Dying Accents

[Niegs]

A great collection of dying American accents:





... others where you're from? Canadian hockey kids across the country seem to be bringing back the "Oh fer sher, bud!" Canuck accent.

[Paddington Bear]

I remember when I was little the old boys at my cricket club had a very distinctive south Bucks accent - a bit of a cross between a west country and midlands, noticeably rural. Seems to have died out 15 years ago or so, like a lot of old Home Counties accents I suppose

[tabascoboy]

Yep most of the "traditional" accents of southern England dying out to be replaced by a more generic or London sounding one

[Paddington Bear]

Can’t find the link now but there are recordings (maybe with the British library) made by German academics where they asked a whole bunch of British POWs from the First World War to read the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The accents are fascinating

[robmatic]

I am from the Yorkshire Dales originally and my dad was a Dales Dialect speaker. With people of his generation, you would have a pretty good inkling of what dale they were from based on their accent. For example, the Swaledale accent is quite distinct from the Wensleydale one despite there only being a few miles between the two valleys. This has largely died out in the subsequent generations though with the dialect being educated out of everybody and more people going to university etc.

[SaintK]

I remember when I was little the old boys at my cricket club had a very distinctive south Bucks accent - a bit of a cross between a west country and midlands, noticeably rural. Seems to have died out 15 years ago or so, like a lot of old Home Counties accents I suppose

When I moved to Hertfordshire in the 1970's you could hear the real 'ertfordshire accent from the old boys in the village pubs particularly around the Hitchin area.
With the growth of the new towns like Stevenage there were a lot of "Norf Lonon" accents from those who had moved out of London as it was was being rebuilt after the war. It has evolved into something similar to estuary English nowadays.

[TedMaul]

I remember when I was little the old boys at my cricket club had a very distinctive south Bucks accent - a bit of a cross between a west country and midlands, noticeably rural. Seems to have died out 15 years ago or so, like a lot of old Home Counties accents I suppose

I lived in Coleshill a few years ago and there were a few old chaps there who’d lived in the village all their lives. A very distinct accent. Quite Oi Arr really.

[Oxbow]

My missus is from Norfolk, she hasn't got any accent at all but some of her more distant relatives (mostly older fellas) still have really strong Norfolk accents. On the couple of occasions I've met some of them I've hardly been able to understand a word they say.

[tabascoboy]

I am from the Yorkshire Dales originally and my dad was a Dales Dialect speaker. With people of his generation, you would have a pretty good inkling of what dale they were from based on their accent. For example, the Swaledale accent is quite distinct from the Wensleydale one despite there only being a few miles between the two valleys. This has largely died out in the subsequent generations though with the dialect being educated out of everybody and more people going to university etc.

Internal migration does lead to accents merging more and more, but I read of people saying some accents like Liverpool appear to be strengthening more than weakening

[Paddington Bear]

I remember when I was little the old boys at my cricket club had a very distinctive south Bucks accent - a bit of a cross between a west country and midlands, noticeably rural. Seems to have died out 15 years ago or so, like a lot of old Home Counties accents I suppose

When I moved to Hertfordshire in the 1970's you could hear the real 'ertfordshire accent from the old boys in the village pubs particularly around the Hitchin area.
With the growth of the new towns like Stevenage there were a lot of "Norf Lonon" accents from those who had moved out of London as it was was being rebuilt after the war. It has evolved into something similar to estuary English nowadays.

Different side of the county to you but people of a certain age will do the ‘ertfordshire bit when I mention where I live. My part is largely people/their parents who moved out of Harrow and other similar parts of former Middlesex, accent reflects that plus the general standardisation.

I wouldn’t say there aren’t any local factors - me and my mates tend to get recognised as clearly not from Surrey and for being north of the river, but its much more subtle

[Guy Smiley]

My missus is from Norfolk, she hasn't got any accent at all but some of her more distant relatives (mostly older fellas) still have really strong Norfolk accents. On the couple of occasions I've met some of them I've hardly been able to understand a word they say.

I've an ex from Norfolk, she lives out Loddon way. Went to uni in London and we met up in Western Australia, where I used to kid her about her posh English accent. I've visited her at home a couple of times, along with another friend from Sussex... I now believe her explaining she'd picked up the posh accent at Uni because the folks at 'ome don't talk like that

The difference in accents between villages from Sussex and into Norfolk is astounding. Stopping for pints at little pubs and trying to get my Antipodean ears around them was amazing. Meeting old folk in a couple of villages who had never travelled away from home... at all. Their whole lives spent within the surrounds of the village and more than happy about it. Like accents, that way of life is rapidly going. We'll probably all turn into some sort of mainly homogenous blend of language and skin tone eventually if we survive our own climate induced disaster.

