illuminaperpetua wrote:I bet he thinks we're all fat, and sit around eating fast food...
...well... According to ABC, I live in the "Fattest City in America"--which probably means the "Fattest City in the World"...
But it's still wrong to assume all Americans think all British people speak in Cockney accents--I mean, seriously! How many Americans even know what a "Cockney accent" is? How many Americans are even aware there are differences in British/English accents?
Really: he gives us too much credit!
Wow! That would kind of stink...I mean, if you come from a skinny family like me....my friends are ALWAYS giving me a hard time about how small I am! ...and I didn't even think I was that slim!
But you're right about not many Americans knowing what a Cockney accent is! I asked my friend Steven if he thought all Brits talked in a Cockney accent and he said, "No" which isn't true...he may not know what it is but he certainly does think they talk that way! You should hear him try to fake an accent it really is dreadful!
...I'll tell Joe what you said when I email him!
EARTHBENDERS: The Earth beneath your feet is an extension of your face...use it!
Just tell your friend about all the different American accents there are, even from state to state. Nuts, even within the same state. There is no such thing as a standard "American accent" any more than there is a standard "British accent". Every region in both countries has different dialects.
Tom B.
Proud to be an American
Clan Farquharson, Scotland
That's definitely true! A lot of people from Boston have very heavy accents, and so do some people from down South. I live in a state somewhere in the middle, and my accent resembles a mix of a New England and a mid-west accent. A little bit from both of my parents.... One thing my friends give me grief about is my tendency to pronounce certain words with a British accent. I started listening to the Harry Potter books on tape when I was pretty little, and whenever I picked up a new word from them, I would say it the way the narrator said it, which was, naturally, with a British accent
libera36 wrote:That's definitely true! A lot of people from Boston have very heavy accents, and so do some people from down South. I live in a state somewhere in the middle, and my accent resembles a mix of a New England and a mid-west accent. A little bit from both of my parents.... One thing my friends give me grief about is my tendency to pronounce certain words with a British accent. I started listening to the Harry Potter books on tape when I was pretty little, and whenever I picked up a new word from them, I would say it the way the narrator said it, which was, naturally, with a British accent
Cool
Tom B.
Proud to be an American
Clan Farquharson, Scotland
TEB wrote:Just tell your friend about all the different American accents there are, even from state to state. Nuts, even within the same state. There is no such thing as a standard "American accent" any more than there is a standard "British accent". Every region in both countries has different dialects.
It's the same thing in Ireland. For such a small little geographical country we have an huge diversity in accents. If I met someone from the south west (Kerry/Cork) of Ireland, I would really struggle to understand them. Then there are the peopl who live in the Gaelteacht areas ... ha! forget it, you have no chance
libera36 wrote:That's definitely true! A lot of people from Boston have very heavy accents, and so do some people from down South. I live in a state somewhere in the middle, and my accent resembles a mix of a New England and a mid-west accent. A little bit from both of my parents.... One thing my friends give me grief about is my tendency to pronounce certain words with a British accent. I started listening to the Harry Potter books on tape when I was pretty little, and whenever I picked up a new word from them, I would say it the way the narrator said it, which was, naturally, with a British accent
If that narrator was Stephen Fry then you must have a nice 'posh' accent. One of the greatest living Englishmen is Mr Fry.
Interesting. The audio books in the UK were done by Stephen Fry - I wonder why they used a different English actor for the US release? Perhaps Stephen was just too English.
TEB wrote:Just tell your friend about all the different American accents there are, even from state to state. Nuts, even within the same state. There is no such thing as a standard "American accent" any more than there is a standard "British accent". Every region in both countries has different dialects.
If there's a standard American accent my mother has it..she doesn't sound like anything!
EARTHBENDERS: The Earth beneath your feet is an extension of your face...use it!
Yorkie wrote:Interesting. The audio books in the UK were done by Stephen Fry - I wonder why they used a different English actor for the US release? Perhaps Stephen was just too English.
On second thoughts he is is as camp as a boy scout jamboree - they probably thought that with the religious far right whipped up in to a frenzy over the book, getting a gay Englishman to read to children was probably not a good move! !
According to ABC, I live in the "Fattest City in America"--which probably means the "Fattest City in the World"...
Wow! That would kind of stink...I mean, if you come from a skinny family like me....my friends are ALWAYS giving me a hard time about how small I am! ...and I didn't even think I was that slim! 
!