Why don't UK folks like American accents?

[thalberg]

Okay, I've noticed a lot of you are from the UK.  Well, whenever any of you come to America, we all totally love your accents.  We stay around you just to hear you talk.  We want to be your friend just so we can hear you talk even more.

But when Americans go to UK, it's not like that.  Why? 

[possom46]

I am from the UK and I love American accents, I agree that there are a lot of snooty English people who don't (I have no idea why) but i'm not one of them  As for English accents, they're are loads of different ones... I am from Suffolk so talk abit like a farmer if i'm not thinking about it. I have real trouble understanding someone from Newcastle or Liverpool.

[Nightscape]

I'm sure there a lot of people in the UK who love American accents.  There are also a lot of people who don't, of course.

But the same can be said of America.  Sure a lot of people like British accents, but how many times has our popular culture mocked Britian and its accents?

[greyrune]

Americans only seem to like the posh english accent, which is the only one they think we have.  Then again we think all americans talk like hicks.  As for why we don't like your accent it's because we invented the language and then you took it and defiled it with your spelling and your bad grammar and your horrible drawling accents.  I mean how hard is it really to say write TO me, you can't write a person, they aren't a book.  Or even worse, i just read this in an american book (it's quite fun called "bringing down the house", good summer trash novel about blackjack) one of the characters got "beat up pretty good."  This wasn't even said by a character which i could just about take, it was part of the narrative.  I mean come on he got "beaten up pretty badly (or well if you prefer)".  I really shouldn't be saying things like this, i went to an american school for years and even picked up a few slurs, shame on me, i guess i'm just overcompensating, lol.

[Derek]

I love British accents. I often do an impression of a professor friend of my father's who was once a bit tipsy and told everyone a story about a CHAHHH COAL  PIT    that he used to play in when he was a little boy.  I make my face look all long and pretend to be tipsy while imitating him.   I also love imitating chinese accents.....I'm working on australian but its a bit harder to get. I also do a pretty good German accent, Pakistani accent... and sort of ok russian accent.

Speaking of australian accents, we have a book called "Strine" which supposedly teaches you how to speak the most pronounced Australian accent by misspelling a lot of words. When I was little my dad would read the phrase "and as true as heaven above"  (from a song)  which was written "ana strewer sephner barf"    and he would pronounce "barf"  with the hard R.....I didn't realize till recently it does NOT sound australian unless you use the soft AH  sound for the R to read these. then "ana strewer sephner barf"  DOEs sound....sort of...australian.   LOL

[Goldberg]

Ughhh! I know what you mean, greyrune, being a Northern Irishman living in America (for 8 years now, so I'm used to it), and even now, although I do not mind the accent itself--though the Texan one is hard to get used to at first--their grammar is, IN GENERAL, pretty bad and irritating to no end. People are often inclined to say things like, "There's two chairs left" (for instance) instead of, "There are two chairs left," which, as far as I know, is correct English......tell me if I'm wrong and I'll stop griping but until then I'll be severely irritated by it! Also, that thing in Boliver's thread about the incorrect sentence, that is, in which the word "their" was used to refer to "everyone"--I hear that kind of thing a lot.

Sometimes, even now, I use proper English spelling in papers just to defy my teachers, but I usually get red marks about doing so (and imagine back when I first came here when we might have had the ocassional spelling exam or vocabulary test!).

In general, I don't mind what actors call a "non-regional American accent." Rather, it more depends on who the person using it is...

There are also many accents back home I can't stand, like the general Welsh accents, for example. Does anybody like the Welsh accent??

[trunks]

I've been studying in Lima (Peru), Glen Ridge (New Jersey State, USA), Hong Kong (my native land) and Great Britain (yes, the UK).

As far as my tongue and ears are concerned my vote is for the British accent, diehard. The British accent is so natural, friendly and effortless to both the ears and the tongue. I mean . . . what's the point with all those twisted RRRRRRRs? Ugh, my earrrrrrrs hurrrrrrrt! Arrrrrrrgh! 

And some other aspects on pronunciation -
"The dActorrr is perrrforrrming an Aperation in the theatre", or
"Let's have hamburrrgerrr in McDAnald's..." 

Then there is this strange grammar -
"I didn't do nothing!" <= So did you mean you really did do something?
"He ain't a wise guy."

And vocabulary -
can, sneakers, elevator, attorney . . . why are they so different? 

