adopting accents

Mollyb60 · 01-09-2016 01:25PM

I'm from Tipperary, spent 10 years in Dublin, now live in Belfast. My husband says I get more 'Tipperary' the closer I get to home. Lol.
I have had to 'Nordie Up' a bit since moving here. Mostly coz people didn't understand me.
My accent has at different times been called American, South African, English and Chinese (confusingly) by different people up here. All over the place!

mohawk · 01-09-2016 01:47PM

Went to college in Cork and I instantly pick up a Cork accent when talking to a Cork person.
Spend 8 years of childhood in London, I had to drop that accent fairly sharpish when we moved back home. Kids are mean.

pickarooney · 01-09-2016 02:48PM

Speedwell wrote: »

I'm an American and I have an American accent, but my accent is analogous to the Received Pronunciation in British English. I sound like a news announcer on CNN. This is presumably a result of very frequent moves around the country as a child, immigrant parents and grandparents whose English was their second or third or fourth language, and a lifetime of being in choirs as a soloist where I needed to enunciate very clearly. I moved to the American Deep South when I was a teenager and almost clawed my own ears off. I picked up <i>y'all</i> for several years, then dropped it again when I got a job in a large multinational. When I am in Cajun Louisiana around Lafayette and Thibodaux, after several days I find my accent softening toward the local standard, though. It's the only accent I can really do. I am really, really terrible at "faking" accents.

Even here in Ireland, I still sound like your basic American. But my husband's Irish family say things like, "Anyone can tell you're an American, but you sound good, not like other Americans". When traveling on business, I am most often asked if I'm Canadian. I suspect strongly that this is often a polite way of saying, "I'm guessing you're an American but I'm not sure because you don't sound typical, and I don't want to offend you if I'm wrong".

But I only care about offending you if you're Canadian.

Speedwell · 01-09-2016 02:52PM

pickarooney wrote: »

But I only care about offending you if you're Canadian.

I'm only capable of being appropriately ashamed if I'm Canadian. :P

Calahonda52 · 01-09-2016 03:13PM

Robsweezie wrote: »

have you ever tried adopting accents when speaking to people you dont know (and likely wont see again)and seeing if they notice its put on? ive wanted to try cockney/american and i think i sound convincing but wouldnt be fully confident i could pull it off. in brief situations like placing an order in a restaurant or giving directions to strangers, maybe i could.

ever faked an accent? or known someone who has?

Not an accent but a language, often pass myself off as a kraut with limited English: the windmill tattoo on the backs of my two hands make it pretty authentic.....at least to me.

Pat Mustard · 01-09-2016 03:19PM

Turnipman wrote: »

Could any well-informed insider inform me where His Excellency the Limerick born/Clare raised/Galway based President Stumpy picked up his remarkable accent?

Anton Savage played clips of him on the radio recently and Michael D talked about "spoht" and "faihness".

It was hard to believe, so Savage replayed the clip. I don't remember Michael D speaking like this before. Since when does he have a fake British accent?

Alun · 01-09-2016 03:20PM

I'm a bit of an accent chameleon when it comes to British accents (I'm English), especially when I'm down in the West Country (i.e. Somerset) where my family are from, and after a few hours I end up speaking like Worzel Gummidge. However, even after living in Ireland for 15 years, I've not picked up even the slightest hint of an Irish accent, weird.

uch · 01-09-2016 04:12PM

Alun wrote: »

I'm a bit of an accent chameleon when it comes to British accents (I'm English), especially when I'm down in the West Country (i.e. Somerset) where my family are from, and after a few hours I end up speaking like Worzel Gummidge. However, even after living in Ireland for 15 years, I've not picked up even the slightest hint of an Irish accent, weird.

Not weird at all Al, fit and proper, no excuse for losing yer accent IMO

01-09-2016 04:47PM

Myself and a mate were out for lunch one day and decided to have a bit of craic amongst ourselves. He put on a lisp while ordering his food and I put on a South African accent. We made our orders one after the other. He was asked to take a seat while his food was being prepped and did so, on the far side of the food court. The lady taking the order says ''I'm so sorry could you just give me your order again there?'' to me. So now I'm on my own with this lady after already speaking in a Sith Ifrikan iccent and have to weigh up my decision to go on with the charade I've created (which will only be for her benefit) or just use my normal voice and risk being rumbled. I'm cringing typing this.

Parachutes · 01-09-2016 04:48PM

In my job I have to talk to British clients a lot and they always complain about not being able to understand the accent and to slow down. It gets fairly annoying after a while talking like you're having a stroke.

FishOnABike · 01-09-2016 05:24PM

check_six wrote: »

I heard a radio interview with an actor a few years back who explained the differences between the major regional irish accents as he did a quick round ireland accent demonstration. As he moved from region to region he would show how little you had to alter your voice to meld from one to the next (one becomes more sing-song, the next becomes flatter and different sounds are more emphasised, or abandoned completely). It was fascinating to hear it done live and quite easy to replicate once you heard it explained. I'd love to be able to track down this clip.

Some people have a great ear for this kind of thing and can either replicate it on demand, or subconsciously assume the new accent without even realising it.

Niall Tóibín ?

Turnipman · 01-09-2016 07:47PM

Pat Mustard wrote: »

Anton Savage played clips of him on the radio recently and Michael D talked about "spoht" and "faihness".

It was hard to believe, so Savage replayed the clip. I don't remember Michael D speaking like this before. Since when does he have a fake British accent?

My suspicion is that he may have caught it from the furniture in the Viceregal Lodge; or possibly from hob-knobbing around with British Royalty!

blaze1 · 01-09-2016 09:02PM

I lose my dub twang when ever I go back to uk, my little one does too (9) always great to hear her say Mummy to the mrs hahah

uch · 01-09-2016 11:58PM

Omackeral wrote: »

Myself and a mate were out for lunch one day and decided to have a bit of craic amongst ourselves. He put on a lisp while ordering his food and I put on a South African accent. We made our orders one after the other. He was asked to take a seat while his food was being prepped and did so, on the far side of the food court. The lady taking the order says ''I'm so sorry could you just give me your order again there?'' to me. So now I'm on my own with this lady after already speaking in a Sith Ifrikan iccent and have to weigh up my decision to go on with the charade I've created (which will only be for her benefit) or just use my normal voice and risk being rumbled. I'm cringing typing this.

And so you should be ye pox, I know who you support and i'm only tying so you read it, g'wan the Rovers

idunno78 · 05-09-2016 01:41AM

When in Australia I was out one night and after one to many decided to put on an Oz accent to a random Oz guy! I thought I was brilliant but no! Used always put on an American accent when I was a kid!
Also after being in Oz for 3 months I came back with that whole raising my voice at the end of all my sentences! I think it's from talking to Australians they don't underStand the Irish accents! You have to talk much slower as well! Irish people talk really fast!

BabyE · 06-09-2016 12:10AM

All the mainland euros tell me our accent is easier to understand.

adopting accents

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