American accent

cantdecide · 29-11-2013 12:22PM

One counter argument is that of the fact that a lot of American accent could often be derived from Irish ones.

We are responsible for the big roundy American R!!!

anncoates · 29-11-2013 12:23PM

Leaving cert forum >

catallus · 29-11-2013 12:28PM

I was watching some documentary on the telly so I was, and there was this woman:

She was from the heartland of the USA, Kentucky or Alabama or whatever, one of those smaller states: she married an Irish guy and was living for about 30 years in the middle of the Kerry Gaeltacht: and she had an accent that made her sound like a german, and I mean like Alan Rickman in DieHard German. It was freaky and interesting at the same time.

KungPao · 29-11-2013 12:34PM

It would be more fun if these people imitated a good Texan or North Datokan accent. But no, it has to be that ditzy O.M.G. Californian accent.

Fred Swanson · 29-11-2013 12:39PM

This post has been deleted.

KungPao · 29-11-2013 12:50PM

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Most ads on the radio have vaguely (or downright strong) American accents really. And most DJs and those jingle things ha they play like "song from the 80s, 90s, and today. Ninedy 8 FM"

I can't stomach Irish radio anymore.

CatLou · 29-11-2013 01:01PM

I'm not a native english speaker and I have an american accent, I guess that's because of all the movies and stuff like that.
A few weeks ago I was helping a middle aged Irish couple on the Luas and they thought I was american... The surprise on their faces when I told them where I am really from :P They weren't the only ones though, sometimes on the pub people ask me where I learnt my english because of the way I sound.

Some people probably pick up accents faster than others, the same way some people are better at music, this had even happened before with my own my native language after moving to a different city. Of course there's always some people who have over the top accents to sound more posh or wtv, but these you can spot.

Not my favourite accent but I suppose it beats not being understood...

cantdecide · 29-11-2013 02:15PM

CatLou wrote: »

I'm not a native english speaker and I have an american accent

Pretty common actually. A good friend is seeing a Romanian girl at the moment and you'd swear blind she was a yank.

Another good friend that I lived with has a Swedish gf and she lived with us for quite a while. When I visited them in Sweden it was hilarious to hear the different versions of the accents depending on where they had been living, studying etc. The funniest was the Swedish/ Yorkshire accent!!

CatLou wrote: »

Not my favourite accent but I suppose it beats not being understood...

Same for language, too. I'd bet you would have said 'I guess' here before you came to Ireland.

knipex · 29-11-2013 02:20PM

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

It's a really interesting modern phenomenon and is worthy of discussion and examination in my opinion.

TV, cinema, facebook and travel

RDM_83 again · 29-11-2013 02:31PM

CatLou wrote: »

I'm not a native english speaker and I have an american accent, I guess that's because of all the movies and stuff like that.
A few weeks ago I was helping a middle aged Irish couple on the Luas and they thought I was american... The surprise on their faces when I told them where I am really from :P They weren't the only ones though, sometimes on the pub people ask me where I learnt my english because of the way I sound.

Some people probably pick up accents faster than others, the same way some people are better at music, this had even happened before with my own my native language after moving to a different city. Of course there's always some people who have over the top accents to sound more posh or wtv, but these you can spot.

Not my favourite accent but I suppose it beats not being understood...

This thread isn't really about people like yourself though who have an accent that makes sense in that you were probably taught or were exposed to mainly American English in the initial learning stages.

I don;t really buy the whole Irish people people picking up the American twang, for one people that have emigrated to the states actually have quite a different sounding accent to the Americanized people in Ireland, people do pick up accents fast thats true but the people with Americanised accents don't pick up the other accents of the area they are in. The country girl up to Dublin doesn;t start speaking like she is from any part of Dublin!.

Actually any idea why its (younger) woman that seem to do this more than guys?
(If people think thats being sexist your welcome to go spend a day in TCD or UCD and come back too me!)

CrazyRabbit · 29-11-2013 02:38PM

I used to speak with an American accent. Though I had a good reason. I worked in a helpdesk at the time supporting American customers.
They either thought I was Australian, Scottish or German (I have no idea why). And some immediately hung up when they learned they were calling Ireland as they thought they were paying international phone rates. So it was less hassle if I just spoke using an American accent.

