accents that most irk you

[Pua'i Mana'o]

(kudos for Paul Ogata inspiring this thread by using the phrase "radio puker people" about how they sound).

I had two visitors last week who were both from the Great Lakes area and their voices hurt my ears. If either one of them talked for too long, it was a struggle to hear what they had to say, because the pitch of their voices (and horrors, their laughter) was killing me. These were nice, genuinely warm and humble people. Great senses of humor. But I would have traded my kingdom to hook them up to Stephen Hawking's voice box.

what about you? What accents get in the way of communicating?

[Leo Lakio]

I find accents fascinating. As a voice actor, I studied accents (and how to duplicate them) years ago. I can do quite a few, some well, some poorly, but I can "mimic" people's vocal patterns in many cases.

There are a few accents that I find difficult to understand - those of northern England, near the Scottish border, come to mind right up front - but irksome? No, can't say as any irk me - rather, they intrigue me.

(Oh, and of course, I can do a "radio puker," though only in jest. My radio career has never required me to announce in that style, fortunately for all listening.)

[blueyecicle]

I kind of agree with Leo,
I thought it might bother me all the accents here but instead it fascinates me.
I find it charming, endearing and interesting.

There are some accents that are just plain lazy, some that are very uneducated and backwoods and some that are just southern. Then the occasional Irishman here as well.

But I am finding it is hard to communicate with some of the very thick and more backwoods characters. For some reason I cannot understand but one or two words, it is like a foreign language, and I feel guilty for not being able to "get" what they are saying. Especially when they are refering or speaking to my very open mouthed boys!
And they look at me to translate (both of them!) and I have NO clue what is being said! LOL But it's funny either way and we stumble through.

All of them are very completely different and reflect aspects of their personality and culture.

[buzz1941]

Everyone on the other end of the Jack In the Box drive-through intercom

[Leo Lakio]

Everyone on the other end of the Jack In the Box drive-through intercom...says the man whose HT handle starts with "buzz...":D

[1stwahine]

Everyone on the other end of the Jack In the Box drive-through intercom

HAHAHAHAHAHA

My stomach sore from LAUGHING!:p

Auntie Lynn

I forgot to put mine. Microdots. I mean Micronesians!heheheh

[Random]

*ponders*

Nah! Not going to incite a flamewar here. I keep my dislike and annoyance to myself

[scrivener]

When I was growing up in Waipahu, my side of town was still mostly Japanese and Chinese, and I found the Filipino accents annoying and difficult. But as I got to know more people who owned these accents, I almost didn't even notice the accents anymore, and now although I still find many phrases amusing (especially "po-set" for "faucet"), I don't find it the least bit irksome.

I used to find Malaysian accents rough and difficult to listen to, but in college I made friends with students from all over, including Malaysia, and now I barely remember what it was about the accents that I found difficult to listen to.

And I LOVE the accents of the northern midwest, up around the Great Lakes! Love them!

[Mike_Lowery]

I used to get annoyed with foreign accents, until I realized how much the world hates Americans.

[pzarquon]

A fair point.

One of the sweetest experiences of my life was hanging out in a cozy pub in Auckland, New Zealand. My coworker and I were just relaxing and making friends with whomever walked up... and we only noticed later into the evening that we were suddenly holding court at a table with half a dozen pretty women.

"We just love your American accent," one said, with of course her wonderful accent.

"We have accents?" we asked.

A good time was had by all.

Of course, depending on where we were, being American wasn't always a plus. In which case, depending on the situation, we often claimed we were Canadian!

[Menehune Man]

I love the British sounding accent that Fijians have.
It's not as strong as it is with someone from Englund and mixed with 'our' Polynesian slower style of speech, turns out really cool.

Doesn't irk me, but thick Filipino accents can be difficult for me sometimes.

[Leo Lakio]

Ryan, your story reminds me of the time I was in Coober Pedy, on the edge of the Australian Outback (it's where they mine for many of the world's opals.)

I met a woman from Nova Scotia who was convinced that I was from Vancouver - because of my "accent."

Well, Seattle IS close to Vancouver, but...

[buzz1941]

Maddie had trouble watching "Casino Royale" the other night -- the British accents were hard to understand for her.

Since I grew up near Hong Kong, I have no trouble with British accents.

Curiously, I once did an interview with a woman who teaches accents to Hollywood actors. She said she could identify, by accent, what part of the country people were from.

I asked her if she could identify where I came from. She said I had no identifiable accent, but I did have a slight Southern drawl -- which meant I was most likely a military dependent. She was right!

