MistaSparkle 0 Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 Apparently some Harvard graduate students with too much time on their hands, came up with this study of american dialects . Thought it was kind of interesting, and was wondering how some of these words are pronounced by all you Brits, Kiwis, and Aussies.... Link to post Share on other sites
MistaSparkle 0 Posted June 27, 2003 Author Share Posted June 27, 2003 #50 is a good one: What word(s) do you use to address a group of two or more people? Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 I don't have a dialect, I speak the real thing... Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 Just look at the spread of results, and you'll see that in the middle of the country they don't got no words...What do they all do, point at things with their hoe and grunt? Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 Me neither...I speak the real thing. Link to post Share on other sites
Goemon 0 Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 MistaSparkle: I participated in that survey when it was conducted a few months ago (in February?). NJ reprazent! I guess I have too much time on my hands... Link to post Share on other sites
MistaSparkle 0 Posted June 27, 2003 Author Share Posted June 27, 2003 Goemon - doh! no offense! it's er.... not a waste of time at all... Go Jersey! wOOT! I like #95... 47% refer to New York as "the City" Link to post Share on other sites
Goemon 0 Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 They could have a whole study on Stong Island and how they pronounce words like "water" and "soda"... The one about "hoagies/grinders/subs" was pretty regionalized. I liked the "shotgun!" one too; who are those freaks in Boston who yell out "hosey!" to reserve the front passenger seat??? And Midwesterners calling soda "pop" still makes me smile. For the rest, nowadays I think it's hard for regions to maintain their dialectic integrity (if there is such a thing). Maybe 80 years ago, you would've seen much more regionalization. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 "Pantyhose are so expensive anymore that I just try to get a good suntan and forget about it." bubuuuu! Well, now I know which maps to use for targeting my home nuclear arsenal. I'm getting Kim to focus on those who have no idea what a 'wood louse' is or otherwise have some stupid name for them, while I've invited the Iranians (when they're ready) to target those areas where "I might could do that" is considered acceptable. Kintaro, believe me, you HAVE a dialect. miteyak and I do not. Link to post Share on other sites
Stefan 0 Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 Think about it, for such a small country the UK has some wildly different dialects. Take a Brummy for example, two hours away you've got Scousers (No offence scouse), or the Welsh Valleys. Then another 30 mins there's Manchester, then another 30 mins there's Yorkshire etc etc. The list goes on.....and they all very different!! Personally I think what you call someone you're already friendly with is best: Pet Duck Butty Mucker Pal etc etc Or you could end up like Ocean, a posh sod with plums in ya mouth. what what old boy Link to post Share on other sites
Goemon 0 Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Yeah, seems as if Britain has had its fair share of surveys too, including the definitive Survey of English Dialects (SED) . There are also some amusing comments in this Survey of British dialect grammar paper including: Quote: The comments that pupils made about different regional accents revealed a very interesting selection of idiosyncratic likes and dislikes, which they justified in equally idiosyncratic ways:... (26) Scousers speak terrible. Apart from that I don't really mind the rest of them except the people from Devon, they're really stuck up. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Quote: Originally posted by Mr Matthews: Or you could end up like Ocean, a posh sod with plums in ya mouth. what what old boy Now, now, Shadwell... Let's not get all upset just because the English education system failed to cross the Wye, unlike the slightly more aggressive elements of our fine country... Link to post Share on other sites
Stefan 0 Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Yes one does not approve of Grammar Schools and such like. You English should have gone Comprehensive like Wales....ahem. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 No finer way to subjugate a people than through a sub-standard education now is there... Unfortunately I too had the misfortune of a 'comprehensive' education... Still, from what i've seen, it beats high school! Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Ocean, you seem defensive. I'm sorry..was that YOUR language I was so improperly using? No, I don't have a dialect. You do. English is my first language. I speak it properly. and more people speak it like I do than you do. So what say you? Are you so bold as to think you are the proprietor of an entire language? Watch CNN..(not for the content..the humor)..they.. I truly believe for the humor factor put Britts on to entertain us Americans. Your pompous ways are funny. How do you think Hugh Grant has a carreer...We are humored by your stupidity.. The Canadian..Austin Powers is obviously poking fun at your pompous ass. Take a deep breath..Go drink your tea, eat some crumpets and watch a Mr. Bean video. God save the Queen! bubuuu!! Later G.. Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 No you have an accent, no you have an accent, no you do, do not, do too, do not, I'm telling!! I thought you were going somewhere Kintaro... So the thing I have learned most from this survey is that everybody says everything in all the major metropolitan areas. Is there anything that isn't represented in a city. Seems they could have just accounted for migration and tried to show us where the dialect actually originated or was popularized. I assure you we say "creek", not "crik" and pee-kahn not pee-can, yet they are both represented as part of Seattle "dialect." Some of those are pretty funny though. Do you say Asterisk or Asteriks...never mind one is compltetely incorrect. "I dragged or drug her lifeless body from the pool?" Did I mention I do exclusively figurative paintings anymore. Any easily confused Japanese trying to learn English should steer clear of this one. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 I find these surveys very interesting from a historical point of view. Since the 17th century or thereabouts, busybodies have been trying to codify what is acceptable in language, based on largely arbitrary rules and dictates, while the 'common populace' have blithely ignored them. The modern English as written on the Internet is somewhat similar to 17th century English in the variety of spelling and grammar used. Andrew Jackson said that he could not admire a writer who knew only one spelling for a word. I guess he would have had contempt for the way I write. Link to post Share on other sites
Stefan 0 Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Kintaro I recall you said your writing a book. What's it about....? Miteyak, you a victim of comprehensively cr*p education to a ? Well suppose at least I learnt how to smoke fags and drink cider.... Link to post Share on other sites
Will Lee 0 Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 Quote: Originally posted by Kintaro: Me neither...I speak the real thing. What? You mean you don't speak Hawaiian? Fess up Kin-chan...be proud of your island heritage! Link to post Share on other sites
wendy-cake 0 Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 Andrew Jackson was one of my ex-boyfriends at college - same one perhaps? Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted June 30, 2003 Share Posted June 30, 2003 No offence taken, Mr Matthews. Talk to me and you probably wouldnt be able to pinpoint me down to Liverpool ---- more northern. Link to post Share on other sites
ug 0 Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Really strong southern accents really get on my nerves. Any accents annoy you? Link to post Share on other sites
rachael 0 Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 Strong old fashioned brit accents annoy me Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 I find strong anything accents quite interesting to listen to - even if I can't understand what they're on about. Most difficult accent for me to work out is Geordie. No offence, but its real difficult to catch Link to post Share on other sites
MistaSparkle 0 Posted July 3, 2003 Author Share Posted July 3, 2003 Ever heard a Cajun accent...? It's pretty much incomprehensible. I had american friends that watched "lock stock and two smoking barrels" with subtitles because the accents were too thick. Link to post Share on other sites
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