Irish people with fake American accents

annR said:
I think it's something to do with wanting to communicate as well, when I am trying to make myself understood I am more likely to mimic the other person's accent rather than jabber at them and then they have to say 'what?' all the time.
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Yes I agree, when working in the states on a J1 visa i did become slightly americanised in accent and vocabulary WHILE in work - just made it easier for customers to understand me when I said things like 'sure, y'all have a nice day now y'hear!' - might have been to do with wanting more tips also :)

Although while reciting the salad dressings I was always caught out at being Oirish, when I said 'Light ITalian', compared to 'Light EYEtalian'.

I also once had a northern boyfriend and would pick up his accent slightly when I hung out with him for a long time too.

Im not remotely musical.
 
casiopea said:
Actually the ability to take on accents willfully or unwillingly is a sign that you are musical, all to do with the ear.
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No thats bull. Birds singing are musical, people can be musical, the greatest fakes and wannabes can put on any old accent to assume another or create a deluded ego, do not try and tell us that these people are wonderfully artistic ppl, so please make music with these ppl you refer to .... enjoy them, maybe create a boyband with American accents, oh yes thats been done before.....
 
batty said:
I don't understand how people pick up accents - do they consciously decide to speak differently?

My sister has lived in the US since she was 19 (20 years now). Other than short stints abroad of a few months at a time I've always lived in Dublin.

My mother & sister's husband can't tell us apart on the phone as our diction, accent, intonation etc are still identical.
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Because their personalities (forgive pun) for some reason assume their suroundings, a comfort zone, acceptance...as I said usually confident ppl do not have this problem.... they want to fit in, to be loved, but really you look like a tool.

Maximus
And always has been.
 
Marion said:
Absolutely! That sounds so fabulous Lex.

Marion
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Marion, before things get too serious, there's something you need to know.... There's no easy way to say this... In the past, after a few pints of Beamish, I've been known to spontaneously burst into a recitation of Irish poetry - Cath Céim an Fhia, Cill Cais, Cill Aodáin, etc., along with the odd blast of The Bould Thady Quill.

Are we still good for The Long Valley..................?
 
Slightly off thread again :eek: but ever notice how posh people from all parts of Ireland have the same accents? Cracks me up.
 
Firefly said:
Slightly off thread again :eek: but ever notice how posh people from all parts of Ireland have the same accents? Cracks me up.
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I know. Though I say it myself, I speak quite well but I often revel and smirk in a private linguistic and urbane victory when I hear these fools who think they 'speak proper' ridiculously overpronouncing (and actually mispronouncing) many words and phrases. In their attempts to 'poshify' everything they end up speaking this garbled nonsense half the time. :)
 
Caveat said:
I know. Though I say it myself, I speak quite well but I often revel and smirk in a private linguistic and urbane victory when I hear these fools who think they 'speak proper' ridiculously overpronouncing (and actually mispronouncing) many words and phrases. In their attempts to 'poshify' everything they end up speaking this garbled nonsense half the time. :)
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An "A" becomes an "O" and an "O" becomes "OO" while a "T" becomes "shh"
 
Maximus152 said:
the greatest fakes and wannabes can put on any old accent to assume another or create a deluded ego, do not try and tell us that these people are wonderfully artistic ppl,
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Hmmm, I did not try to tell you that, you are reading things into my post that are not there. There is a big difference between taking on an accent and having a fake accent. Here is a study that focuses on the idea: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/43r4w7xw a natural extension is that these people are naturally better at taking on a second language as they can distinguish and pronounce the sounds better (somewhere down page three, it doesnt allow me to copy and paste). I personally believe there is a lot to it BUT this is not the same as Dundrum girls (just to take one group) "sounding" american to you or me. They dont have american accents. They do have affected accents with american influences (from media) but that is not an american accent. I am not saying that group are particularly musical!
 
Caveat said:
..I hear these fools who think they 'speak proper' ridiculously overpronouncing (and actually mispronouncing) many words and phrases. In their attempts to 'poshify' everything they end up speaking this garbled nonsense half the time. :)
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+1. I sometimes listen in bewilderment to newsreaders on some radio stations and I have absolutely NO idea what they are saying, they garble words so much in an attempt to sound 'posh'.:confused:
 
I saw an episode of Rachael Allen's BBC cookery series on a Saturday morning over the Christmas holiday. Apart from ballooning to pneumatic Nigella-like proportions, her accent is very difficult to understand. If she hadn't been there in full colour on the box performing the action she was describing to her guest cooks, I'd not have had a clue what she was telling them to do.

It's hard to describe - "cut" sounds half-way between "cot" and "cat". American? Irish? West-Brit? RTE-ish? Take your pick.
 
Yes Mrs Allen Jnr has a very grande accent, despite living in Cork! But she is a great cook, I love her recipes, so I make exception.

However, there's another blonde woman (also with a couple of long-standing Cork connections), whom I can't bear to listen to as the accent is like so like false posh. Don't want to mention any names here as other half is in the legal profession and I don't want any more like penalty points from Brendan like uuumm.
 
Rois said:
Yes Mrs Allen Jnr has a very grande accent, despite living in Cork! But she is a great cook, I love her recipes, so I make exception.

However, there's another blonde woman (also with a couple of long-standing Cork connections), whom I can't bear to listen to as the accent is like so like false posh. Don't want to mention any names here as other half is in the legal profession and I don't want any more like penalty points from Brendan like uuumm.
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I think I know the socialite you're referring to. I saw her on the Late Late a while back and Pat interviewed her parents - the most down to earth folks you'd get. She's obviously a fake posh bird.
 
mathepac said:
Rachael Allen ...If she hadn't been there in full colour on the box performing the action she was describing to her guest cooks, I'd not have had a clue what she was telling them to do.
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I'd still watch her though ;)
 
Rois said:
..........However, there's an0ther blonde woman (also with a couple of long-standing Cork connections), whom I can't bear to listen to as the accent is like so like false posh. Don't want to mention any names here as other half is in the legal profession and I don't want any more like penalty points from Brendan like uuumm.
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Is the hair also fake blonde?
 
mathepac said:
I saw an episode of Rachael Allen's BBC cookery series on a Saturday morning over the Christmas holiday. Apart from ballooning to pneumatic Nigella-like proportions, her accent is very difficult to understand. If she hadn't been there in full colour on the box performing the action she was describing to her guest cooks, I'd not have had a clue what she was telling them to do.

It's hard to describe - "cut" sounds half-way between "cot" and "cat". American? Irish? West-Brit? RTE-ish? Take your pick.
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Thank you thank you for mentioning the perfect example or this and one person I cannot stand to watch to watch on TV. I think she's unwatchable. Absolutely zero charisma.
 
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