makes it obvious to me that most people say mam. Even when I was in Dublin most of my friends that I made in college said mom too. Now though I feel self-conscious saying it in front of people who say mam because I know they probably find it odd.



I don't have a vocal fry but I have this Bonnie Tyler voice like I've been smoking 60 cigarettes a day because of my lung problems

Wibbs

Succubus_ wrote: »

I say mom, I was raised to say mom and most of my friends used ''mom'' too. There were some lads that used to tease us about it because they said mam but otherwise it seemed fairly normal. I've noticed it seems to be a middle class city thing. Like middle class children in Cork city and Dublin city seem to grow up saying mom.

I'm middle class, born and bred in Dublin as are most of my friends I grew up with and not a "mom" user among them, "mam", or "mum" were the variants(though I've noted two of them are using "mom" more, but it's a recent thing). Now I'm older than you, which suggests a generational change and one I'd mark down to circa the 90's, which again strongly suggests no "Irish language" influence and much more a US cultural influence as both the interwebs and more TV channels spread throughout the country.

I'd personally reckon the interwebs and spellcheckers had more of an effect. Why? well being as I said a Dub, as a child in the 70's and 80's we had "piped TV" so more channels than those beyond the Pale and a lot of those TV programmes were American and British. Sesame Street came up in a thread earlier and I adored that show as a kid(picked up some Spanish from it) and grew up and feasted on Kojak, Starsky and Hutch etc, absorbed US Marvel comics like sunlight(remainder stock in little shop across the road from Eason. Dirt cheap:D) and yet neither me nor my peers had American or British accents. I do recall getting static from an English teacher for using an American spelling in an essay(I remember clearly using "thru" instead of "through". The shame. ), which I almost certainly picked up from Spiderman or whatever. That made me so twitchy then I still use "gaol" instead of "jail", when almost nobody does anymore.

So I can well understand with wall to wall American TV and American interwebs how many, particularly younger folks are picking up the accents and spellings. If I had been born in say 2000 I'd probably be talking like that too. After all look at threads here on Boards over the last only few years, with talk of "cucks" and "liberal" and "SJW" and "alt-right" and all sorts of the dafter American political identity nonsense(when I saw Irish Boardsies use MAGA... Jesus). They didn't hear that in any gaeltacht.


EDIT. I notice S you said it was mostly lads who mostly highlighted you saying "mom". I remember reading somewhere that young women are more likely to absorb accents(and peer slang) than young men and I have noticed the mid Atlantic accent to be much more prevalent in Irish women than in Irish men. A mate of mine has three kids, two girls and a boy, the boy sounds entirely "local", whereas both the girls have the "American" accent thing, the younger being the more accentuated of the two(There's a ten year gap between them). Another mate of mine's parents who are fairly old; his mother says "mom", his father "mam". It's interesting stuff this accent/language thing.

Mickeroo

I think mom sounds odd, mum or mam is grand though.

bodice ripper

Wibbs wrote:

To be fair yeah that's a pain if you are an American/Canadian and it's just your accent.

Or, to be fair, anyone who spent some of their childhood in international schools. A blanded out accent on a native English speaker is usually interpreted as an American accent. Myself and a number of friends have this background, with minimal time spent in the US. We never get asked are we from the States by Americans.

jiltloop

Zayden Nervous Lump wrote: »

Around most gaeltachts tbh. I didn't grow up in one but within driving distance. Everyone said/says "Mom".

To have someone tell me that it's unIrish is as hilarious as it is tragic.

It's most certainly non Irish when spoken in an American accent by someone from South Dublin.

Wibbs

bodice ripper wrote: »

Or, to be fair, anyone who spent some of their childhood in international schools. A blanded out accent on a native English speaker is usually interpreted as an American accent.

International schools overwhelmingly tend to have a mid Atlantic accent and are more Websters than Oxford in spellings too. A blended out English speaking accent today is far more likely to sound "American", whereas go back a few generations and it would be far more likely to sound "British".

Ariadne

Wibbs wrote: »

I'm middle class, born and bred in Dublin as are most of my friends I grew up with and not a "mom" user among them, "mam", or "mum" were the variants(though I've noted two of them are using "mom" more, but it's a recent thing). Now I'm older than you, which suggests a generational change and one I'd mark down to circa the 90's, which again strongly suggests no "Irish language" influence and much more a US cultural influence as both the interwebs and more TV channels spread throughout the country.

