Want to talk like Bill

Want to talk like Bill

I'm a native English speaker, and I would like to be able to talk exactly like Bill in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure", so that I can, like, sound cool. Most people think I sound rather stuffy and pompous, and I would like to change that. How do I get down all the vocal inflections properly? I've tried imitating him, but I haven't had much success--I end up sounding rather awful--like I have a sore throat, and I can't keep it up for very long. What can I do to make it work?

No way!. That's Bodacious. Like, you must be one of those dudes who reads So Crates.

One really should have another model in mind, shouldn't one. Let's say, Hugh Grant, Anthony Hopkins, Alistair Cooke. Olivier, etc.

<<One really should have another model in mind, shouldn't one. Let's say, Hugh Grant, Anthony Hopkins, Alistair Cooke. Olivier, etc.>>

Hugh Grant? No...

<Hugh Grant? No... >

Oxbridge is best, dear lady.

<<Oxbridge is best, dear lady.>>

I think the idealised concept of Oxbridge or simply Oxford English is somewhat outdated today as it by no means denotes a homogeneuos accent. People from different regions of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern and Southern Ireland and from other (non-)English-speaking countries come to study there and nowadays most of them continue to speak in their own dialects (at least they speak fairly Standard English with (traces of) their regional accents).

As for Hugh Grant, I have nothing against his accent by itself...it's the attitude of the bloke that doesn't particularly appeal to me. Besides, his speech doesn't involve any mouth movements whatsoever. :-)

Leastways, his way of speaking is still far better a model to emulate than Bill's speech, isn't it?

<People from different regions of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern and Southern Ireland and from other (non-)English-speaking countries come to study there and nowadays most of them continue to speak in their own dialects >

Alack and alas! Such is modern life. ;-)>

<As for Hugh Grant, I have nothing against his accent by itself...it's the attitude of the bloke that doesn't particularly appeal to me. >

What's his attitude?


<Besides, his speech doesn't involve any mouth movements whatsoever. :-) >

He pays others to make mouth movements for him - if you get my drift.

Taxi!

<<What's his attitude?>>

Well...haughty, lofty, foppish, snooty, extra-ultra-mega posh, slightly effeminate...and so on. He just isn't my cup of tea, right?

<<He pays others to make mouth movements for him - if you get my drift.

Taxi!>>

Oh yes...and he is waiting for *Divine* Providence to interefere... :-)

<Well...haughty, lofty, foppish, snooty, extra-ultra-mega posh, slightly effeminate...and so on. He just isn't my cup of tea, right? >

You didn't add witty and funny.

I'll bet you're more of a Clooney girl.

<Oh yes...and he is waiting for *Divine* Providence to interefere... :-) >

To "engulf" him. To swallow him up.

LOL!

Enough! Enough!

Go to Orange County or LA along the beach... They all pretty much talk like that.. But you can find it in almost any large city nowadays.

Why don't you try to do modelling work with his voice?

Get about a half hour of his voice, and say the sentences, one by one, along with the speaker. Not after the speaker, along WITH the speaker.

Repeat each sentence until your voice matches his exactly, then go on to the next one.

Try it; it works.

>> Why don't you try to do modelling work with his voice?

Get about a half hour of his voice, and say the sentences, one by one, along with the speaker. Not after the speaker, along WITH the speaker. <<

Ah ok. That helped a lot. Thanks! :)

Dude, I like, totally know what you mean! I loved Bill and Ted -- wickedly funny movie! (What number am I thinking of? Sixty-nine, dude!)

(And yeah, I actually do still say dude -- relic of my four years in California -- can't shake it!)

Bill, if you do this long enough (say, 30 hours or so) you'll sound EXACTLY like him. You don't want to overdo it.