When I was a kid, certain parts of Oahu said braddah and other parts said blalah....

[MonkeyMan]

At one point, the Info Tech division of Kamehameha was seriously considering outsourcing the institution's help desk to India!

I had a field day with that one, walking around and in my best Indian accent, reciting: "Aloha, my nem es Rajneesh, vot is your location end vot is de natur of your problem today? ... Kay-koo-aaah-nahh-owe-wah? How do you spell dat? Wot city are you in?"

Heh.

[Karen]

Like a previous poster, I won't identify a single type of accent that is irritating because none of them are of themselves.

What I WILL share is that when any accent from any place is sooo hard to understand that I literally cannot communicate with the person, it can absolutely irk me if..........that person is in a busniess and I am forced to communicate with them. When I can't just smile very kindly and walk away, this is very irksome.

If a person can't be understood on the phone and again, they are in a business I am dealing with, this can be insanely irksome. No one should be in a job that they can fail to properly and easily conduct that business. My poor hubby, when active duty military many years ago, had to suffer a person handling his pay and records that hubby tried five times and could NOT understand the point they were making! No excuses, this is not only irksome but should be darn near illegal, it just should not be done or allowed.

When I don't HAVE to understand someone I do not get annoyed by any accent. I'm a native Texan and I would think the accent I had most of my life and still have a little, was disliked by some others over the years. No, I don't care, but in being fair, I couldn't allow myself to actually be annoyed by another's accent.

[GeckoGeek]

Maddie

How is she doing?

Like everyone else, the accents that bother me are the ones I can't understand. By in large, an English or British accents are not a problem, but some of those Filipino ones can be hard!

[Vanguard]

Least favorite accent: Russian

Most favorite accent: New Zealand

[DannyWilliams]

Don't be hating on others on their accents.....:eek:

I find it fascinating! You zero right in and can tell where they are from and want to know MORE MORE!

And its not having the trouble of understanding the way the words are coming out of their mouths...... Its their lingo that gets misunderstood.

We should learn from each other cause what we say here may go by as something else here in the United States and where they are from may be similar or unheard of

[Surfingfarmboy]

As an "outsider" (and will remain as one, evidently as long as I'm in town) living in the heart of New England, I find the regional accents spoken here interesting. I find the local propensity to drop "R"s where they exist in a word, while adding them to words that don't have them, somewhat unique among English speakers. Example: Most English speakers in the US will say "I went to Fall River to get a pizza." A hard core New Englander (especially one from the Cape Cod area) will say "I went to Fall Rivah to get a pizzer. Or for example, "My father had a hernier operation" (Instead of hernia). Loam (an arable soil) is pronounced "loom". The Sox, as in Boston Red Sox, becomes "Sawx".

I'm not really irked by accents. I find that that they add charm and individual character to the overall distinctiveness of a region.

[Honoruru]

I agree with many here that the only accents that "irk" me are in situations where I need to understand what's being said, but can't ... like talking to a tech support person on the telephone, or "as Buzz mentions" at a drive thru intercom.

But quite often, I find unexpected pleasure in unexpected accents. I remember one day, about ten years ago, I was at Ala Moana Shopping Center when three local ladies (all in their 70s or 80s) came up to me to ask me where See's Candy had moved. They were from Kauai, and hadn't been to Oahu in a long time. They talked to me in heavy (and I mean heavy) pidgin. I'm local and grew up with pidgin, but their pidgin was a little different. I could understand what they were saying, but I had to really work at it. Here and there, words and phrases came up that I had not heard since the 50's. And some that I had never heard at all. They were here for an adventure. "Yeah, we rascals," they said, and everyone broke out laughing, including me. Meeting them made my day.

Even pidgin can have different accents ... different places, different times.

[SusieMisajon]

I'm getting sick of the French accent.

[cynsaligia]

as a local born filipina whose parents and grandparents came from the mother country, frank delima's and gregg hammer's versions of the filipino accent is offensive. they're badly done and for me, NOT funny. every time i hear either of them go, "nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah..." as a precursor to each sentence, i want to punch em straight in the eye. that's like saying every old japanese man exclaims 'YOOOOOOSH!" every time he opens his mouth.

and frank's filipino christmas song ticks me off, too.

i'm not saying don't use my people's accents in a humorous setting. i'm saying, if you're gonna do an accent and make it such a part of your act that you become known for it, then do the damn accent right.

i just remembered that gregg is part pinoy. if that's the case, then he really has no excuse.

[buzz1941]

I'm getting sick of the French accent.

