Re: American accent in England(Regional Dialect Debate)

Krissybelle,

I'm trying to learn when to shut up and leave well enough alone...

Krissybelle,

I'm trying to learn when to shut up and leave well enough alone...

Aren't we all?  I'm DEFINATELY still learning that one.

http://www.uni-mainz.de/FB/Philologie-II/fb1413/roesel/seminar0203/regional_varieties/AMhistory.htm

Here's an interesting website which explains alot.  It also puts American Regional Dialects at 24-although it accepts that there are many differences within these dialects.  And says that there are three major dialects in the US. 

What it actually says is:

Today, scientific estimates of the number of American dialects range from a basic three (New England, Southern and Western/General American) to 24 and more

Another interesting quote:

By 1929 the Encyclopaedia Britannica observed that “the differences in speech between Boston and San Fransisco is less than what may be observed between two villages in Great Britain that are only a few miles apart.”

And

Altogether we can say that there are three major dialects in the US: New England, the Southern and the Western or General American dialect.

UK definitely has more than three. In England alone there is a huge difference between say, a Cockney, a Geordie and a Brummie. In Scotland, compare a Glaswegian with an Aberdonian, or a Teuchtar.
Then there the Welsh and Irish....
Would you confuse Tom Jones with Gerry Adams or Billy Conolly etc...

And the sense of humour ??
Well, it doesn't pay to take these topics too seriously !

....But you canNOT possibly argue that the accents in the UK are more diverse.  They simply are not...

No where do I say it's fact...

Yeah you do.  "They simply are not" is an intended statement of fact. 

Gack...misch, I need to take lessons from you on when to leave well enough alone.  Argh. 

Would you confuse Tom Jones with Gerry Adams or Billy Conolly etc...

Hmmm. I wonder at the odds of having Gerry Adams, Tom Jones and Billy Connolly together at the same time so we could test this one out... 

Lordy, lordy!  Why are we fighting over this?  There are tons of dialects in both countries.  I (US living in UK) can tell the difference between a Geordie and someone from Dorset, but my parents (US) probably can't.  And my parents (US) can tell the difference between someone from Eastern North Carolina and St. Louis, but my husband (UK) can't.

And I won't even go into the number of times I've been asked why I moved to England from Ireland or Australia.  Apparently my Eastern NC accent just doesn't come through all the time.  Who cares?

What it actually says is:

What on earth was the purpose of this?  I know what it actually says.  I read it.  I didn't say that it says anything other than what it does. 

UK definitely has more than three. In England alone there is a huge difference between say, a Cockney, a Geordie and a Brummie. In Scotland, compare a Glaswegian with an Aberdonian, or a Teuchtar.
Then there the Welsh and Irish....

  The US definately has more than three as well.   Those are three major. 

Would you confuse Tom Jones with Gerry Adams or Billy Conolly etc...

No, I wouldn't.  But someone who wasn't familiar with British English would.  And again, being able to personally recognize different dialects is NOT the same thing as different dialects existing. 

And the sense of humour ??
Well, it doesn't pay to take these topics too seriously !

Hey, I'm not one to deny a sense of humour or the importance of it.  I just don't believe in saying whatever you want however you want and then putting it down to a sense of humour.  It just doesn't wash with me. 

Lordy, lordy!  Why are we fighting over this?  There are tons of dialects in both countries.  I (US living in UK) can tell the difference between a Geordie and someone from Dorset, but my parents (US) probably can't.  And my parents (US) can tell the difference between someone from Eastern North Carolina and St. Louis, but my husband (UK) can't.

And I won't even go into the number of times I've been asked why I moved to England from Ireland or Australia.  Apparently my Eastern NC accent just doesn't come through all the time.  Who cares?

No fighting here. See my comment about having a sense of humour.

I suspect that your parents heard a Geordie and a Welshman (from the valleys) having a conversation they would notice the differences, even if they couldn't place them.

I know my parents and we've discussed this topic at length.  They think everyone from the UK sounds like an EastEnders character.  It doesn't matter who's doing the talking--Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Elton John, Daniel Day-Lewis...whatever...they put them right into the middle of Albert Square with Pat and Pauline.  It  There are plenty of people like that.  Just as there are plenty of people in the UK who think everyone from the US has either a Texas drawl or a Long Island inflection. 

Hey, I'm not one to deny a sense of humour or the importance of it. I just don't believe in saying whatever you want however you want and then putting it down to a sense of humour. It just doesn't wash with me.

Word!   

Yeah you do. "They simply are not" is an intended statement of fact.

Gack...misch, I need to take lessons from you on when to leave well enough alone. Argh.

Just out of interest, why are you taking such issue with my 'statement of fact' when Cascode's 'I said it so it must be fact' theory is fine with you?  


I just really believe that a country the size of the US with sooooo many different nationalities adding to the melting pot of language is going to produce more dialects.  Statement of fact or not, that is my opinion.  And unless someone proves otherwise, I'm sticking to it.  

I know my parents and we've discussed this topic at length. They think everyone from the UK sounds like an EastEnders character. It doesn't matter who's doing the talking--Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Elton John, Daniel Day-Lewis...whatever...they put them right into the middle of Albert Square with Pat and Pauline. It There are plenty of people like that. Just as there are plenty of people in the UK who think everyone from the US has either a Texas drawl or a Long Island inflection.

Too true, Lola.  I worked with a lot of kids from the UK during my University days and I thought everyone sounded alike.  And watching MTV at that time I would never have noticed that Duran Duran sounded different from Spandau Ballet when speaking

What on earth was the purpose of this?  I know what it actually says.  I read it.  I didn't say that it says anything other than what it does. 

Actually, yes you did.
I'm not trying to annoy you. What you omitted was a very relevant point.

Also, I am not using humour to excuse what I post. Nor anything else for that matter ! My point about humour was we can agree, or disagree and can ENJOY doing so. We can enjoy an exchange of ideas and opinions.

I didn't omit anything. 

And now I quit.  Because you've got me playing your game.     You'll have to have a good humoured debate with yourself. 

I didn't omit anything. 

Scientific
Estimate
Range

Seem to me to be pretty significant omissions.