I keep accidentally speaking Coventry-ish

harmless_little_f***
harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
edited October 2008 in All Encompassing Trip
So I'm on holiday for two weeks in the place I'll be moving to at the start of next year. Already I keep pronouncing a few words in the Midlands accent, having hung out with my girlfriend and family so much. I'm taking bets on how long it'll take to change my accent completely when I live here :D

Also, the longer I'm here, the more I realise I probably sound like Jamie Oliver or sumfing. Pucka.
'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

- the great Sir Leo Harrison
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Comments

  • dunkman
    dunkman Posts: 19,646
    could be worse.. you could have met someone from Devon.

    *shudders*
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • Jeremy1012
    Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    S'funny, I've always thought that the midlands was the only place in England without a specific accent, besides Birmingham obviously, but then I grew up there.

    Is her part of Coventry nice Mark? In general I hate that city.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • harmless_little_f***
    harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    S'funny, I've always thought that the midlands was the only place in England without a specific accent, besides Birmingham obviously, but then I grew up there.

    Is her part of Coventry nice Mark? In general I hate that city.

    I've liked what I've seen of Coventry.. friendly people, a bit rundown in places but isn't everywhere? There's more going on here in the evenings so it's fun to be out. Main thing is I feel at home. :) I've looooved Birmingham and I've booked a tattoo there for Friday :D

    Edit: Btw, yeah, compared to London, Cov has an accent.. mostly with more drawn out vowel sounds and a different 'U' sound. What to me is 'Much' becomes a soft 'Mooch' here. To me it sounds exactly half way between Northern and Southern, which is logical really.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • chime
    chime Posts: 7,839
    Being a Midlander down south ... the one thing people pick me up on is my short 'a' ... glass, grass, bath
    So are we strangers now? Like rock and roll and the radio?
  • Jeremy1012
    Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    I've liked what I've seen of Coventry.. friendly people, a bit rundown in places but isn't everywhere? There's more going on here in the evenings so it's fun to be out. Main thing is I feel at home. :) I've looooved Birmingham and I've booked a tattoo there for Friday :D
    All city's have horrible parts but they generally have soul, or something :D Something about Cov always just depressed me... :p but I'm glad you feel at home.

    Going to post pics of your new tattoo? I want another one but I'm really stuck for ideas.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • dunkman
    dunkman Posts: 19,646
    Jeremy1012 wrote:

    Is her part of Coventry nice Mark? In general I hate that city.

    me and the wifelet tried to drive into Coventry once (from Warwick) and we gave up after about 20minutes.. it was a fucking nightmare... we drove back to Leamington Spa instead.. which is a beautiful place. :)
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • harmless_little_f***
    harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    All city's have horrible parts but they generally have soul, or something :D Something about Cov always just depressed me... :p but I'm glad you feel at home.

    Going to post pics of your new tattoo? I want another one but I'm really stuck for ideas.

    I'll post pics, yep. This one'll be one for Tattooedeverything.com as well :)
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • Jeremy1012
    Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    Edit: Btw, yeah, compared to London, Cov has an accent.. mostly with more drawn out vowel sounds and a different 'U' sound. What to me is 'Much' becomes a soft 'Mooch' here. To me it sounds exactly half way between Northern and Southern, which is logical really.
    Hmm, I guess mine is somewhat bastardised, having been brought up in Leamington Spa, not too far from Coventry, but to Glaswegian parents. I have short vowel sounds and basically lowland scots pronunciation but mixed with a kind of generic midlands timbre. I kind of move between the two depending on my audience though :p
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • Jeremy1012
    Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    dunkman wrote:
    me and the wifelet tried to drive into Coventry once (from Warwick) and we gave up after about 20minutes.. it was a fucking nightmare... we drove back to Leamington Spa instead.. which is a beautiful place. :)
    Born there.

    Shithole.