[Teddybear]

Okay, I've noticed a lot of you are from the UK.  Well, whenever any of you come to America, we all totally love your accents.  We stay around you just to hear you talk.  We want to be your friend just so we can hear you talk even more.

But when Americans go to UK, it's not like that.  Why? 

Awwww.   *hug*

I'm not British, but I'm posting, sorry. I just love the dusty Oxford professor accent. I also like the German and Eastern Europe versions. "Vaat??" If it's any comfort to you I think the American accent is much more difficult to learn. I just can't do it.

T

[keys]

I'd blame Dr. Phil

[Torp]

Are we talking about accents? Or usage and misusage of grammar?  The two are not necessarily related.  When I think of "american" accents I am hard pressed to define one.  Bostonians speak differently from New Yorkers who speak differently from Texans who speak differently from Californians.  They could all speak the same, grammatically correct, words but sound very different.

For what it's worth, "I didn't do nothing" is not considered proper English in America.  "Ain't" is slang and I would expect to only see it in written form as part of a dialogue.  The spoken form of any language usually departs significantly from the written form.  Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on perspective), this delineation is becoming less rigid in many languages, not just Americanized English.

I personally really like the accent from the south of the United States.  I personally don't care as much for the accent from the Northeast and I find that the West doesn't really have an accent, except for parts of California that seem to have developed some sort of affected, pseudo-sophisticated, pompous accent.  My personal favorite "English" accent is when native Central and South Americans speak English.  The juxtaposition of Latin American rhythms over the top of English is...well...I'm married to a Chilean, so I guess it answers that question.

Jef

[Siberian Husky]

PIP PIP CHEERIoOo!

Ello Gav'nah!!..

[Floristan]

Rachel Griffiths, who is Australian, has a flawless American accent on "Six Feet Under" -- a great, high-end melodrama on our cable channel, HBO.  I've heard her interviewed on talk shows, and her Australian accent is quite pronounced (to an American ear).  Watching her on "Six Feet Under," I'd never know she wasn't American.

When we say "British accent" in America, I think we usually mean the type of accent Sean Connery used in his James Bond movies or maybe Alistair Cooke on "Masterpiece Theatre."  I believe Connery grew up in working class neighborhood in Edinburgh, so he clearly didn't learn that accent at home!  The same is true of Richard Burton (another identifier for Americans), who grew up Welsh, I believe.

Most Americans have a very limited understanding of the variety of accents throughout Great Britain.  We understand the Scots and Irish (though most of us cannot tell them apart), and cockney (but only from "My Fair Lady"), and that's it.  We tend to associated accents with individuals, like the characters on "Keeping up Appearances," for example, or Benny Hill!  

Accents like those used in Newcastle or Liverpool, just sound equally incomprehensible to our ears.  Some of us may get a sense that Prince Charles speaks with a somewhat pinched accent, but I think we assume it's an affectation rather than a class identifier.  

Here in America, those of us who grew up in the North have difficulty differentiating Souther accents, though many Southerners can differentiate each other by state!  I can hear the difference between a Texan twang and a Virginian drawl, I think, but that's only because of the extended exposure I've had in recent years to the Texan idiom thanks to our current President.

I wasn't aware that the British dislike the American accent as a rule.  Is it possibly just part of a parcel of things the British don't like about America (heaven knows there is plenty to put in the parcel)?

For my part, being American, I prefer the "standard" British accent to American for all things except (shall I say discreetly) intimate conversation.  A British accent is profoundly unsexy to me.  Sexual slang sound simply wrong with a British accent.  I've heard plenty of British swearing and foul language, but it just doesn't seem to have the punch it does in American.  I think we're much better at swearing and dirty bedroom talk!  What a distinction!     But then it might entirely be my personal bias.

[Jacey1973]

PIP PIP CHEERIoOo!

Ello Gav'nah!!..

Er...since when do us British say "pip pip"? I've never heard that in my life! As for "governor" i only heard that for the fist time recently when i was in a London taxi.

I'm guessing Americans know as little about British accents as we know about theirs. I can't really distinguish between American accents apart from perhaps New York or Texan. I quite like American accents - well there's this guy on my course and he's Mexican i love his accent, it's like a softer American accent. But i bet there's variations of accents within each City. I live in quite a small city in UK and in here alone there are variations (i.e the less well off - to put it nicely, kinda working class accent vs more middle class/none accent...)

