The American Accent

[Forbin]

Even removing Trek from it, this thread is quite informative.
As a native West Londoner I am used to the myriad of UK accents. I can even tell West, East and South London accents apart, and the vast number of UK regional accents vary from vastly individual, to only a native can tell them apart.
So I guess my question is to native North Americans - how diverse are your accents?

In my family alone -
My great grandfather was from Scotland, so I couldn't understand a fookin word he said.
My mother's father was from da Bronx (NYC), so he sounded like Archie Bunker.
Here mother was Scottish, but came to the US at 9, so her accent was barely discernable, but still there.
Mom was born in Brooklyn NYC, but lived in NJ from her teens, so mostly Jersey with a little brooklynese. yes, there's a difference between Brooklyn & Bronx accents, within the same city!
Dad and his parents are from rural New Jersey. His mom was of Dutch descent, and tho I don't recall an accent, she spoke very properly, probably due to her Victorian-era upbringing.
My sister is a Jersey girl, but she moved to South Carolina 25 years ago. To me she sounds like a rebel, but to the locals she sounds like she's from Jersey with half an accent.
My sister's children were all born in NJ, but moved with her to SC at very young ages. My nephew, who still lives there, sounds like he could be in Deliverance. His ex-wife had such a thick southern accent, I couldn't understand a gawud dayum word she said.

 

[scotpens]

When I was living in Australia, people thought it was funny (and for the most part, it was) to try an imitate an American accent. They all sounded like a bad John Wayne impression.

Slow, and lots of hard "R's".

The same thing happens when most Brits attempt an American accent. They overdo the rhotic "R" and sound more like a Devonshire farmer or a pirate.

 

[C57D]

Thank you Forbin. So I guess the answer is a resounding "Very Diverse!"
My wife is Scottish, but even after living there for ten years I still only understand about every third word some of her Scottish friends say.

 

[C57D]

Yeah, very true. But just as bad is some Americans trying to do a London accent - especially a Cockney one. The worst offender of all time is Dick van Dyck in Mary Poppins. Most Londoners cringe at his "Gaw Blimey Maary Poppens"
JUST NO!!

 

[mb22]

Critics seem to think that Lin-Manuel Miranda does it a bit better.

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[johnnybear]

Bernard Fox was an actor who drove my father nuts! He used to say he was an American actor who always tried to do an English accent and could never get it right! Since the days of IMDB I've found out that Mr.Fox was actually born in Wales and just lived in America and it's far too late to explain that to my old Dad!
JB

 

[Relayer1]

Yeah, very true. But just as bad is some Americans trying to do a London accent - especially a Cockney one. The worst offender of all time is Dick van Dyck in Mary Poppins. Most Londoners cringe at his "Gaw Blimey Maary Poppens"
JUST NO!!

I think that's the definitive take on Cockney.

Yes, it's wrong. Very wrong. But it's DEFINITIVELY wrong !

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Shatner's Canadian accent came out in the words civilizations (narration), docile (Wink of an Eye), and futile (Spock's Brain).

Most U.S. speakers put the long i sound in "percentile", but not the three words above.

Jeri Ryan wanted Seven of Nine to say "Resistance is futile" with the long i, to match what had come before (British Patrick Stewart as Locutus), but Voyager producers wouldn't let her. Then later productions had various Borg saying futile with the long i sound, which Ryan found maddening.

 

[C57D]

I think that's the definitive take on Cockney.

Yes, it's wrong. Very wrong. But it's DEFINITIVELY wrong !

You are so very right. I guess if you are going to be bad then you should be the very worst!!!

 

[johnnybear]

Shatner's Canadian accent came out in the words civilizations (narration), docile (Wink of an Eye), and futile (Spock's Brain).

Most U.S. speakers put the long i sound in "percentile", but not the three words above.

Jeri Ryan wanted Seven of Nine to say "Resistance is futile" with the long i, to match what had come before (British Patrick Stewart as Locutus), but Voyager producers wouldn't let her. Then later productions had various Borg saying futile with the long i sound, which Ryan found maddening.

Do you mean Fu-tell compared to Fu-tile? I've always heard Americans use the word as Fu-tell or Fu-tull in TV shows where as English actors would pronounce it as Fu-tile, emphasising the tile bit! I'm not sure how Seven said that because it's probably ten years since I've seen Scorpion!
JB

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Do you mean Fu-tell compared to Fu-tile? I've always heard Americans use the word as Fu-tell or Fu-tull in TV shows where as English actors would pronounce it as Fu-tile, emphasising the tile bit! I'm not sure how Seven said that because it's probably ten years since I've seen Scorpion!
JB

Yes, most Americans pronounce futile the same as feudal, whereas Shatner said few-tile. Jeri Ryan had to say it like "feudal" because she was overseen on the matter.

 

[urbandefault]

"Sabbataage."

Just sayin'.

 

[johnnybear]

Yes, most Americans pronounce futile the same as feudal, whereas Shatner said few-tile. Jeri Ryan had to say it like "feudal" because she was overseen on the matter.

Excellent way of putting over your point, Zap! I like it!
JB

 

[mb22]

Shatner's Canadian accent came out in the words civilizations (narration), docile (Wink of an Eye), and futile (Spock's Brain).

For some reason, the first season narration had 'civilizations', American, style.

 

[Forbin]

Do you mean Fu-tell compared to Fu-tile? I've always heard Americans use the word as Fu-tell or Fu-tull in TV shows where as English actors would pronounce it as Fu-tile, emphasising the tile bit! I'm not sure how Seven said that because it's probably ten years since I've seen Scorpion!
JB

When we say it, it just sounds like "feudal".
ETA - i see somebody beat me to that.

 

[Forbin]

Thank you Forbin. So I guess the answer is a resounding "Very Diverse!"
My wife is Scottish, but even after living there for ten years I still only understand about every third word some of her Scottish friends say.

Oh that's refreshing to hear! When one of our cousins visited when I was 12, he got real sick of me saying "What??" Also, Peter Capaldi is a real chore to try to understand.

 

[FormerLurker]

Yeah, very true. But just as bad is some Americans trying to do a London accent - especially a Cockney one. The worst offender of all time is Dick van Dyck in Mary Poppins. Most Londoners cringe at his "Gaw Blimey Maary Poppens"
JUST NO!!

I think that's the definitive take on Cockney.

Yes, it's wrong. Very wrong. But it's DEFINITIVELY wrong !

You are so very right. I guess if you are going to be bad then you should be the very worst!!!

Apparently his voice coach was an Irishman. There may have been some resentment.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

"Sabbataage."

Just sayin'.

I've never gotten that one. He sounded fine to me. Can you do a phonetic spelling of Shatner's sabotage versus the typical American?

 

[urbandefault]

I've never gotten that one. He sounded fine to me. Can you do a phonetic spelling of Shatner's sabotage versus the typical American?

I can do better than that.

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[ZapBrannigan]

I can do better than that.

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Thanks! So he said it properly in TOS, which is why I never had a problem with it. And this was at a point in the series when he had way more power on set than the director. But when a TAS director wants the same correct pronounciation, he refused. That's so odd.