British accent

zxczxc   Fri Aug 18, 2006 10:37 pm GMT
I say it more as "wot ja mean?" and I'm from North West London.
Uriel   Sat Aug 19, 2006 12:55 pm GMT
We do something similar -- "Whatcha mean?"

By the way, I was watching a British animal-training show and it featured a (stubborn, of course!) donkey named Tulip. Or at least, that's what I think it was named -- they pronounced the name "Chew-lip", whereas I would say "Too-lip".

This just illustrates the tendency of English-speakers to turn TY- into CH-. The language is littered with examples of this phenomenon -- as in the case of "what ya" becoming "whatcha" or "wodge ya". But I think it is actually fairly uncommon for Americans to do this at the BEGINNING of a word, whereas other dialects have no problem inserting that intrusive-Y sound into any syllable they like, no matter where it falls in the word.
marco   Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:36 pm GMT
what about words that ends with -er like "higher" or "letter"?
how these must sound?
Deborah   Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:57 pm GMT
Uriel:

<< I think it is actually fairly uncommon for Americans to do this at the BEGINNING of a word >>

Except in the case of "Did you", as in the well-known "Jeet yet?" "No, jew?" (Did you eat yet? No, did you?)
Deborah   Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:02 pm GMT
I'm not sure my example above is a good one, since it involves condensing the word "did" into "d".
Miguel   Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:58 pm GMT
I hate british accent, I don't understand british people. I prefer american, canadian, australian accent rather than british
Damian in London N2   Mon Aug 28, 2006 3:38 pm GMT
***I hate british accent.....***

Please be more specific........which of the whole range of british (sic) accents on offer do you hate? If none of them appeal to you then you should say so then all of us here in the UK would know where we stand in relation to you.

***I don't understand british people***

There's a fair wee few british (sic) people I don't understand either, Miguel that's for sure and I'm one of them! Ha! Dinnae fret.

Then I reckon you don't go a bundle on ANY of our accents......that's a pity.....you've obviously not been to Edinburgh....we charm the wee birdies off the trees with our bonnie mellifluous Caledonian dulcets.

Och...Miguel....that may just possibly mean one less migrant we need get all wound up about on this crowded island.......America, Canada and Australia all have much more in the way of physical space lying waste and fallow than we have here and their dreamy accents will no doubt charm you down from your branch. :-)
zxczxc   Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:16 pm GMT
Uriel, it's "meant" to be pronounced Tew-lip, but Choo-lip prevails. Same with "tissue" becoming tish-oo, rather than "tiss-ew"
Robin   Wed Aug 30, 2006 4:46 am GMT
Have you tried putting "Surrey Girl" and "Essex Girl" into google to learn some good jokes (of an extremely sexist nature).
Guest   Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:07 am GMT
>>But I think it is actually fairly uncommon for Americans to do this at the BEGINNING of a word, whereas other dialects have no problem inserting that intrusive-Y sound into any syllable they like, no matter where it falls in the word. <<

That's because there is no such "tyoo" combination in American English, as far as I can tell, so "too" is always the first syllable in tuned, tulip, tuna, tuba, etc. But in most British English dialects there is no yod-dropping for such words and the "tyoo" is often reduced to "choo". This a bit related to the "tr"->"chr" phenomenon, how "true" is often pronounced "chroo".
Uriel   Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:51 am GMT
Well, we use it in onther places in words, such as picture and sensuous, both of which we often pronounce as if they were spelled "pic-chure" and "senchuous". But you're right; I can't think of any words off the top of my head that START with "tyoo" or its variant "choo".
Victoria   Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:10 am GMT
I lived in Fulham-London, England until only months ago, I came to the US to pursue an acting career and when I go to auditions, some people tell me that I'm lieing and I don't really have a english accent, When at the same time I've seen americans from places like the bronx or queens come in and put on horrid fake english accents and the casting directors say its perfect!!I lived in england for 18 years!!! I have no idea what these americans think an english accent sounds like! But its shocking, so I'd say just try it and as long as your in America people will fall for it.
Qatifi   Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:26 am GMT
Thank you.
Uriel   Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:40 am GMT
As my old painting teacher once said, what you draw either has to BE right, or LOOK right. In other words, as long as your audience buys it....
Guest   Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:22 am GMT
Yyyyuuuh...how could anyone forget Dick Van Dyke and his "Cockney" accent?
http://www.transasianaxis.com/vb/images/smilies/spineyes.gif