A primary reason that English is becoming the "international" language is because it doesn't rely on intonation to get the meaning across. No matter how badly things are pronounced, the essential meaning generally gets through. That's why it's used world-wide by air traffic control.

[cezanne]

Hate the tone, don't hate the accent.

[Mike_Lowery]

as a local born filipina whose parents and grandparents came from the mother country, frank delima's and gregg hammer's versions of the filipino accent is offensive. they're badly done and for me, NOT funny. every time i hear either of them go, "nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah..." as a precursor to each sentence, i want to punch em straight in the eye. that's like saying every old japanese man exclaims 'YOOOOOOSH!" every time he opens his mouth.

and frank's filipino christmas song ticks me off, too.

i'm not saying don't use my people's accents in a humorous setting. i'm saying, if you're gonna do an accent and make it such a part of your act that you become known for it, then do the damn accent right.

i just remembered that gregg is part pinoy. if that's the case, then he really has no excuse.
I'll co-sign this.

[EastCoastTropics]

As an "outsider" (and will remain as one, evidently as long as I'm in town) living in the heart of New England, I find the regional accents spoken here interesting. I find the local propensity to drop "R"s where they exist in a word, while adding them to words that don't have them, somewhat unique among English speakers. Example: Most English speakers in the US will say "I went to Fall River to get a pizza." A hard core New Englander (especially one from the Cape Cod area) will say "I went to Fall Rivah to get a pizzer. Or for example, "My father had a hernier operation" (Instead of hernia). Loam (an arable soil) is pronounced "loom". The Sox, as in Boston Red Sox, becomes "Sawx".

I'm not really irked by accents. I find that that they add charm and individual character to the overall distinctiveness of a region.

I sometimes find myself saying cawn't instead can't. And I too sometimes drop my 'R' especially in my surname pronouncing the 'r' in my name as an 'awh'.

I love accents and find them fascinating. I remember when I was a little girl telling my mom that I couldn't understand a word her father was saying. He had a very, very thick filipino accent and she told me that the secret was to listen carefully to each word. I've since taken that advice and usually have no problems understanding someone with an accent.

[Peshkwe]

I've got a weird accent.

I just recently was told I had a cute accent that sounded German. I was born and raised in Detroit, my school teacher brother says I speak in early eubonics...Diver Down thought I was from Fargo.

It's an odd sing-songy thing that goes getto with a Canadian flavor when I get extreme.

[tutusue]

[...]It's an odd sing-songy thing that goes getto with a Canadian flavor when I get extreme.
I can't wait to meet you irl!!! :D

[glossyp]

Madonna's upper-class British accent that she has affected since moving to the UK. Accents that come from where a person was born and/or raised do not bother me. Phony ones put on in adulthood are just plain weird.

That being said, I knew a woman who was from somewhere in the western U.S. and she was a very successful real estate agent on Guam. When I first met her I couldn't believe the way she talked to various customers. When speaking to a Filipino she would use a Filipino accent, talking to a Korean she would use a Korean accent and so on and so forth. I could not believe that people were not incredibly offended by what I initially perceived as condescending treatment. What I found out was that because she was always completely fair and professional in her treatment of customers, people trusted her and didn't think twice about that rather strange mode of communication. I guess what is in your heart is communicated much more loudly than the way it is said, if others are listening well.

[Leo Lakio]

Madonna's upper-class British accent that she has affected since moving to the UK. Accents that come from where a person was born and/or raised do not bother me. Phony ones put on in adulthood are just plain weird. I used to work with someone who had affected a British accent (he lived there for a few years as an adolescent.) Two other co-workers (who were from the UK) called it a "Lee Press-On Accent."

Note to Tikiyaki: you know this person, sort of. He wanted to hire your "orchestra" for a tour in Seattle.

[Peshkwe]

I can't wait to meet you irl!!! :D


Hee...you shoulda heard my Dad speak....the man never could say 'pickle' it was always 'peecoals' 'cause his house language growing up was Canuk French. The funniest thing I ever saw was when my folks had the neighbors over...he used to tease a couple of the women bad. Yoko was from Japan with the whole problem with the 'R' thing and Angie from Scotland with her dropping letters thing. He asked Angie if she wanted a drink, she said "I want no I". He started busting on her about it and Yoko came to her defense...so he went on about 'Flied lice'...they both looked at each other and in unison said "Peeeecoals!"