    :)

    I know, I know, it looks nice enough. I bet you didn't go anywhere near south Leamington though. Most depressing place I think I've ever been.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • harmless_little_f***
    harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    Chime wrote:
    Being a Midlander down south ... the one thing people pick me up on is my short 'a' ... glass, grass, bath

    Yep, there is that :) Some people mix it up too, which is confusing to me. I'm looking for a rule which defines when you pronounce something 'a' and when it's 'ar' as in the Londoner's 'grass', but I've found none as yet... I think it's just random.

    Also, how do they distinguish between the soft 'Oo' sound as in 'Mum' (sounds like Mom) and a real 'O' as in 'Dog'. I know the difference is the 'U' and the 'O' but I can't really hear the difference in sound.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • harmless_little_f***
    harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    Hmm, I guess mine is somewhat bastardised, having been brought up in Leamington Spa, not too far from Coventry, but to Glaswegian parents. I have short vowel sounds and basically lowland scots pronunciation but mixed with a kind of generic midlands timbre. I kind of move between the two depending on my audience though :p

    Yep, with a few drinks down us we both sounded like a mix of full-of-pomp-and-arrogance Jeremy Clarkson and Mike Skinner :D
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • Jeremy1012
    Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    Yep, with a few drinks down us we both sounded like a mix of full-of-pomp-and-arrogance Jeremy Clarkson and Mike Skinner :D
    Please don't ever compare me to Jeremy Clarkson in any way.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • dunkman
    dunkman Posts: 19,646
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    Please don't ever compare me to Jeremy Clarkson in any way.

    he's called Jeremy too though? ;)

    I liked Kenilworth.. take it you've been there?
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • harmless_little_f***
    harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    Please don't ever compare me to Jeremy Clarkson in any way.

    :eek: OK, erm... any arrogant Guardian music, film or art critic... take your pick.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • Jeremy1012
    Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    dunkman wrote:
    he's called Jeremy too though? ;)

    I liked Kenilworth.. take it you've been there?
    Christ, these places are so dull... :D

    I dunno, I guess if you grew up around them they just lose any novelty. Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth etc, all places I could happily never see again.

    Stratford-Upon-Avon is pretty boring but my heart is there, for better or worse.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • Jeremy1012
    Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    :eek: OK, erm... any arrogant Guardian music, film or art critic... take your pick.
    :eek: what are you trying to say? :p

    Seriously though. anyone but him.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • harmless_little_f***
    harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    OH, BY THE WAY....

    What I cannot stomach is the fact that here, a bread roll is called a 'batch'.

    A single bread roll.

    So, a batch of bread rolls is called a batch of batches. What's up with that?

    Sarah's daughter said to me 'What do you call them then?'

    'Bread rolls.'

    'They're called batches though.'

    'What does it say on the packet?'

    'Bread rolls.'

    'Exactly.'
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • chime
    chime Posts: 7,839
    hlf I think you'll find they're called cobs :cool:
    So are we strangers now? Like rock and roll and the radio?
  • dunkman
    dunkman Posts: 19,646
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    Christ, these places are so dull... :D

    I dunno, I guess if you grew up around them they just lose any novelty. Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth etc, all places I could happily never see again.

    Stratford-Upon-Avon is pretty boring but my heart is there, for better or worse.


    i loved Stratford UA ... loved it.

    more japs than a dyslexic boxer... but at least they're all teency small so i could still see stuff... i realise how racist and generalising this comment is... and they all have cameras and wear school uniforms.. good times.
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • harmless_little_f***
    harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    Christ, these places are so dull... :D

    I dunno, I guess if you grew up around them they just lose any novelty. Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth etc, all places I could happily never see again.

    Stratford-Upon-Avon is pretty boring but my heart is there, for better or worse.

    I think you feel like that about anywhere you've lived.

    A lot of people like Windsor. I spent 8 years of my life there and I can spend a day there happily but generally, I think it's the biggest Conservative, safe-as-Disney, world-avoiding middle class commune in the country.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison

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