I'd personally reckon the interwebs and spellcheckers had more of an effect. Why? well being as I said a Dub, as a child in the 70's and 80's we had "piped TV" so more channels than those beyond the Pale and a lot of those TV programmes were American and British. Sesame Street came up in a thread earlier and I adored that show as a kid(picked up some Spanish from it) and grew up and feasted on Kojak, Starsky and Hutch etc, absorbed US Marvel comics like sunlight(remainder stock in little shop across the road from Eason. Dirt cheap:D) and yet neither me nor my peers had American or British accents. I do recall getting static from an English teacher for using an American spelling in an essay(I remember clearly using "thru" instead of "through". The shame. ), which I almost certainly picked up from Spiderman or whatever. That made me so twitchy then I still use "gaol" instead of "jail", when almost nobody does anymore.

So I can well understand with wall to wall American TV and American interwebs how many, particularly younger folks are picking up the accents and spellings. If I had been born in say 2000 I'd probably be talking like that too. After all look at threads here on Boards over the last only few years, with talk of "cucks" and "liberal" and "SJW" and "alt-right" and all sorts of the dafter American political identity nonsense(when I saw Irish Boardsies use MAGA... Jesus). They didn't hear that in any gaeltacht.


EDIT. I notice S you said it was mostly lads who mostly highlighted you saying "mom". I remember reading somewhere that young women are more likely to absorb accents(and peer slang) than young men and I have noticed the mid Atlantic accent to be much more prevalent in Irish women than in Irish men. A mate of mine has three kids, two girls and a boy, the boy sounds entirely "local", whereas both the girls have the "American" accent thing, the younger being the more accentuated of the two(There's a ten year gap between them). Another mate of mine's parents who are fairly old; his mother says "mom", his father "mam". It's interesting stuff this accent/language thing.

Oh I'd agree with you that it's a modern thing, the friends that I have who use ''mom'' were born in the early 80s at the earliest and late 80s to 90s mostly. It's odd alright because both of my parents said ''mam'' for their own mothers but I don't remember being encouraged to say it myself, and I spent a lot of my time with my grandparents growing up. Fine thick Cork accents on them and my parents With friends though, most of us have this neutral Irish accent. In some of my words alright you'd hear that I'm from Cork but it's definitely not as strong as my parents or grandparents. When I lived in Dublin people knew I wasn't a Dub but often couldn't place me, just as a culchie I think television must have an influence, and the internet as well these days. I grew up watching a lot of American tv shows. We didn't get the internet until I was 12 so I don't think that had as much of an impact. My accent is fecked now anyway having lived in Dublin, the UK and living with a German who has a weird mix of an Irish/German accent. Since I'm a recluse I spent most of my time with her and rarely talk to people on the phone so I've one weird accent now :pac:

Wibbs

bodice ripper wrote: »

We never get asked are we from the States by Americans.

I have found Americans, even well travelled ones aren't generally great at placing other English speaker accents. Much like many non Americans think the "American accent" is a singular one. The Irish accent throws them. They tend to expect a diddly aye accent and if you don't have that they're a tad confused. They're better at it than they were though, what with more Irish accents on famous people showing up on their telly. Back in the 80's I had British, Australian or even Canadian(?) as suggestions put forward by Americans in their native environs. Irish came way down the list.

I've also felt they've not such a great ear with non Americans faking their accent. I found a show like House with Hugh Laurie hard going at times because to me his accent sounded "wrong", even grating at times, yet many Americans were apparently shocked he was a Brit and critics raved about how good his accent was. Yer man Rick outa the Walking Dead another one that can take me "out of the moment".

Wibbs

Succubus_ wrote: »

When I lived in Dublin people knew I wasn't a Dub but often couldn't place me, just as a culchie

That's us Dubs for ya.

Church on Tuesday

sbsquarepants wrote: »

And this one time, in band camp....


I can not stand it, fúck right off you pseudo sceptic, valley girl wannabe shower of dicks!:mad:

I remember years ago being hit on by this fairly hot Calafornian girl and having to actually leave the pub - when single, I'd get up on cracked plate but this girls accent was hurting my very soul, I just couldn't bear it.

If she had of just shut the hell up, there'd have been no problem, but nooo!!!

Wait, what? you were (I assume) single, a hot Californian girl was hitting on you... and you just upped and left?! because of her accent?

That was... not very clever.

kowloon

Deleted User wrote: »

This was just the thing I was thinking of.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtVjRG7PB_4