[Babs Bladdyblah]

Does anyone know if the accent Brad Pitt puts on for the movie "Snatch" is real? And if so, did he do a good job because I always thought it sounded so cool.

[Barry Cade]

Like in the US, in the UK accents vary wildly - often within the space of ten miles or so! There's a little town just north of us called Ashington which uses a mining dialect called pitmatic*; this in and of itself varies wildly from the accent most widely used in the North of England and that gets diluted the further south you go, to take on board the Sunderland dialect "Wheeze keese are theeeese?" and then further south into the bastardised North Yorkshire/ NE England which uses shorter vowel sounds when you hit the next major towns of Darlington and Middlesbrough.

Some actors are, definitely, better at hitting an accent - you Murricans have held up Hugh Laurie as being a paragon of virtue; however I think Johnny Depp is better at doing impressions of people than hitting an accent, his Keith Richards and his Michael Jackson are pretty good... On the other hand Rene Zellweger did okay in Bridget Jones although that was pretty middle England (a la Chris Martin's wife). But I'm sure there've been dogs on both sides of the Atlantic. Just as a case in point of how difficult anything but a generic UK accent is (as if there was actually one) Mrs C gets annoyed when British actors try and put on a Geordie accent, so I'd love to see Keanu Reeves coming over to play a role. That's for sure dang tootin'.





*Pitmatic joke. "I went into the hairdresser and asked for a perm. The hairdresser said "I wandered lonely as a cloud..."

[Goat]

[Babs Bladdyblah]

 Goat, on 14 June 2012 - 02:09 PM, said:

Argh! I can't see the pic.


Barry - I love Keanu, but he definitely couldn't do Shakespeare. LOL

[Barry Cade]

"Whoa Dude, is this a dagger I see before me?"

[Gingerbeard]

Shane has a fantastic southern accent. "You think I would do that? Kill my best friend? What do you think I would do to a guy I don't even LAAAAAIKE!" So good.

[chewygooey]

 Babs Bladdyblah, on 13 June 2012 - 10:47 PM, said:

Johnny is good at different accents. I can't think of a "southern" one off the top of my head, but I seem to remember reading that he's from Kentucky and raised in Florida so it wouldn't surprise me. His British accent sounds very good to me, but again, I've never been to the UK so I feel like I'd be a lousy judge.

yeah, i was reffering to his british accents. he did do a southernish accent in public enimies though.eh. but you are right about him being from kentucky i think.


but yeah, i think hes good at foreign accents. and weird voices in general. the impressions comment,as an actor, he basically does impressions for a living so that goes without saying haha.


and there are many uk accents,dialects, lots of diversity over there. but i still think its easier for an american to pull off a passable uk accent than it is the other way around.



to me, ive always thought of an american accent as actually a lack of an accent. i wish i was able to hear what we sound like through the ears of a brit. ive asked a few of them and they would usually do their best at a southern accent, but no. i dont have a southern accent.

[Trillian]

 chewygooey, on 14 June 2012 - 07:25 PM, said:

to me, ive always thought of an american accent as actually a lack of an accent. i wish i was able to hear what we sound like through the ears of a brit. ive asked a few of them and they would usually do their best at a southern accent, but no. i dont have a southern accent.

There's a midwestern accent that's considered "neutral" assuming you're dealing with an educated person who doesn't say "warsh" for "wash".  There are a lot of newscasters who are originally from Nebraska because the accent is considered "neutral".  On the other hand, Wisconsin definitely has an accent.  And Minnesota does, too--have you seen Fargo?

[WalkerBaitress]

 Trillian, on 15 June 2012 - 02:46 AM, said:

There's a midwestern accent that's considered "neutral" assuming you're dealing with an educated person who doesn't say "warsh" for "wash".  There are a lot of newscasters who are originally from Nebraska because the accent is considered "neutral".  On the other hand, Wisconsin definitely has an accent.  And Minnesota does, too--have you seen Fargo?

Southern New England accents are pretty strong as well--I'm from RI originally, and my husband laughs every time we go up to visit my relatives up there. He says he feels like he's been placed in an episode of "The Sopranos" or something. (Okay, so that show's got Jersey and NYC accents, but my Seattle-native husband can't tell the bloody difference lol...)

