43 replies to this topic

[Simon]

Originally posted by Jim


........................., and strives to do this to avoid criticism that after decades away from the auld sod, the old sod sounds as convincingly Irish as Diego Maradona.

Jim, you're a cynical bastard - but very entertaining.

[Kara Milovy]

Originally posted by Dr. Tynan
There's a certain American accent that pronounces Rs like Ys. What accent is that?

For example if they were saying this (and no offense);

"You're new here, you've got to say the first thing that comes into your head"  

They'd say it like this;

"Yaw noo heea, ya gotta say the foyst thing that comes inda ya head"

Sounds like Brooklyn. Brookyn streches "a"s (but not as much as Queens does), turns mid-Rs to Y when followed by a vowel sound (here becomes heey), and turns mid-Ts to D (wid, widdout).

Boston flattens a's, drops final and mid-r's, and adds end-rs. Tuna is "tuner," Linda is "Linder." Harvard Yard, famously, is Hahvahd Yahd, with all the "ah" sounded like the a in "hat." A Brooklynite would keep the r in yard because it's followed by a consonant, and if it was dropped, it would be a heavier "a," "yaud."

[Kara Milovy]

Originally posted by Dr. Tynan
Oh right

I was thought it was perhaps the people of "Noo Joysey" who spoke that way

I'm from New Jersey (raised there, lived there on and off most of my life). In all my years (more than 20 ) I've never heard an actual native of New Jersey say "Joysey." Never. Not once. The only time I've ever heard that was comics on TV doing their version of a Jersey accent.

We always pronounce the R in Jersey. We just drop the "New."

[General Koskov]

Speaking of Hahvahd accents, wasn't Frost on the Harvard fencing team, and thus shouldn't she have a Bostonian accent?

I wish I knew what a Manitoban accent sounded like...

[Dr. Tynan]

LOL Kara

I've always wondered where the American accent comes from. Now I know there are many American accents, but would I be right in saying that most americans speak with roughly the same accent. (I'm not being cheeky and sorry if that's incorrect).

Some people say it comes from the SouthWestern English accent.

Some people say it comes from the Dutch accent.

[KMHPaladin]

I presume you come from North Jersey, Kara? I grew up in South Jersey 20 minutes out of Philly, and go to school outside of Albany now. Friends have recognized a slight Philly accent ("droower" instead of "drawer" etc.) but aside from that I'm pretty standard. And I too have never heard anyone pronounce it "Joisey." Just Jersey, yeah .

[Kara Milovy]

Dr. T, what you think of as a standard American accent is a Midwestern accent. Regional accents are quite distinctive, every bit as different as various British accents.

I can generally tell a New Jersey from a Long Island (New York) from a Queens (NYC) from Bronx (NYC) from Brooklyn (NYC). But that's my region. Still, most Americans find a New York accent harsh and quite noticeable even if they can't distinguish between various NY accents.

I can't tell most Southern accents apart, but a Southerner can. And no one talks the way a Bostonian talks!

These are really very different -- the difference between a New York accent and a North Carolina accent is as vast as the difference between, say, a Scottish burr and a posh London accent.

And yes, Paladin, I'm from North Jersey and now reside in Rockland. My parents were both born and raised in Brooklyn, and like most people from my area, I use dictionary pronunciation (merry, marry, and Mary are three different words) even though my accent is quite obvious.

[sainttemplar]

The best example of Brosnan's bizarre accent can be heard in Taffin in which he plays an Irish debt collector who varies between standard English and pantomime Irish often in the same speech.Alison Doody does the same.

[RITZ]

I think his accent has become a bit confusing. Some lines in DAD and previous films have naff lines. Why doesn't he get voice coaching(no offence Brozza)? His accent in GE was perfect. I suppose its because he's lived in the states for so long.

[003]

But his accent at the begining of TWINE: "I think you're forgetting my hidden assets"? Sounded like Connery to me!

[RITZ]

welcome to CBN 003

Yeah that's a good line in TWINE (that rhymes:p)

not connery though...

[sainttemplar]

Originally posted by RITZ
I think his accent has become a bit confusing. Some lines in DAD and previous films have naff lines. Why doesn't he get voice coaching(no offence Brozza)? His accent in GE was perfect.  

His accent in GE was pretty variable.He's only succeeded in maintaining an English accent in Mister Johnson if I recall.

[Xenobia]

Since we are on the topics please let me testify that not all people from Flushing, Queens, NY sound like Fran Dresner. In fact, she is the only one that sounds like her.

That being duly noted, I have a habit, which my friend Clare is quick to call me on, on starting to speak with an English accent when I arrive in England. My speaking voice also drops a few notches in volume. I can hear Jim squealing from here...so yes, I know it is wrong of me to pick up the accent, but my ear sensitive like that, and always has been. I will repeat the accent I am closest to.

And now to bring this full circle...I think Mr. Brosnan does the same with accent...he repeats what he is closest to.


-- Xenobia

[sainttemplar]

Originally posted by Xenobia
Since we are on the topics please let me testify that not all people from Flushing, Queens, NY sound like Fran Dresner.  In fact, she is the only one that sounds like her.

That being duly noted, I have a habit, which my friend Clare is quick to call me on, on starting to speak with an English accent when I arrive in England.  My speaking voice also drops a few notches in volume.  I can hear Jim squealing from here...so yes, I know it is wrong of me to pick up the accent, but my ear sensitive like that, and always has been.  I will repeat the accent I am closest to.

And now to bring this full circle...I think Mr. Brosnan does the same with accent...he repeats what he is closest to.


-- Xenobia

that doesn't really explain his muddled accent in DAD though...no wait maybe it does.perhaps he has an ICELANDIC accent:p