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by Diandra
(quotes)

Thanks Sandia! I've seen that at the library, so I'll have to check it out.

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Definitely worth it.

[quotes]
Do you have a Joizey accent? I have to admit that the longer I work in southern Indiana, the more of a twang I have, and the more I catch myself wanting to say things like "We was in agreeance." [/quote]

Not a Tony Soprano-type accent. I think it's pretty mild, but I guess it's there. You know, I'd pronounce the word walk as "wauk" not "wok" as you Midwesterners seem to. I dunno. Is that a stereotype? Anyway, I went to college in upstate New York--where they do sound totally Midwestern. And after four years of that,I picked up some of those characteristics. I guess I sound Jersey, but I have no recollection of every shouting "Yo" at people. And since no one has me on tape saying it, I'm sticking to that story.

Can't say I know what a southern Indiana accent sounds like. Kentucky light? My whole experience with Indiana was riding through it on an Amtrak train on the way across country. I saw lots of farm fields and what looked like grain elevators (But then, I'm from Jersey. What do I know from grain elevators?) We passed through places like Elkhart and South Bend. I think we also hit Gary, though I didn't see much other than some factories and a big cloud of pollution. Made me feel right at home.

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by Sandia
(quotes)
Can't say I know what a southern Indiana accent sounds like. Kentucky light?

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David Letterman is from Indianapolis, and he still sounds like a Hoosier. Think that, only a bit drawl-ier to adjust for the "southern" in southern Indiana.

And yeah, they were probably grain elevators. The glaciers flattened out northern Indiana nicely, left behind lots of rich, black dirt for farming. Not exciting, but useful.

The thing that I find interesting about England v. the United States on the topic of accents, is that in America, we don't really have the concept of talking "posh." I think in England, there's a definite difference in accent between social classes. You can sometimes tell a person's social class in America from their speech, but it's usually more a matter of grammar and choice of words that are the tip-offs, not the accent itself.

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by DJ Billy
I've always wondered why I don't have an accent (well, not much of one anyway)

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Did you move around much especially when you were young?

I moved from Stoke to Southampton when I was 4 or 5. I arrived with a broad midlands accent (I went to schooooooool) and was very aware of the Southampton accent which is a fairly ugly one missing many important consonants.

As a result, I lost the Midlands accent but never picked up the Southern one, with the result that I am now accused of speaking BBC English.

Whilst there are quite thick aristocratic accents, I do find it odd that speaking posh is often an accusation made of people with no discernible regional accent.

Good point Inc (ooo did I say that)

Being an Army Brat I moved around a lot when I was ickle, but it's kinda strange how out of all my family I'm the only one with the (comon accent) It'd quiet funny to hear us all together as my mums from Liverpool my dad'd from the Isle of Man and well I haven't a clue where my sister and brother got their accents from

Shame you didn't stay overseas for longer, Sange. You could've had that sexy foreign lilt in your accent

Mine sways from Southern to Northern, depending on where I am, who I'm speaking to and in what way I'm speaking. I find that living down here the Southern is more prevalent, but when I head home to Yorkshire, the accent slips back in naturally.

A friend of mine speaks with a very 'posh' accent, but when he returns home to Newcastle, he becomes a Geordie (in language and accent) almost instantly. I know a lot of people who find their accents change slightly when spending time in another area.

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by Incandenza
Did you move around much especially when you were young?

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I've always lived in Liverpool

Having thought about it though I have come up with one possible reason.

My sister has been partially deaf for nearly twenty years. I think that I've got so used to speaking more slowly and pronouncing my words more carefully when talking to her that it's just become habit when talking to everyone.

I can still do scouse when I want to though (and not that pathetic Harry Enfield stuff either )

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by Incandenza
Did you move around much especially when you were young?

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Similar to my situation: as a child I lived in Hampshire, Suffolk, America, Suffolk again and back to Hampshire. I cringe when I hear my voice recorded because I sound like Helena Bonham Carter

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by Incandenza
Whilst there are quite thick aristocratic accents, I do find it odd that speaking posh is often an accusation made of people with no discernible regional accent.

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I imagine that back in the good old days most people barely left the place where they grew up, so the accents would be very strong and very distinctive. Anyone who didn't have a regional accent would, per your earlier point, be someone who had travelled and been exposed to people with different ways of speaking. To do that would require money and the sort of social position that made even the idea of travel possible. Ergo, posh.

Of course the argument no longer holds true as lower class people are more likely to travel abroad and you can learn accentless English listening to Radio 4 without getting out of bed, but I think that's where the stigma comes from.

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by White Hart
Of course the argument no longer holds true as lower class people are more likely to travel abroad and you can learn accentless English listening to Radio 4 without getting out of bed, but I think that's where the stigma comes from.

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White Hart who do you mean by "lower class"? what would you define as "lower class"?
Kinda lost me there.

Sorry, I got kind of lost at the end of that post! What I meant was 'working class', or in modern parlance maybe C2/D/Es. The point I was trying to get across was that the kind of people who would in the past never have gone more than five miles from their village are now quite likely to have two weeks in Greece or Spain or wherever every summer, and that travel is no longer a preserve of the wealthy.

I hope that makes more sense and I'm not coming across as snobby - although reading that first post again it did sound that way

Thats ok it just got me all confused which isn't hard thanks for explaining

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by Red
A friend of mine speaks with a very 'posh' accent, but when he returns home to Newcastle, he becomes a Geordie (in language and accent) almost instantly. I know a lot of people who find their accents change slightly when spending time in another area.

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When i am back in Scotland, or just talking to people with Scottish accents mine comes right back without me thinking about it... which is kind of strange i supoose, as i have lived in England since i was 6.

Everyone at work still finds it amusing how my accent changes when i'm speaking to Scottish clients, and i have found more often recently that i drop into the accent at other times, often on the phone though speaking to English friends. Really not sure why.