[Trillian]

 WalkerBaitress, on 15 June 2012 - 03:03 AM, said:

Southern New England accents are pretty strong as well--I'm from RI originally, and my husband laughs every time we go up to visit my relatives up there. He says he feels like he's been placed in an episode of "The Sopranos" or something. (Okay, so that show's got Jersey and NYC accents, but my Seattle-native husband can't tell the bloody difference lol...)

I just named a couple of accents that I am particularly familiar with, but there are many others, as you pointed out.  The US has tons of accents.  I don't know if you can travel 10 miles and encounter a totally different accent, but we do have numerous regional accents.

[Kat]

 Trillian, on 15 June 2012 - 02:46 AM, said:

There's a midwestern accent that's considered "neutral" assuming you're dealing with an educated person who doesn't say "warsh" for "wash".  There are a lot of newscasters who are originally from Nebraska because the accent is considered "neutral".  On the other hand, Wisconsin definitely has an accent.  And Minnesota does, too--have you seen Fargo?

I have always heard that the standard is the Ohio lack of accent.  

This quiz was freakily accurate for myself and several friends in diagnosing your American accent:

http://www.youthink....ake&obj_id=9827

[Serenity@sea]

 Kat, on 15 June 2012 - 04:05 AM, said:

I have always heard that the standard is the Ohio lack of accent.  

This quiz was freakily accurate for myself and several friends in diagnosing your American accent:

http://www.youthink....ake&obj_id=9827

Thanks for posting the quiz. No surprises here, since I grew up in the Midwest. I always wanted to have an accent.
Which American accent do you have?

Neutral You`re not Northern, Southern, or Western, you`re just plain -American-.  Your national identity is more important than your local identity, because you don`t really have a local identity.  You might be from the region in that map, which is defined by this kind of accent, but you could easily not be.  Or maybe you just moved around a lot growing up.

Watching someone taking this test is probably comical.

Edited by Serenity@sea, 15 June 2012 - 04:32 AM.

[Barry Cade]

Interestingly, (or not...) my American accent would be:

Northeastern

This could either mean an r-less NYC or Providence accent or one from Jersey which doesn't sound the same. Just because you got this result doesn't mean you don`t pronounce R's.(People in Jersey don`t call their state "Joisey" in real life)

Mrs Cade would be quite clear in suggesting I do speak a lot of 'r's however.

EDIT: I'm also saddened by the news that people in Jersey don't say "Joisey". Next thing you know you'll be telling me people from Alabama don't say "Alabamy" and The Big Apple really isn't called Noo Yoik.

Edited by Barry Cade, 15 June 2012 - 05:40 AM.

[chewygooey]

 Trillian, on 15 June 2012 - 02:46 AM, said:

There's a midwestern accent that's considered "neutral" assuming you're dealing with an educated person who doesn't say "warsh" for "wash".  There are a lot of newscasters who are originally from Nebraska because the accent is considered "neutral".  On the other hand, Wisconsin definitely has an accent.  And Minnesota does, too--have you seen Fargo?

haha yeah good point about fargo.the midwest definitely has distinct accents. i guess i meant more like the way i speak. you couldnt really listen to my voice and tell where i was from. not like someone from new york/new jersey, the south, the midwest.


most of my time has been spent in hawaii and california. besides the surfer boy stereotype, i think californians have a pretty plain accent.





btw..i have never hard of "alabamy" hahaha. people somewhere actually say that?




Which American accent do you have?

My Results:


Neutral You`re not Northern, Southern, or Western, you`re just plain -American-.  Your national identity is more important than your local identity, because you don`t really have a local identity.  You might be from the region in that map, which is defined by this kind of accent, but you could easily not be.  Or maybe you just moved around a lot growing up.

Edited by chewygooey, 15 June 2012 - 09:12 AM.

[gracie lou]

Haha! I got Western, even though I've never lived on the west coast. The only question that I wasn't certain on was the right/price one. I think I'm fairly neutral, but have a slight southern accent, though I'm not sure which words I say that make me sound southern.


