Why Is All This Called Thread???

Exactly the point I was making. For anyone who listens to Podcasts, there was an interesting edition of Something Rhymes With Purple recently (the one titled Masheen) which discusses the differences between the two and they talk about Noah Webster and his attempts to simplify the language through his dictionary, particularly in regard to spellings (color for example). He was more successful with some words than others.

Oh, and strictly speaking, aluminum is scientifically correct.

 

We have a BBC accent equivalent also, informally called the "newscaster accent", although in our case it's a naturally occurring one from the Midwest. On the other hand, there's the generic Southern/"country" accent used by country singers that doesn't actually exist anywhere.

I would say "Get off the floor.". "Off of", etc. might be regional things here, too.

The UK does have an amazing collection of accents, many of which are wonderful to listen to, and there are always new ones to learn. Torchwood introduced me to Eve Myles' lovely, rolling Welsh accent, which sounded like she was tying a cherry stem in a knot while speaking.

True enough. I'm sure that works both ways. Sometimes I'll have trouble understanding other Americans. Do you also find some other UK accents incoherent?

What, you mean actually saying it like a letter, "Z", instead of a whole word, "Zed"?

He zed, she zed.

 

Like the group Zed Zed Top and the rapper Jay Zed!!!

 

I used to live in places which have quite strong accents (South Wales, Welsh Borders) and can pick up quite a few but some of the northern ones are a bit confusing because of the letters they DON'T say. They're almost a dialect rather than an accent
Funny enough, one of the places I went to school (The Forrest of Dean in Gloucestershire) has its own language based on Old English, so if someone asks "OW bist ol but" I would know what they meant

 

We had a guy come to collect some old radiators who had a broad black country accent - originating from literally 20 mins up the road. I had a chat with him while we were loading them onto his truck and afterwards my wife told me she hadn't understood a word he was saying. I also had all sorts of trouble understanding a couple of Newcastle lads who lived nearby while I was at uni, particularly when they were together and their accents seemed to broaden even further. So yes, quite frequently.

Scientifically correct if you're doing science in America, perhaps. Do American scientists also use titanum, calcum, potassum, sodum, magnesum, etc?

 

Am I correct in thinking that the BBC pronunciation is also called "received pronunciation", Stu?

 

Italy has often made attempts to squash dialectical versions of its language into a sort of "received" (at school) pronunciation, supposedly on the basis that a single system of vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and pronunciation would contribute to her long dreamed of national cohesion. As Stu has described regarding British English, this idealistic vision of linguistic control has faced confusion and corruption derived from television and the internet. I'd like to ask the originator of this thread whether anything like this has occurred in China.

 

Never mind the Yanks- I've lived in County Durham for around 40 years now and I still miss some things people say.

My mother is from Liverpool and if she hears anyone with a 'pudlian accent she can almost tell you what street they live on.

I like to think that Webster just couldn't spell and that was the excuse he though up when asked about it but I believe he also had some idea that making American English distinct in some way would be good. Was there really nobody who piped up, "Webster you idiot- you'll have the rest of the world thinking we're all illiterate wazzocks!"

Aluminum is the slightly older coinage but both are valid.

 

Even more complete when Americans start talking about being "stood " or being " sat " somewhere instead of " I was standing or sitting. ". There are a whole pile of malapropisms on both sides of the pond. ( I don't like " get off of " either and that use of " bring" drives me to drink too.).

 

Funnily enough, though I have English friends and relatives, I have to switch on the subtitles when watching British television shows. Though, on the other hand, I have no problem following the speakers on the Twitch streams, who all seem to have different accents.

 

Any in particular?

 

Ay up ducks!

 

Just wait until people find out that not all Australians sound like Steve Irwin or Paul Hogan...

 

Wait, whaaat?!

 

You mean I can't slip a prawn on the barbie unless the eggnisher's running'?

 

At least you said prawn and not shrimp...

 

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