[Tichtheid]

My missus is from Norfolk, she hasn't got any accent at all but some of her more distant relatives (mostly older fellas) still have really strong Norfolk accents. On the couple of occasions I've met some of them I've hardly been able to understand a word they say.

I've an ex from Norfolk, she lives out Loddon way. Went to uni in London and we met up in Western Australia, where I used to kid her about her posh English accent. I've visited her at home a couple of times, along with another friend from Sussex... I now believe her explaining she'd picked up the posh accent at Uni because the folks at 'ome don't talk like that

The difference in accents between villages from Sussex and into Norfolk is astounding. Stopping for pints at little pubs and trying to get my Antipodean ears around them was amazing. Meeting old folk in a couple of villages who had never travelled away from home... at all. Their whole lives spent within the surrounds of the village and more than happy about it. Like accents, that way of life is rapidly going. We'll probably all turn into some sort of mainly homogenous blend of language and skin tone eventually if we survive our own climate induced disaster.

When I first started working on farms around Sussex, East and West, there were still a few of the older guys who had that burr in their accents. In Scotland too the accents and particular words were really only there in the older folks, same with working fishermen.

My grandparents spoke Scots - a sister language to English (as opposed to Gaelic, which is a whole other thing). Nowadays what people try to pass off as Scots is really only English with a Scottish pronunciation

[epwc]

if we survive our own climate induced disaster.

Yep, but the people that survive (or even thrive) will be the wealthy, so this will also affect language and culture

[inactionman]

I remember when I was little the old boys at my cricket club had a very distinctive south Bucks accent - a bit of a cross between a west country and midlands, noticeably rural. Seems to have died out 15 years ago or so, like a lot of old Home Counties accents I suppose

When I moved to Hertfordshire in the 1970's you could hear the real 'ertfordshire accent from the old boys in the village pubs particularly around the Hitchin area.
With the growth of the new towns like Stevenage there were a lot of "Norf Lonon" accents from those who had moved out of London as it was was being rebuilt after the war. It has evolved into something similar to estuary English nowadays.

Very similar to the town I was brought up in Essex.

My grandparents were bombed out of the docklands - various members of the family moved to rainham and Dagenham but my grandparents moved to a new town. The accent sounds weird when I go back, lt sounds really effected to my ears. Less north London and more eastend, which is perhaps not surprising given the geography.

One thing I'd note is that new towns tend to be a lot more egalitarian, in that there isn't really a 'posh bit' and a 'poor bit', so it all tends to merge into one

[Niegs]

My missus is from Norfolk, she hasn't got any accent at all but some of her more distant relatives (mostly older fellas) still have really strong Norfolk accents. On the couple of occasions I've met some of them I've hardly been able to understand a word they say.

Listening to that clip above reminded me of some of the accents in The Eagle Has Landed, which I think was meant to be in Norfolk.

If anyone remembers, were any of those accents ‘local’ to the story?

Found a clip of an older fella in it:

[Slick]

I remember when I was little the old boys at my cricket club had a very distinctive south Bucks accent - a bit of a cross between a west country and midlands, noticeably rural. Seems to have died out 15 years ago or so, like a lot of old Home Counties accents I suppose

I lived in Coleshill a few years ago and there were a few old chaps there who’d lived in the village all their lives. A very distinct accent. Quite Oi Arr really.

Coleshill with the Red Lion? If so, Alan that used to run that had a very local accent if I remember correctly

[TedMaul]

He did!
Current owner, splendid chap called Roger, was Peter Stringfellows business partner for 25 years. As you might imagine he has some exceptional stories….

[Kiwias]

I've an ex from Norfolk, she lives out Loddon way. Went to uni in London and we met up in Western Australia, where I used to kid her about her posh English accent. I've visited her at home a couple of times, along with another friend from Sussex... I now believe her explaining she'd picked up the posh accent at Uni because the folks at 'ome don't talk like that

The difference in accents between villages from Sussex and into Norfolk is astounding. Stopping for pints at little pubs and trying to get my Antipodean ears around them was amazing. Meeting old folk in a couple of villages who had never travelled away from home... at all. Their whole lives spent within the surrounds of the village and more than happy about it. Like accents, that way of life is rapidly going. We'll probably all turn into some sort of mainly homogenous blend of language and skin tone eventually if we survive our own climate induced disaster.

The same phenomenon is occurring in Japan, with regional and local dialects surviving only among the elderly and particularly those living in deep rural villages. Children learn standard Japanese at school and from tv/the Net. Talking to people in their 80s+ in my wife's parents' village, I can understand 50% at best, and I am completely fluent in Japanese.

[Slick]

He did!
Current owner, splendid chap called Roger, was Peter Stringfellows business partner for 25 years. As you might imagine he has some exceptional stories….