My Dad was one who if he liked you he'd bust chops in a heartbeat, if he didn't like you he wouldn't speak to you unless he had to and only in minimal propriety. In fact he wouldn't use Richard in place of his nik Dick 'cause of the whole speech inflection thing...he said he was able to better tell where someone was coming from by the way they said 'Dick' when they were referring to him. Probably worked considering he was chief of probation for the eastern side of Michigan.

[Peshkwe]

Check this accent out...Hoi Toid from Ocracoke Island NC (hit play, have to have Real Player):

http://www.ncsu.edu/linguistics/code/Research%20Sites/ocracoke/audio1_transcript.htm

That's how my hubs ex inlaws and my step daughter speak.

[oggboy]

Yep, drive-thru windows that you gotta repeat, and repeat. Then the order is wrong or missing something. Lucky some places get the touch screen order system. But I no like redicual anyones accent cause after all we get all kine accents.....:D :D

[Random]

and frank's filipino christmas song ticks me off, too.
You should blame his writer, who I believe is filipino.

And because the song offends you, I (a filipino) will dedicate that song to you this Christmas. :D

Black dog rrroasting on a open pire...

P.S. See, now you made me incite a flamewar. Why must I argue with my own people? :rolleyes:

[Random]

[ double-post message deleted by poster. ]

[Peshkwe]

Eh...BLT (black Lab on toast) could be Ndn time too.

[cynsaligia]

You should blame his writer, who I believe is filipino.

And because the song offends you, I (a filipino) will dedicate that song to you this Christmas. :D

Black dog rrroasting on a open pire...

P.S. See, now you made me incite a flamewar. Why must I argue with my own people? :rolleyes:

if i didn't make it clear, it's not the words of that song that irk me so. its his poor, sloppy delivery. listen to how he starts off the song (when he's actually trying, somewhat...i suppose) versus how it degenerates as it goes.

however, now that you have me thinking of the lyrics, i would say they're less than phenomenal. if a filipino wrote it, it's rather disappointing that all s/he did was mishmash some stereotypic images of filipinos with legitimate ilocano words strung in with some faux ilocano words that non-flips would find melodically amusing. there's no real wit there, and really, this person could have done something really cool with this opportunity. the fact is, s/he did not. come on! any dog roasting on a fire (open or not) turns black, macadangdang is a fili last name, and "soyut" is something that vaguely sounds like an actual leafy vegetable. and these are supposed to be funny lyrics? as my grandma would say, "ukim!"

that said, random, i see no flames, nor is there a war, but i'm happy to offer you a glass of danum as a peace offering.

:cool:

[GeckoGeek]

That being said, I knew a woman who was from somewhere in the western U.S. and she was a very successful real estate agent on Guam. When I first met her I couldn't believe the way she talked to various customers. When speaking to a Filipino she would use a Filipino accent, talking to a Korean she would use a Korean accent and so on and so forth. I could not believe that people were not incredibly offended by what I initially perceived as condescending treatment.

I think the question is, did it seem like she forced her accent, or did it seem to come natural to her? I can't talk pidgin on demand, but you put me in a group, and it comes out. Some people may unconsciously be more likely to shift to what they hear.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

thinking about this...

I am fascinated with how people talk. For it to cross over into irkville, the sound has to be emitted from some tiny cavity between nose and brain, and the pitch has to be reaaaallly high. These ladies nailed it, pitch perfect. I will seek out a reasonable facsimile on the net, and when I can find it, I will give you the link.

[Peshkwe]

This site might help:

http://web.ku.edu/idea/index.htm

[Leo Lakio]

Yep, drive-thru windows that you gotta repeat, and repeat. Then the order is wrong or missing something. I just assumed that the speaker system was never connected - they just hand out random bags of food.;)

[Leo Lakio]

For it to cross over into irkville, the sound has to be emitted from some tiny cavity between nose and brain, and the pitch has to be reaaaallly high.Now I know exactly what you are talking about. The vocal equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard.

Not quite the same thing, but Fran Drescher's typical character voice comes close, for me. EEEEeeeeesshhhhhh!

[acousticlady]

Of all the accents I've heard, it's my own that irks me. Sort of a nasily cross between Chesapeke Bay and South Philly. Being originally from "While Would" NJ, I would often take a ride on the bowt in the wadder......:D

Actually, I didn't notice it as much when I lived there. Over the years it has sort of morphed into a combination of S. Jersey, upstate NY and Hawaiian.

Nothing irks me more than to hear myself speak.

[cezanne]

Okay this makes me want to ram my head through a piece of drywall: Worsh for wash; heigth for height

;)

[GeckoGeek]

Of all the accents I've heard, it's my own that irks me.

