Does Anyone Sleep!!

[Kuda]

Kuda, I sound nothing like a Yorkshireman.

I'm from Derbyshire, but I now live in Nottinghamshire. Yorkshire is a far, distant land........ (OK, so it's a whole 300 yards away, the border of those three counties is actually just at the other end of our village)!

I'm sure you've fared better than those four lads!!

 

[Kuda]

Kuda, I sound nothing like a Yorkshireman.

I'm from Derbyshire, but I now live in Nottinghamshire. Yorkshire is a far, distant land........ (OK, so it's a whole 300 yards away, the border of those three counties is actually just at the other end of our village)!

Where is Henry Higgins when you need him?

 

[AriLea]

Kuda, I sound nothing like a Yorkshireman.
I'm from Derbyshire, but I now live in Nottinghamshire. Yorkshire is a far, distant land........ (OK, so it's a whole 300 yards away, the border of those three counties is actually just at the other end of our village)!

I grew up in an area that had the same accent as early US TV. Only later did I discover that 'everyone' has an accent.
So in the age of global media, to your 'Higgings' ears, are all the English starting to sound, well English? And is there any perceived convergence with 'mericain' accents?

 

[wheaters]

Put it this way, our immigration problems are now very serious. Foreign languages, rather than just accents, are heard everywhere. A couple of weeks ago my son's partner rang their daughter's school to ask a fairly simple question. The person who answered couldn't answer them because she didn't speak enough English. She had to fetch someone who did.

 

[AriLea]

lol, I work in the airlines, relative to the US in general, we're very international. And when doing computer subject meeting with non-native speakers, I can't often understand what is said, even though tech-talk is fairly limited in scope. In this case it's the cadence and speed of talk. Especially Spanish speakers, but I'll include India peoples. Out of politeness we usually give them a 'pass'. I often fear my good-guy persona is in jeopardy since sometimes I simply have to ask for a retake.

Also, when I go to a drive through fast-food, I often have to stop them and say 'What?". But all young kids seem to think lightning fast talk will be understood by everyone, so it's not exclusive to Latino there!.

One nice lady is British taught from India, India native speaker. OMG, no hope there!

 

[wheaters]

Last time I came to the USA (about nine years ago) I was at Miami airport, by myself, waiting for my flight. I was approached by one of those glamorous cosmetics sales ladies, I think she was Hispanic. She began talking to me in Spanish. I listened for a few seconds and looked at her (nice!) but couldn't understand a word because I don't speak any Spanish. I told her politely that sorry, I didn't understand (in English, obviously).

She seemed quite offended and told me she knew I spoke Spanish! I told her then that I was from England and really didn't, but to this day I really don't think she believed me and was just trying to give her the "brush off".

I have been told many times in the past that I look of Mediterranean origin, because my genes gave me dark hair and blue eyes and I tan very easily. But my ancestors on my mother's side were Irish (dark hair, blue/grey eyes), rather than Spanish.

I suppose if we look back far enough, we're all immigrants of one sort or another.

 

[zelio]

Last time I came to the USA (about nine years ago) I was at Miami airport, by myself, waiting for my flight. I was approached by one of those glamorous cosmetics sales ladies, I think she was Hispanic. She began talking to me in Spanish. I listened for a few seconds and looked at her (nice!) but couldn't understand a word because I don't speak any Spanish. I told her politely that sorry, I didn't understand (in English, obviously).

She seemed quite offended and told me she knew I spoke Spanish! I told her then that I was from England and really didn't, but to this day I really don't think she believed me and was just trying to give her the "brush off".

I have been told many times in the past that I look of Mediterranean origin, because my genes gave me dark hair and blue eyes and I tan very easily. But my ancestors on my mother's side were Irish (dark hair, blue/grey eyes), rather than Spanish.

I suppose if we look back far enough, we're all immigrants of one sort or another.

I have always considered myself a Heinz 57 variety white simply because of all the anglo genes that have been bred into me. My ancestors came from most of the British Isles as well as the Netherlands and France. I understand there might also be a tiny drop or two of Native American mixed in for variety but you can't tell by looking at me. I personally believe we are all immigrants to this country unless we are Native Americans but I get the impression I am in the minority. I love our melting pot and celebrate whenever and wherever I can. Vive la difference! (And I apologize if I mangled the spelling of the line but at least you can get the idea of what I mean.) :-) Z

 

[wheaters]

Z, If I were a dog, I wouldn't come with much paperwork!

I've decided 2015 will be a year to research my family background a little and have asked for a subscription to one of the online database providers as my Christmas present from my wife. I know very little beyond my grandparents and on my mother's side, almost nothing apart from the family name. I do know where they came from in Ireland, but when and whom, I have no idea.

 

[RUCRAYZE]

Put it this way, our immigration problems are now very serious. Foreign languages, rather than just accents, are heard everywhere. A couple of weeks ago my son's partner rang their daughter's school to ask a fairly simple question. The person who answered couldn't answer them because she didn't speak enough English. She had to fetch someone who did.

hummmm- that's funny that your son's partner "rang their daughter's school..." Here in the states it's usually reserved for bells-(in jest)

 

[Norahsbed]

Speaking of Hinze 57, 1/2 Norwegian, 7/16 German, 1/32 Irish, 1/32 Engilish, a drop of French and perhaps a smidgen of Russian. That I know of! If I could get back far enough on the English side in Early America ( before 1800) who knows what might be there?