american english

[Awimoway]

Where in your list would the "accent" of non-valley-girl Californian's be? For example, we omit the final 'g' in our 'ing' endings, e.g., goin instead of going. Is that the same as the Midwest/TV accent, or are westerners yet another regional accent for your list?

I honestly don't hear any major difference between Midwest and Western speakers. I, myself, was born and raised in the West (California and Washington). I referred to the accent as "Midwestern," though, because that is how it is conventionally classified even though it is spoken all over the country.

Dropping the terminal "g" (something I do a lot) doesn't strike me as a distinct accent so much as laid back or even lazy. Or low breeding. I'll put myself in the laid back category, thank you very much.

I say this because, in my experience, it's common among all speakers of the Midwestern accent, regardless of where they are from. It's the kind of thing you subconsciously turn off when you are speaking in a formal setting, say, in a court or if you're reading the news on TV. I bet voicegy doesn't drop the "g" when he's doing commercials unless he's supposed to sound mellow or folksy.

 

[Krizoitz]

There are three main accents in the english language which I am aware of. American, British and Australian. And to think that within America there are more accents....

I think American, British and Australian would count more as dialects than accents.

 

[kylos]

Yeah, midwestern/tv can show a very lazy side when we want to. (which for me happens to be more often than i should let it be.) my brother loves impersonating a british accent and it sounds quite hideous. But when he's not actually trying, he can slip into it and do a very decent job.

Awimoway mentioned that he wasn't able to distinguish the pittsburgh accent from a midwestern one. I've found it actually quite easy (through experience, i suppose, but they're still very distinctive) One lady pronounced her name Dawna Millarn(donna milliron, but then her daughter had no accent). also caurder (corridor) and some of that extra r (warsh for wash) are some characteristic examples. It's not really anything specific, just the overall effect.

 

[IrishGold]

and some of that extra r (warsh for wash)

This is something thats very common with Texanian as well, hehe.

 

[MongoTheGeek]

Awimoway mentioned that he wasn't able to distinguish the pittsburgh accent from a midwestern one. I've found it actually quite easy (through experience, i suppose, but they're still very distinctive) One lady pronounced her name Dawna Millarn(donna milliron, but then her daughter had no accent). also caurder (corridor) and some of that extra r (warsh for wash) are some characteristic examples. It's not really anything specific, just the overall effect.

I can tell the difference between Pittsburgh, Central PA, and Pennsylvania Dutch. Chicago can also be rather distinctive..

Lets not forget the incredible variety of English accents. Its astounding sometimes hearing American's trying to do an English accent and ending up with something that slides around the map. I may not be able to say this is that, but I can spot inconsistencies.

 

[iBook]

Another good one

The Yanks say... uh-reg-un-oh

The Brits say... or-e-gan-oh

(oregano)

There's a great George Bernard Shaw quote that says it all...
"England and America are two countries divided by a common language."

And a book on the subject
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0966094573/102-0743024-4074514?v=glance

 

[Doctor Q]

My aunt is from Boston. After I drive, I park the car. After she drives, she'll pok the cah.

In the west, 25 cents is a qwor-ter. My relative from New Jersey says qwatt-er.

Do letter R's cost more in the east?

 

[Zaid]

Gotten is the past participle of got. It most certainly is a word.

Only to Americans . On this side of the pond, the past participle of got is got

Gotten sounds like a child's error to my ears, but i do realise that it is good american english.

 

[Nermal]

Being Australian I can only speak for us, but I always get a good laugh when hearing 'Australian' characters in American movies and TV! Such a stupid sounding accent!

I saw a "New Zealander" on an American TV show the other day, sounded more like an Australian

Edit: Now that I've read all the other posts, I have a couple of other things to point out: <-- Look, no "got"!

In most countries, people have slightly different accents depending on what part of the country they're from. Even here in NZ you can tell which island somebody's from.

It's been interesting to read some of these comparisons, learning that some of the words we use here are based on their American versions rather than the British ones. Naturally, I can't recall any now

Something that annoys me immensely - the word "matrix". Before a certain movie came out a few years ago, everyone pronounced it mat-rix. Now it seems to have changed to may-trix

Somebody mentioned cwm before. I'm not really sure whether that counts an an English word, since it's of Cymraeg (Welsh) origin. But on the other hand, phrases like déjà vu aren't English either, so I suppose I can't complain.

Today I changed the oil in my car. It involved popping the bonnet. I also checked the water, and refilled it from the bottle I keep in the boot.

We don't use the word "candy" here, we use "lolly"/"lollies" instead (or sometimes "sweets"). We watch movies or films at the "movie theatre", "picture theatre", or "pictures". The theatres refer to themselves as cinemas, but I've never heard anyone call them that during a conversation.

McDonald's and Burger King both sell French fries, which are a few mm thick, whereas KFC and Pizza Hut sell chips, which are about 1 cm thick. You can go down to the fish and chip shop, and buy fish and chips (funny that)

That's all from me for now, but I'm sure I'll think of more later

 

[takao]

McDonald's and Burger King both sell French fries, which are a few mm thick, whereas KFC and Pizza Hut sell chips, which are about 1 cm thick. You can go down to the fish and chip shop, and buy fish and chips (funny that)

just an addition here in german speaking "french fries" are called "pommes frites"
which comes from the french words of potatos:"pommes de terre" (="earth apples") and fried : "frites"
so it actually means "fried apples"

and yeah it's commen to eat them with mayonese the closer you get to belgium

sorry for being offtopic

 

[glosterseagul]

I saw a "New Zealander" on an American TV show the other day, sounded more like an Australian

Saw a tv film (although movie is kreeping in here) with a lad called "Liverpool" as that is where he was from...except his accent was a deep cockney. (London)

Talking of cockney - rhyming slang is interesting.