I just moved from Cardiff and i happen to like the welsh accent, or should i say tolerate it after living there for 3 years. I must say i really loved the accent before i moved there then the novelty wore off. The Cardiff accent is quite nice and i made a few good friends off my course who are from the valleys and they crack me up, just listening to them. I think the valleys accents are just naturally funny, bit like Irish i guess.

I don't really have an accent just a general...English i guess.

[JCarey]

My father is British, but I've lived in America my whole life. I speak with a regular American accent most of the time, but occassionally a sort of semi-British accent will float into my speech. When I was in junior highschool I use to be teased a lot about that.

[thalbergmad]

I love Americans and their accent.

However, they cannnot seem to be able to talk quietly.

[Nightscape]

Er...since when do us British say "pip pip"? I've never heard that in my life! As for "governor" i only heard that for the fist time recently when i was in a London taxi.

I'm guessing Americans know as little about British accents as we know about theirs. I can't really distinguish between American accents apart from perhaps New York or Texan. I quite like American accents - well there's this guy on my course and he's Mexican i love his accent, it's like a softer American accent. But i bet there's variations of accents within each City. I live in quite a small city in UK and in here alone there are variations (i.e the less well off - to put it nicely, kinda working class accent vs more middle class/none accent...)

I just moved from Cardiff and i happen to like the welsh accent, or should i say tolerate it after living there for 3 years. I must say i really loved the accent before i moved there then the novelty wore off. The Cardiff accent is quite nice and i made a few good friends off my course who are from the valleys and they crack me up, just listening to them. I think the valleys accents are just naturally funny, bit like Irish i guess.

I don't really have an accent just a general...English i guess.

That's hilarious!  Actually, I figured "pip pip" was some sort of made up thing.  But although I have an general, undistinguished American accent, my friends have noticed that few things I say have a slight southern, Texan sound to them. 

As for greyrune, I really don't think anyone who speaks English should be complaining about the language being defiled.  It's sort of like calling water wet.  I think we all know that English has thieved, mugged, and defiled countless other languages (especially French!) in a greedy quest for vocabulary!  But we all still love it.  It's like the love you feel for your criminal children.

[dave santino]

My perosnal favourite British accent has to be the West Country burr. Its brilliant! On the other hand, Essex accents and the universal Chav accent make me shudder. Being a Yorkshireman, I obviously have to say that the Yorkshire accent is one of the best, if a little hard to understand sometimes. The American accent is pretty cool, e.g. Brooklyn accent if you're a gangster, New England accent if you're a bit of a twat, Southern accent if you're in the KKK, etc. The absolute best has to be the accent that Keanu Reeves has in "Bill and Ted....", its so 80s hair metal....like, dude, how awesome are we!!!Generally, we Brits like the American accent, but do get slightly offended at your molestation of the grammar and spelling.

[llamaman]

LOL, I moved to Canada from England 5 years ago, and did not lose my accent. Everyone keeps asking me to say Harry Potter I come from a town called Guildford 40 min south of London.

[Goldberg]

No kidding? My best friend lives just outside of Guildford. She goes to a school called St. Catherine's, if you've heard of it.

[silvaone]

I like american accents.... most uk music acts sing with an american voice, probly about 95%

[llamaman]

No kidding? My best friend lives just outside of Guildford. She goes to a school called St. Catherine's, if you've heard of it.

No, haven't heard of it sorry. Does she live in Guildford, or close to it.

[Goldberg]

Nah, she lives about 15-20 minutes away from it. I believe the town is Cranleigh. St. Cats is an all-female boarding school (though she doesn't board there herself, as she lives just right there).

[squinchy]

I come from a state that supposedly has perfectly non-regional English, probably because we do pronounce things the way reporters and announcers do. Wouldn't southerners think that we speak differently from them, though? I find myself picking up little speech twisters constantly--maybe lowering a vowel or stretching out a dipthong. I dislike southern accents, but possibly only for the things they represent and not for their inherent sounds.

English doesn't steal words; we just..choose to take sounds, usually mangling the word, instead of meanings. [That sentence made no sense.]

Are there really some English/British dialects that still sound like Old English?

