The Problem with Speaking English

[fsn]

I was at Uni in Sheffield. We did some research on what children watched on TV and what they played in the playground (yes it was that long ago).

I remember interviewing a group of beautiful Asian girls in bright Punjabi pyjamas who all spoke with big voices in a strong Yorkshire accent. "Aye, we likes playing 'Yorkshire Ripper'."



Clive James said that Australian women are the most beautiful in the world ...until they open their mouths.  


And I do not speak Scouse in any way, shape or form, like. Youse better believe it!

[Fenton]

Youse is a very Northern Irish word as well

As in " Youse un's fancy a pint"

[FierceKitty]

Clive James said that Australian women are the most beautiful in the world ...until they open their mouths.  

It'll just be to insert a beer bottle, you know.

[fsn]

Then I would suggest you're not using your imagination.

[Leman]

Anyone see the report on BBC Breakfast this morning about northern teachers being 'encouraged' to moderate their accents. Fecking southerners - too bloody thick to produce enough of their own.

[skywalker]

The funniest thing that happened concerning accents was when an Engineer where I now work, who was Dutch with not a very good understanding of English, especially the North East variety being involved in a technical discussion with a contractor from Newcastle and was broad Geordie. It ended up that one of the local lads from Middlesbrough being called over to act as a translator as neither of them could understand a word the other was speaking 

[Roy]

 

I've worked on a few buildings sites in the north east where you can't understand half of what's been said.

Durhamite.
Geordie.
Mackem.
Smoggie.
Yorkie.

Then add to the mix people from outside the region - or when people deliberately speak to confuse (who, me?  ) - and it gets right old confusing.

[fsn]

"Hot Fuzz" anyone?

[Fenton]

"Hot Fuzz" anyone?

Dont think the weathers been warm enough today for anyone to suffer from it

[Leman]

  That and Betty Swallocks.

[FierceKitty]

I was amused to hear two Chinese using execrable English to chat in Suzhou once, since they couldn't follow each other's Chinese.

[Roy]

There was a program about the 60 years of Eurovision last night on BBC4.

Every time the number of points was read out in English, they were then read out in French.

Does anyone know if there is a ... (The) Problem with Speaking English.



I found it an interesting program actually. Especially the bits during the 1970s after Israel had joined in.

Flying out Israeli forces to Luxemburg to help guard the building against threats.
The crowd in the building being told to remain seated during the performance, lest they be shot dead by the marksmen inside the building.
The first time Israel won, Jordanian TV cut the feed and replaced the broadcast on their state television with a picture of a vase of flowers, and told their nation that Belgium had won.

Huge respect for the German lass who sang her winning song, in five different languages, repeating the verses in German then English then French then...
In actual fact, come to remember the show, she was interviewed for the program and she said how she was the first German act to receive top points from Israel, and she was flown out to Israel to perform her song.

Anyway, back to speaking English. The UKs last winning Eurovision act - Katrina and the Waves - Katrina telling the program that she was asked to tone down her US accent and try for a more British one.

[Leman]

One hopes that she managed it terribly well.

[fsn]

Hot Fuzz: The Police visit Techno.

[paulr]

The funniest thing that happened concerning accents was when an Engineer where I now work, who was Dutch with not a very good understanding of English, especially the North East variety being involved in a technical discussion with a contractor from Newcastle and was broad Geordie. It ended up that one of the local lads from Middlesbrough being called over to act as a translator as neither of them could understand a word the other was speaking 

I had the pleasure of acting as 'interpreter' for a couple of guys; Japanese and Swedish. And no I'm not able to speak either language