Saying that, I only used the accent in work. I'm not a complete douchebag!

Femme_Fatale · 29-11-2013 02:39PM

dgt wrote: »

Like yer wan going into a lecture with a suitcase talking to some guy (probably in the friendzone) saying how she was from cork and lives up but in a put on accent

What the hell are you talking about?

Valentine1 · 29-11-2013 02:40PM

Anyone who doesn't speak with a thick con'hree accent or who doesn't sound like some sort of hardchaw from the Nortside will at some time in this county be accused of getting air and graces and trying to put on an accent when infact they simply don't want to sound like they are an extra in Father Ted.

What is much more important is the question of why posters from Cork actually type the word "Like" when posting here. Its a filler word that is used as a figure of speech, what on earth are you doing typing it at the end of ever sentence?

Wibbs · 29-11-2013 02:41PM

force eleven wrote: »

I always wondered why UK or Irish mainstream vocals always have an American accent.

Because rock and roll was an American invention would be much of it. The British invasion of the 60's with the Beatles and those that followed took the edge off that so people could sing in their own accents. Though some vary over time. Listen to Bono. Early on it was Irish, then a touch of British, now he sings like he's from Midtown USA.

KungPao wrote: »

It would be more fun if these people imitated a good Texan or North Datokan accent. But no, it has to be that ditzy O.M.G. Californian accent.

Well some of it is defo imitation alright, especially among teenage girls post The Hills and shíte like that, but some of it is an (un)happy accident. People trying to emulate "posh" in Ireland have tended to elongate the vowels and add a nasal twang. Even early versions of the Dort accent had an "American" vibe, even though they were trying to ape received British English at the time. Even the heavy duty working class accent in Dublin is very nasal in tone and elongates the vowels "stoooory buuud". It seems to be part of many Dublin accents. So add in half decent diction and received English with some latter American influence and you get Valley Girl. Then as I've noted with the Dort accent all the way up to today you can get an accent arms race, particularly among teenage girls to magnify these accent flavours, sometimes to near farcical levels. Often as a way to denote their peer and social status and to exclude others that are non U.

Plus some pick up accents way faster than others and some don't. A mate of mine has been living in the US for nearly 25 years, married to a local and is practically a native in culture and outlook and uses local words, yet no way would you mistake him for anything but a south Dubliner(non D4). He even says the American version of "aluminum" with an Irish accent. Which is odd

cantdecide · 29-11-2013 02:44PM

Valentine1 wrote: »

What is much more important is the question of why posters from Cork actually type the word "Like" when posting here. Its a filler word that is used as a figure of speech, what on earth are you doing typing it at the end of ever sentence?

Oh no you di'n't

Valentine1 · 29-11-2013 03:00PM

cantdecide wrote: »

Oh no you di'n't

Oh yes I did, it drives me crazy like.

dissed doc · 29-11-2013 03:03PM

dgt wrote: »

I normally wouldn't bother but this has me baffled. Why so many people speak with a put on american accent, I just can't figure it.... Like yer wan going into a lecture with a suitcase talking to some guy (probably in the friendzone) saying how she was from cork and lives up but in a put on accent

Many people in ireland don't sound like a) inner city Dublin or b) from a small village. Someone from e.g., Clare has probably spend much much longer listening to a mix of British, American or Australian accents via English-language music, television, etc., than drinking pints in the Confession Box, etc .,

cantdecide · 29-11-2013 03:05PM

Valentine1 wrote: »

Oh yes I did, it drives me crazy like.

It's a very very old mannerism. I think it's endearing.

It's not, you know, like a recent, like addition or whatever.

jimgoose · 29-11-2013 03:07PM

Valentine1 wrote: »

...What is much more important is the question of why posters from Cork actually type the word "Like" when posting here. Its a filler word that is used as a figure of speech, what on earth are you doing typing it at the end of ever sentence?