I’m pretty sure I also know Roger! Some incredible characters in the country pubs around that way, I used to practically live (and literally for a couple of months) in the Red Lion in Little Missenden, also owned by an Alan

[Paddington Bear]

He did!
Current owner, splendid chap called Roger, was Peter Stringfellows business partner for 25 years. As you might imagine he has some exceptional stories….

I’m pretty sure I also know Roger! Some incredible characters in the country pubs around that way, I used to practically live (and literally for a couple of months) in the Red Lion in Little Missenden, also owned by an Alan

We’re remarkably lucky round this way. Personal highlight is chatting with the landlord at the Green Dragon in Flaunden, who proudly told me that it was the all time favourite pub of Kim Philby and Joachim von Ribbentrop

[TedMaul]

He did!
Current owner, splendid chap called Roger, was Peter Stringfellows business partner for 25 years. As you might imagine he has some exceptional stories….

I’m pretty sure I also know Roger! Some incredible characters in the country pubs around that way, I used to practically live (and literally for a couple of months) in the Red Lion in Little Missenden, also owned by an Alan

We’re remarkably lucky round this way. Personal highlight is chatting with the landlord at the Green Dragon in Flaunden, who proudly told me that it was the all time favourite pub of Kim Philby and Joachim von Ribbentrop

I’ve got dinner at The Bricklayers on Friday, small world!

[TedMaul]

I’d lay a wager you me and Slick have mutual pals, got to.

[yermum]

I live just down the road in Felden! Small world indeed!

[Slick]

I’d lay a wager you me and Slick have mutual pals, got to.

We’re you/are you involved in a rugby club round there?

[Slick]

I live just down the road in Felden! Small world indeed!

Where the fuck is that?

[TedMaul]

I’d lay a wager you me and Slick have mutual pals, got to.

We’re you/are you involved in a rugby club round there?

About ten years back with Chiltern - best mate played 8.

[Paddington Bear]

I’d lay a wager you me and Slick have mutual pals, got to.

We’re you/are you involved in a rugby club round there?

About ten years back with Chiltern - best mate played 8.

I think we can upgrade ‘mutual pals’ to ‘we have almost certainly met’!

[Slick]

I’d lay a wager you me and Slick have mutual pals, got to.

We’re you/are you involved in a rugby club round there?

About ten years back with Chiltern - best mate played 8.

I played at Chiltern for over 30 years (since minis) so, as PB says, there is a very good chance we know each other

[TedMaul]

Did you boys know Duncan Price (RIP) ?

[yermum]

I live just down the road in Felden! Small world indeed!

Where the fuck is that?

The village on the other side of the chipperfield road from flaunden

[Paddington Bear]

Did you boys know Duncan Price (RIP) ?

I met him a couple of times, a sad story I have to admit I’d forgotten about.


Chiltern had their centenary dinner Saturday night - c.450 people there. The club seems to have sorted itself out very well after a few more interesting years

[TedMaul]

Good to hear. We were very close it was a right wrench that one. Mike Pereira, Pete Johnston?

[Slick]

Good to hear. We were very close it was a right wrench that one. Mike Pereira, Pete Johnston?

Think they were the generation after me. I was in with Brian Richardson, Mike Griffiths, Jules Alexander, the Luker brothers

[Slick]

Did you boys know Duncan Price (RIP) ?

I met him a couple of times, a sad story I have to admit I’d forgotten about.


Chiltern had their centenary dinner Saturday night - c.450 people there. The club seems to have sorted itself out very well after a few more interesting years

Was meant to come down for that but ended up on holiday fairly last minute, heard it was a great night.

Also agree, great to see the club back to being a proper rugby club and not chasing pointless and unachievable glory

[Guy Smiley]

We’re you/are you involved in a rugby club round there?

About ten years back with Chiltern - best mate played 8.

I think we can upgrade ‘mutual pals’ to ‘we have almost certainly met’!

This thread

[TedMaul]

Come on Guy. Celebrate the legacy of Cilla Black.

[Paddington Bear]

Good to hear. We were very close it was a right wrench that one. Mike Pereira, Pete Johnston?

Have met all of them and would imagine my name would ring a bell to them, not least as my dad is a life member. I came up through the colts but didn’t play a ton of senior rugby, cricket is my sport really.

I know a fair number of the current players and can be found in the old town with them post match every so often!

[TedMaul]

Great club. I lived in the Old Town for 16 years, Duncan lived in the flat opposite my house, he was some lad

[laurent]

to break up the inbred love in ;)

In France most of the regional accents are disappearing

the "Parisian" one has pretty much destroyed Norman Breton Picard Chtimi Beauceron Berrichon...

the south accents and Finistere for breton are resisting...

[tabascoboy]

to break up the inbred love in ;)

In France most of the regional accents are disappearing

the "Parisian" one has pretty much destroyed Norman Breton Picard Chtimi Beauceron Berrichon...

the south accents and Finistere for breton are resisting...

Does Franc-Comtois survive, or is that all but gone?