Ugh. I can relate. I don't like hearing recordings of myself.

[Erika Engle]

GOTTA weigh in.

A friend and I were just talking about how accents have fascinated us since our youths. My late forever love was intrigued by and enjoyed them as well.

It is FUN to learn how to mimic accents of all kinds; not with the intention of ridicule, but, I dunno, to broaden communication options, or something -- to perhaps become a more colorful and entertaining person ... ? (I'm not really clear on the WHY part.)

Irksome? Not to me.

As one poster stated, when you're trying really hard to "hear through" the accent and understand what is being said only to require multiple repeats, that can be terribly frustrating.

However, it's like my late beloved used to say: Never look down on someone who speaks English with a foreign accent -- they know at least one more language than you do.

High-pitched, nasally voices grate on me big-time, no matter the accent.

Having said that, I can take Fran Drescher as "The Nanny," or Megan Mullally on "Will and Grace," because they're IN CHARACTER and the characters are funny. Meg Tilly's ditzy, baby-voiced delivery also fractures me (in a good way).

[Karen]

Cezanne, we Texans are guilty of saying "heigth." I blame it on "width." :rolleyes:

[Leo Lakio]

Okay this makes me want to ram my head through a piece of drywall: Worsh for wash; heigth for height;)...and "acrost" for "across."
Ugh. I can relate. I don't like hearing recordings of myself.Neither do I, even after doing radio for more than 30 years.

[tutusue]

My late MIL who was born and raised in California used to say "gararge" and "round ground"! Dunno where that originated but I always got a kick out of it because it was so out of context with everything else about her!

[nikki]

I worked with two haoles (from the mainland) who would speak pidgin all the time. They thought they sounded authentic, but it was so awful that it felt insulting and condescending.

[GeckoGeek]

My late MIL who was born and raised in California used to say "gararge" and "round ground"!

Don't know where it came from, but from some odd reason our family tended to say "warsh" for wash.

[SusieMisajon]

Celebrate the accent, it's where you came from.

In Britain and in France, you can detect a slight change of accent by simply driving fifty miles down the road....peole never used to travel far from where they were born or grew up, and in some case, still don't.

[ItsGoTime!]

I am Canadian, from the West Coast. As far as accents go, it's as clean as it gets. But we do have our different pronounciations (I say "root" instead of the 'Merican "rout"), and I say "eh" a lot. When I was in Hawai'i, my wife's friends would yell out "B-C-D-E-F-G" and roll over laughing everytime we say "eh".

I love accents, though. Gives everyone a flavour.

[sinjin]

Don't know where it came from, but from some odd reason our family tended to say "warsh" for wash.I have friends from Pennsylvania that say "warsh".

[buzz1941]

When I was going to school in the rural Midwest, my dorm mates would sometimes ask me to speak in pidgin, and I'd totally block up. Then I'd run into other students from Hawaii and we'd fall right into it.

[Karen]

Okay, since no one else will ask, I will! :o

Sue, I get "gararge" but "round ground?" Maybe I need another giant cup of fresh-brewed tea, but gal, I ain't gettin it.

Warsh....LOL My dad was a native Texan, as am I, he was a corporate officer and over hundreds of employees, well you get the point...not some hick from the woods, and he said this. Even more hilarious was one other word....for "spaghetti" he couldn't help saying "psgehtti!" LOL my mom would correct him, and he'd say....quietly..."welllll...."

We really DID say "over yonder" for "over there" back in the sixties, but even we grew out of that one, as did my parents, etc.

Just as someone on here mentioned that it's insulting when they hear pidgin imitated, I can tell ya that it's goofy and can be insulting, except I don't have the ego to actually FEEL insulted, :D .....when someone on tv or wherever, tries to fake a Texas or any southern accent. (I could almost whine...the word "wine" with such a long "i" sound, with this accent, yeah, obnoxiously so, I bet)

About accents.....mine has faded a lot since I moved from my beloved homeland the first day of '81. Oh I 've visited even five mos. one year, and hoped to get it back, but I hardly notice it, and at its worst I could notice I had one. However! occasionally here on island, even after living here more than 13yrs. I'll be out somewhere and someone will ask where I'm from, and say they thought it was Texas, etc. I'm surprised it can still show, very surprised in fact, but just as glad.

[glossyp]

I think the question is, did it seem like she forced her accent, or did it seem to come natural to her? I can't talk pidgin on demand, but you put me in a group, and it comes out. Some people may unconsciously be more likely to shift to what they hear.
I'm sure she was one of those who it did almost unconsciously. When I asked her about why she did it she was genuinely puzzled and said it just seemed natural.