We're from County Limerick, junowhattimane, and we're inclined to type "like" as well, like.

dd972 · 29-11-2013 03:07PM

OP, Maybe these people are speaking with American accents because they're American :P

cantdecide · 29-11-2013 03:09PM

jimgoose wrote: »

We're from County Limerick, junowhattimane, and we're inclined to type "like" as well, like.

It's me- the guy from the ba-yurr

jimgoose · 29-11-2013 03:11PM

KungPao wrote: »

It would be more fun if these people imitated a good Texan or North Datokan accent. But no, it has to be that ditzy O.M.G. Californian accent.

There's a lot to be said for good, hardy Minnesotan Börk-Börk as well. But if were going to affect an American accent I think Cajun is king. Grampappy him say, good whiskey she make Jack-Rabbit howl at the wolf. C'est Bon!! :cool:

Valentine1 · 29-11-2013 03:12PM

cantdecide wrote: »

It's a very very old mannerism. I think it's endearing.

It's not, you know, like a recent, like addition or whatever.

When it is in a spoken conversation I understand and it doesn't really bother me. However I have noticed more and more posters here who seem to type it at the start, end and frequently in the middle of sentences for no apparent reason. If it was just a filler word such as "err", "um" or even "yeah, no" it wouldn't appear in writing.

Which leaves no other conclusion than the worrying proposition that many corkonians are of the belief that the word "like" is either essential to the sentence grammatically or somehow improves the clarity of their expression. Neither is the case.

Valentine1 · 29-11-2013 03:14PM

jimgoose wrote: »

We're from County Limerick, junowhattimane, and we're inclined to type "like" as well, like.

Good lord man! But why!?!

jimgoose · 29-11-2013 03:15PM

Valentine1 wrote: »

Good lord man! But why!?!

I dunno. Maybe because we all grew up listening to Shaggy from Scooby-Doo!

cena · 29-11-2013 03:15PM

There is something sexy about a hot women speaking to you in that accent.

OnTheCouch · 29-11-2013 03:16PM

CatLou wrote: »

I'm not a native english speaker and I have an american accent, I guess that's because of all the movies and stuff like that.
A few weeks ago I was helping a middle aged Irish couple on the Luas and they thought I was american... The surprise on their faces when I told them where I am really from :P They weren't the only ones though, sometimes on the pub people ask me where I learnt my english because of the way I sound.

Some people probably pick up accents faster than others, the same way some people are better at music, this had even happened before with my own my native language after moving to a different city. Of course there's always some people who have over the top accents to sound more posh or wtv, but these you can spot.

Not my favourite accent but I suppose it beats not being understood...

cantdecide wrote: »

Pretty common actually. A good friend is seeing a Romanian girl at the moment and you'd swear blind she was a yank.

Another good friend that I lived with has a Swedish gf and she lived with us for quite a while. When I visited them in Sweden it was hilarious to hear the different versions of the accents depending on where they had been living, studying etc. The funniest was the Swedish/ Yorkshire accent!!

Same for language, too. I'd bet you would have said 'I guess' here before you came to Ireland.

Again, going a little off topic, but I think it's going to be far more common that foreigners pick up American accents when learning English than other Anglophone ways of speaking. Not only do tAmericans have a stranglehold over the world's media/culture, but as a general rule they speak so much more clearer than we do here. The BBC English is almost an anachronism by this stage and the rest of us on this side of the Atlantic tend to slur our words a lot. In Australia/New Zealand/South Africa the accent is so thick as well that it's not easy to follow.

Of course it can get a little annoying constantly hearing foreigners using American expressions, but who can really blame them at the end of the day?

stretchdoe · 29-11-2013 03:19PM

I grew up in the 80's and was influenced by American TV so i talk like Bill Cosby.

salacious crumb · 29-11-2013 03:24PM

jimgoose wrote: »

I dunno. Maybe because we all grew up listening to Shaggy from Scooby-Doo!

:eek: Zoiks!!!

salacious crumb · 29-11-2013 03:24PM

stretchdoe wrote: »

I grew up in the 80's and was influenced by American TV so i talk like Bill Cosby.

Ah, but do you dance like him too?

American accent

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