[mikeyg]

English accents are sexy,

*thinks of Jane from Tarzan*

[thalberg]

I'm so glad to hear that at least SOME UK folks do like American accents.  I do agree that bad grammar can be offensive, but not all Americans speak with improper grammar.  I don't.   It fascinates me that you'd like Bill and Ted's accent.  That's a West-coast, California, surfer-dude accent.  I have the reporter-and-announcer type accent, but now I'm moving down south.  I hope I don't acquire that drawl.  It doesn't sound intelligent.

[musik_man]

English accents are sexy,

*thinks of Jane from Tarzan*

*Thinks of Ms. Browns from Are you being Served?*

*disagrees*

 

For those who aren't well-versed in American accents, Midwestern accents really take the cake in terms of oddness, dontcha know.

[Nana_Ama]

I'm sure there a lot of people in the UK who love American accents.  There are also a lot of people who don't, of course.

But the same can be said of America.  Sure a lot of people like British accents, but how many times has our popular culture mocked Britian and its accents?

I think British accents are sexy 

[Waldszenen]

I hate that American midwestern accent (is that what it's called?)


But the normal American accents are fine with me.

[SDL]

I personally like the Southern American accents (SC, NC, Alabama, Texas etc or NY).  Ionce met a woman from Chicago and hated hers - it just grinded.

I also had an internet relationship once with an american in SC, when I spoke on the phone they thought I had a nice voice/accent (and Ive not got a strong yorkshire accent - local people think im posh but im not, just watered down from living down south).  So I dont believe americans just like the posh English!!

My dad had all the americans facinated with his accent - broad South Yorkshire!! 

[Jacey1973]

Did anyone used to watch "Whose line is it anyway?" I used to love that progamme, it used to be on quite late here (UK) but my mum used to let me stay up to watch it. Wish they would repeat a few, think they might be on sky gold channels sometimes at a ridiculous hour.....

Anyway...You know the comedian Greg Proops who was in that show what kinda Amercian accent did he have?

[shasta]

Anyway...You know the comedian Greg Proops who was in that show what kinda Amercian accent did he have?

Proops has a "west coast" accent (raised in California), but he hams up the "surfer-dude" aspect quite a bit.


Here are links to 2 American dialect maps:  https://www.evolpub.com/Americandialects/AmDialMap.html

https://www.geocities.com/Broadway/1906/dialects.html

[Torp]

Proops has a "west coast" accent (raised in California), but he hams up the "surfer-dude" aspect quite a bit.


Here are links to 2 American dialect maps:  https://www.evolpub.com/Americandialects/AmDialMap.html

https://www.geocities.com/Broadway/1906/dialects.html

Awesome sites, thanks for the post.

[dorfmouse]

I don't like/dislike American accents any more or less than British ones in general, after all there are simply ghahhhhstly ones on both sides of the Atlantic.  However the American voice does have a distinctly piercing quality which can be hard to take ... is this just due to the nasal way of speaking, or do Americans on average actually speak in a higher pitch? Is there any research or research out there comparing pitch and/or loudness of different nationalities?
 < > (Covers ears!)

[Torp]

However the American voice does have a distinctly piercing quality which can be hard to take ...

Just tune out when George Bush speaks...it's what I do! 

[BoliverAllmon]

I personally hate American accents, especially that of the deep south. And I am from Texas.

[Teddybear]

I spent some time pondering and came up with some Americans whose talk I like:

William Shatner (he's born in Canada, but is he Canadian?)
James Lipton
Michael Douglas (sorry, I think he's cute)
Leonard Nimoy (heh)
Jerry Lewis
Dean Martin

There are others, but I'm in a hurry now.

T

[ada]

Struth! everyone knows Aussies have the best accents.
eh cobber?

[Torp]

Struth! everyone knows Aussies have the best accents.
eh cobber?

At least the Aussie women I've met sure do

Nothing quite so sublime as the sweet whispering of strine.

[larse]

I don't like Australian accent. Don't know why, tho

I really dislike American accent. Everytime I hear it, something inside me tells me that 'this guy must be really stupid'. Don't know why, tho

I really love british accent. Don't know why, tho

[lauralouise]

I am from the UK and I love American accents, I agree that there are a lot of snooty English people who don't (I have no idea why) but i'm not one of them  As for English accents, they're are loads of different ones... I am from Suffolk so talk abit like a farmer if i'm not thinking about it. I have real trouble understanding someone from Newcastle or Liverpool.

Im from newcastle 

[Dazzer]

English accents are sexy,

*thinks of Jane from Tarzan*

I think British accents are sexy

2nded.