[tutusue]

Okay, since no one else will ask, I will! :o

Sue, I get "gararge" but "round ground?" Maybe I need another giant cup of fresh-brewed tea, but gal, I ain't gettin it.[...]
In all fairness, "round ground" isn't an accent thingie...don't know why I even bothered to include it in this thread except it was unique to my MIL! She said that instead of "ground round"! HTH! :D

[Karen]

Aha, thanks for the clarification. I was like well, picture Edith Bunker's most puzzled expression and I was determined to find what that was, what it sounded like or was a mispronunciation of.

I know why you did it and I would've, too. You were remembering her and that was part of the memory, the way she spoke.

[WindwardOahuRN]

I love this thread.

I grew up amidst a cacophony of accents and languages. Irish, German, Polish, Russian, Yiddish, Spanish, Southern Black, Jamaican, Haitian, East Indian, etc, etc, etc.

And then there is that NooYawk accent.

It's all good. I love accents. They tell stories, many times of hardships and courage. My standard answer to all who apologize for their heavy accents or poor English is "Hey, your English is better than my (pick one) Spanish, Greek, Italian, Ilocano, Tagalog, Visayan, Polish, German, Russian, Samoan, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean...."

As a second-generation American I sympathize greatly. I only hope my grandparents were met with such kindness.

[foxyfox31]

I hear all kinds of southern accents here in the Richmond/Williamsburg Va area. I don't think I notice too much as I hear them on a daily basis.
What I really dislike is people who move to a place with a different accent and then they suddenly "pick it up" in a short period of time. I have a friend who moved to England and a month later, she had an English accent and was using all the local vocab (mum instead of mom). I'm quite sure she was faking it to fit in, or show off maybe.
I've been in the south for 6 years and I have as yet to pick up local accent (maybe I'm unconsiously trying not to).

[GeckoGeek]

I have friends from Pennsylvania that say "warsh".

OK. We're probably 2-3 generations removed from that area.

[Peshkwe]

I hear all kinds of southern accents here in the Richmond/Williamsburg Va area. I don't think I notice too much as I hear them on a daily basis.
What I really dislike is people who move to a place with a different accent and then they suddenly "pick it up" in a short period of time. I have a friend who moved to England and a month later, she had an English accent and was using all the local vocab (mum instead of mom). I'm quite sure she was faking it to fit in, or show off maybe.
I've been in the south for 6 years and I have as yet to pick up local accent (maybe I'm unconsiously trying not to).


6 years?

Heh...you got the accent, it's mild enough and you hear it around you every day, that you just don't hear it in your own head. I used to live in the C'Ville area for about 8 years.

Accents are like colds, be around enough people with one and you gonna catch it whether you want it or not....move around enough and it'll morph into something completely unrecognizable.

[kamuelakea]

The worst "accent" in the world is the profanity laden plantation pidgin used by someone as their primary language. They never switch back to something closer to English because they can't. It's not an option.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe versions of “Hawaiian Pidgin” are far superior in communicating certain feelings and ideas. Not just in efficiency but in knowledge transferred. I love pidgin as complementary language.

But profanity filled plantation pidgin is the language of fools. They look like fools, sound like fools and usually are fools.

Amazingly, this language is not limited to the young and ignorant. I see it with college graduates, lawyers, doctors, etc.

The only other accent that comes close is the American Black Hip Hop Ebonics trash talk. Just as bad but interesting seems to be more limited to the young and dumb crowd as opposed to the older African American population.

[1stwahine]

But profanity filled plantation pidgin is the language of fools. They look like fools, sound like fools and usually are fools.

So very TRUE!!;)

Auntie Lynn

[Karen]

I've lived here for over 13yrs, and never once have I had any professional I've dealt with talk even a hint of pidgin, no dentist, doc, real estate agent, banker....nor people that work for/with them.

Reminds me of Jeff Foxworthy in one of his acts! He talks super-hick like, horrible southern accent as he mimics a doctor saying "now what we gonna do now" to someone's brain or something. It drives this point home oh, so very well.

[foxyfox31]

6 years?

Heh...you got the accent, it's mild enough and you hear it around you every day, that you just don't hear it in your own head. I used to live in the C'Ville area for about 8 years.

Accents are like colds, be around enough people with one and you gonna catch it whether you want it or not....move around enough and it'll morph into something completely unrecognizable.