Which American accent do you have?

[Trillian]

 Kat, on 15 June 2012 - 04:05 AM, said:

I have always heard that the standard is the Ohio lack of accent.  

This quiz was freakily accurate for myself and several friends in diagnosing your American accent:

http://www.youthink....ake&obj_id=9827

Ohio certainly may be more neutral than Nebraska.  The quiz you posted would suggest so.

I grew up in Nebraska raised by parents from Minnesota, and I live in Wisconsin now.


This question made me laugh: “If you say BAG does it rhyme with VAGUE?”  “Bag” rhymes with “vague” in Wisconsin.  It drives me crazy.

This is me:

Western

Western is kind of neutral, but not quite since it`s still possible to tell where you`re from. So you might not actually be from the West (but you probably are). If you really want to sound "neutral," learn how to say "stock" and "stalk" differently.

[Goat]

The quiz told me I had a neutral accent.  I actually have a (mild) southern/southeastern accent, which lots of friends from other places have confirmed.  As Major Tom referenced way back in this thread (I think), I'm one of those people who doesn't sound like a hick at all but you could probably peg where I'm from if you are familiar with the area.

THE QUIZ LIIIIIIES.  But I'll take 'neutral'.  My accent is pretty mild, especially when I'm not around family.  It ramps up a bit in heavily accented company.

[I_Follow_You_Axel]

Mid-Atlantic! Spot on for me.

[Babs Bladdyblah]

Kat - Cool Quiz! Mine was spot on.

Which American accent do you have?

Southern

People used to hate Southern accents but now everyone wants one.

[gracie lou]

 Babs Bladdyblah, on 15 June 2012 - 06:29 PM, said:

Kat - Cool Quiz! Mine was spot on.

Which American accent do you have?

Southern

People used to hate Southern accents but now everyone wants one.

I wonder what word or words that I pronounce differently where it didn't pick up my accent...

I was cringing in line at Steak and Shake today when the lady behind me was talking about leaving the waitress a "teeup".  I'll never pass as a true southerner.

[Babs Bladdyblah]

Since you've been in the north and the south, your accents must have cancelled each other out.

[gracie lou]

 Babs Bladdyblah, on 15 June 2012 - 07:12 PM, said:

Since you've been in the north and the south, your accents must have cancelled each other out.

Thank goodness, you should have heard my Boston accent!

I'm still striving to sound more neutral. It drove me crazy when I lived in CT several years back and people could pick me out as a southerner. Anyone want to do a voice analysis and tell me where I am messing up?

[WalkerBaitress]

Not surprised here:

Quote

Which American accent do you have?
Northern
You have a Northern accent. That could either be the Chicago/Detroit/Cleveland/Buffalo accent (easily recognizable) or the Western New England accent that news networks go for.

My Rhode Island accent's been somewhat "neutralized" by living (in order) in Texas, Washington State (where I met the hubster), and (currently) Florida, but it's good to know I still have some semblance of a New England accent--even if it's the generic "news network" variety

[BitBrit]

When we've been to Florida,  we've often been confused with Australians. We have strong northern English accents.


I think TWD cast are all great, and I'm used to seeing Andrew Lincoln in stuff over here with his English accent, but I completely forget that when he's Rick.

[Zombie Dragoness111]

 Smile4me, on 13 June 2012 - 01:24 AM, said:

As with all regions, accents can vary from place to place. To me, Rick sounds just like he's from my neighborhood . If the accents had been over the top, I never would have watched past the first episode.

Agreed lol, I am born & bred Texan & accents are very varied here, you can talk to 500 ppl in any city & hear a different accent, I have a 'draw' kind of like maggie's kind of. What's weird is my folks don't have a thick accent but i do.

Most ppl that say the accents are fake I have seen are not from the south. They sound very believable to me. If I had to pick a funny sounding accent it would've been Shane's... Not fake persay, just really thick. You know? But I have found that my accent ebbs & flows with my mood (I try to suppress it most of the time at the fear of being see as white trash lol) but when I get riled, excited or angry it thickens.