Blowing a raspberry = raspberry tart - fart
Doing bird (jail) bird lime - time
having a butchers - butchers hook - look....but thats another thread!

 

[Awimoway]

and yeah it's commen to eat them with mayonese the closer you get to belgium

Mmmmmm mayonnnaise. I'll be moving to Belgium now, thank you very much.

 

[bousozoku]

My aunt is from Boston. After I drive, I park the car. After she drives, she'll pok the cah.

In the west, 25 cents is a qwor-ter. My relative from New Jersey says qwatt-er.

Do letter R's cost more in the east?

No, but they use them all in the warter (water) in Philadelphia.

iBook:

I've yet to hear anyone say "uh-reg-un-oh" for oregano here.

 

[kiwi_the_iwik]

I just don't get it...

If "Pants" are knickers, then WHAT THE HELL are "U N D E R pants"?!? Just a niggling issue.

In Australia and New Zealand, pants ARE trousers. Underpants are the garments you wear UNDER your pants to keep things in check.

 

[glosterseagul]

I just don't get it...

If "Pants" are knickers, then WHAT THE HELL are "U N D E R pants"?!? Just a niggling issue.

In Australia and New Zealand, pants ARE trousers. Underpants are the garments you wear UNDER your pants to keep things in check.

Pants is a shortened version of Under Pants...simple really!

 

[iBook]

iBook:

I've yet to hear anyone say "uh-reg-un-oh" for oregano here.

I was thinking about that right after I posted. I'm from the Midwest, so I've heard it -- said it? -- that way on occasion. I mostly hear it as "oh-reg-un-oh."

 

[Nermal]

More of a grammatical thing than a linguistic difference, but...

I've seen a cartoon floating around called "The Mystery of Britney Spearses Breasts" (or something to that effect).

...Spearses?

 

[MyLeftNut]

Yeah gotta luv all the accents here...one thing that does irk me though is when Americans use the word herb but say erb. How in hell did you get that?

Also words are changing from one place to the next. I was in England describing how someone was furiously angry about something when I used the word ropeable (sp?) which I hear often in OZ, like 'that guy was absolutely ropeable about such and such. The blank stares I got were priceless. I didnt realise there were so many differences..

 

[MongoTheGeek]

More of a grammatical thing than a linguistic difference, but...

I've seen a cartoon floating around called "The Mystery of Britney Spearses Breasts" (or something to that effect).

...Spearses?

Its that people have gotten really sloppy with apostrophes.

I know it should be Spears's
If it were Britney and her mother it would be Spearses' Breasts.

Though both are pronounced the same

 

[MongoTheGeek]

Yeah gotta luv all the accents here...one thing that does irk me though is when Americans use the word herb but say erb. How in hell did you get that?

Also words are changing from one place to the next. I was in England describing how someone was furiously angry about something when I used the word ropeable (sp?) which I hear often in OZ, like 'that guy was absolutely ropeable about such and such. The blank stares I got were priceless. I didnt realise there were so many differences..

It was probably cockneys who used the word first here.

I had a friend in college who said "English doesn't borrow words from other languages, it follows them down the alley beats them on the head and rifles their pockets for loose change."

One interesting pronunciation difference in areas of the US is the word creek. Growing up I thought that there were two words that were synonyms, one pronounces crick and the other creak.

 

[kiwi_the_iwik]

Antipodean 101

OK - for any of you who TRULY would like to know the difference between NZ and Australian accents, well, this is for you...


Let's use the example - "Fish and Chips".

(a) If you want to sound like an Australian, you would replace your "i"'s with TWO "e"'s -

i.e. "Feesh and Cheeps"

(b) If you want to sound like a New Zealander, you would replace your "i"'s with a "u" -

i.e. "Fush and Chups"

Basically, replace those vowels, and you'll be well on the way to learning "Ozspeak" and "Kiwese".

 

[krimson]

My friend was walking down Venice beach and asking people for a fag. He couldn't figure out why people were looking at him strangely.

 

[Nermal]

Its that people have gotten really sloppy with apostrophes.

I know it should be Spears's
If it were Britney and her mother it would be Spearses' Breasts.

Though both are pronounced the same

The narrator was actually saying "Spearses" too. A friend and I found it quite funny.

I know it should be Spears's

No, it should be Spears'.

 

[wowser]

this is a cool and enlightening post!

OK - for any of you who TRULY would like to know the difference between NZ and Australian accents, well, this is for you...


Let's use the example - "Fish and Chips".

(a) If you want to sound like an Australian, you would replace your "i"'s with TWO "e"'s -

i.e. "Feesh and Cheeps"

(b) If you want to sound like a New Zealander, you would replace your "i"'s with a "u" -

i.e. "Fush and Chups"

Basically, replace those vowels, and you'll be well on the way to learning "Ozspeak" and "Kiwese".

 

[bousozoku]

The narrator was actually saying "Spearses" too. A friend and I found it quite funny.



No, it should be Spears'.

You're right, but about 40 years ago, Spears's was acceptable as an alternative in the U.S.A.