Yeah, I catch a word or two that comes out of mouth sometimes and I think "did I really just say that?". My husband says ya'll sometimes. I don't think I have much of an accent because my family back home would have mentioned it when I visited...in fact my siblings would have taken the chance to make fun of me:rolleyes:

[1stwahine]

I've lived here for over 13yrs, and never once have I had any professional I've dealt with talk even a hint of pidgin, no dentist, doc, real estate agent, banker....nor people that work for/with them.

Hard to believe? But they do exist.:eek:

Foa shame....yeah.:p

Auntie Lynn

[OahuGirl]

Everyone on the other end of the Jack In the Box drive-through intercom

This so reminded me of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qEVLu0zQFc

[Peshkwe]

On the other hand, when you obviously aren't from a place with a particular dialect, like pidgin is to Hawaii, and the other person has the ability to flip between using 'proper/professional english' and the casual type of speech used with family and close friends. Forgetting and slipping into the 'local in da hood' speech patterns, letting the 'us and them' walls down, can be a sign of being super comfy on a personal level.

[Karen]

Howdy, Auntie!

Yeah, a bit hard to believe but I know people are telling the truth about it. I'm just sharing my experience and it really hasn't happened, but I live central Oahu and have to keep in mind that if I did use professionals from all over the island, I might have run into it by now.

huggz~

[Peshkwe]

Yeah, I catch a word or two that comes out of mouth sometimes and I think "did I really just say that?". My husband says ya'll sometimes. I don't think I have much of an accent because my family back home would have mentioned it when I visited...in fact my siblings would have taken the chance to make fun of me:rolleyes:

To my ear, the accent in Maryland (I think that's where you said you grew up) and the area in Va you're at now isn't all that dissimilar. I guess the proximity to DC tends to even it all out for me. Until you get to the smaller areas along the coast, then it changes up again.

[1stwahine]

Aloha Karen!!

They're not hard to find at all. Well, I take dat back. For those who know their way around the social circles in town (hee hee hee) and they are many. :rolleyes: The so called uppity class can be found socializing in many clubs and whatchamallits. (cough, cough) It is there that you can hear and see dem act in a most uhhhh...well, let's say unbecoming civilized manner. Some which would make their mother's and spouses cringe with anger.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Mahalo

Auntie Lynn

[buzz1941]

The groundbreaking book Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress by Mary Edwards Wertsch points out that military kids who move around a lot pick up the skill of dialects quickly, so they can blend in. It's a survival skill.

[foxyfox31]

To my ear, the accent in Maryland (I think that's where you said you grew up) and the area in Va you're at now isn't all that dissimilar. I guess the proximity to DC tends to even it all out for me. Until you get to the smaller areas along the coast, then it changes up again.

The people in more rural areas in Md have stronger accents as do the people from just outside of Richmond. The people from outside of Richmond are the ones I hear most often at my job. It's so strange because they live in towns that are 15 mins away from Richmond, but their accents are amazingly different. There is also a town just outside Williamsburg where people have a strong southern drawl whereas people in Williamsburg generally don't.
I guess the cities have more people from all over the country and the small towns have more people born and raised there that stay there.
I'm curious how I'll sound to people in Hawaii...:o

[Peshkwe]

The people in more rural areas in Md have stronger accents as do the people from just outside of Richmond. The people from outside of Richmond are the ones I hear most often at my job. It's so strange because they live in towns that are 15 mins away from Richmond, but their accents are amazingly different. There is also a town just outside Williamsburg where people have a strong southern drawl whereas people in Williamsburg generally don't.
I guess the cities have more people from all over the country and the small towns have more people born and raised there that stay there.
I'm curious how I'll sound to people in Hawaii...:o

Lahk a suthun gal!

;)

[Karen]

Take it from a very proud, native Texan...me! :D If you have hardly a hint of southern accent, many will notice it and comment. I'm in my 14th. yr. living here and it is still happening, and yep, I'm still diggin it.

Have fun!

[cezanne]

My cousins were born and raised in Augusta GA where my uncle was stationed. It's a trip hearing that southern accent coming out of Filipino/Portuguese mouths! My aunty who is from Maui doesn't have the drawl tho... and they moved there in the early sixties.

[tutusue]

[...]It's a trip hearing that southern accent coming out of Filipino/Portuguese mouths![...]
This reminds me of something I really get a kick out of hearing...an Asian or African with an British or Aussie accent. Love it!

[Leo Lakio]

Take it from a very proud, native Texan...me! :D Yes, but are you from East Texas or West Texas? The test is where you put the emphasis when saying the word "insurance."

[Karen]

LOL neither east or west! I'm from

drumroll, please..

South Central Texas. Born near Corpus in Sinton, lived there less than a year, the next ten in Austin, approx...followed by 13 approx. years in the 'burbs of San Antone. ;)

[Leo Lakio]

LOL neither east or west! I'm from

drumroll, please..

South Central Texas. Born near Corpus in Sinton, lived there less than a year, the next ten in Austin, approx...followed by 13 approx. years in the 'burbs of San Antone. ;)Can I assume then that, during your Austin years, you were on the bubba side of the tug-of-war?

[Karen]

Oh goodness, no. I am a fifty year old woman and during my Austin years there was no bubba, and the town was amazingly conservative. I was like a baby to ten years old, a kid in public elementary school that used the Orange crayola a lot cuz of the Longhorns. :D

[Leo Lakio]

Oh goodness, no... during my Austin years ... I was like a baby to ten years oldOh, stupid me for not grasping that from your earlier post:Born near Corpus in Sinton, lived there less than a year, the next ten in AustinAh, well - if you can't hang on 6th Street in Austin, can you still hear some good jazz on the Paseo del Rio in San Antonio?

[kiwidiva]

Some accents do irk me but usually, once I get to know the person, I forget they even have an accent.

Being from New Zealand originally but spending more of my life overseas (Fiji, Samoa, Australia, Southern California, Japan and now Hawai'i) I definitely have a very mixed up accent.

And it changes depending on who I'm talking to. Hubby can tell if I've been talking to my mum on the phone just because my Kiwi accent is so strong.

That being said, when we go to Australia or New Zealand, my family can't really understand him at all (he's from SoCal). He'll be telling a joke and no one laughs at the punch line, then I'll "translate" and every one cracks up laughing! He just doesn't get that they don't know what he's saying when (as far as he's concerned) he's speaking perfect ENGLISH!!

What I really hate is when people try to talk like me - Americans just can't do it - honestly I don't know anyone who can! Not even Meryl Streep!! It irks me when people try to say "G'day mate!" or other Aussie or Kiwi imitations (to most of you, I know we sound the same).

When I first moved to California, all I had to say was one word and people would be like... "I love your accent!" I'd walk into a store and the clerk would ask if I needed help and I'd say "No." Just two letters and sure enough, "where are you from, I love your accent!" I had to resort to just nodding my head!!

These days, it takes a while longer for people to notice my accent but now, when I go to New Zealand, people ask me, "where are you from?" I usually get mad and say, "I'M FROM HERE!!" I just can't win!!! No matter where I go now, I have an accent.

[cezanne]

Do Aussie, NZ and Tahitian accents sound different? I'm sure they do, but for me I can't tell. They sound cool tho... I wish I had one:) .

[tutusue]

[...]I just can't win!!! No matter where I go now, I have an accent.
I think that's very cool! Just think of the the creative tale you can spin...being from some non-existent region in some non-existent country; maybe even a non-existent deserted island. Run with it, Kiwidiva! :D

[Karen]

Leo Lakivo, nothing stupid about you! Human, sure, and I'm glad. :D We read so many posts here that we can't possibly remember every detail, mercy.

LOL yes about Jazz on the river, so I hear. Shamefully, though I'm the only one of a huge, extended family that moved out of Texas I haven't been back home in almost ten years. I never thought I'd stay away this long cuz over the years I've gone back more than I can count, but then I had so many people working for Southwest airlines that for years I flew on free passes, and it was from california which isn't so tiring, okay I make excuses. I ain't been back....but I read and hear that the river area has grown and they have have a "Coyote ugly" bar. :eek:

[Leo Lakio]

Do Aussie, NZ and Tahitian accents sound different? I'm sure they do, but for me I can't tell. They sound cool tho... I wish I had one:) .I don't know the Tahitian accent well enough, but I can usually tell the difference between Autralian & New Zealander (which apparently is a trigger for getting appreciation from a Kiwi, in my experience.)

[DaFerret]

All accents irk me because I have this problem. If I don't concentrate enough, I end up emulating the accent automatically and that could lead somewhere bad.

I love hearing accents, though.

I guess it could be an icebreaker somewhat... "Hey, just to let you know that if I don't concentrate hard enough, I might start imitating your accent. I don't mean offense, it's just a quirk about me." >_>

[kool_kat]

I somewhat have the problem of imitating an accent, but with a different spin. I was born and raised in the South and have worked hard not to have a terrible southern accent. You can tell I am from the South, but it is not too heavy.

However, I work with the public and often work with many people in the "hills of Tennessee" with very thick accents. I have noticed that when I am talking with them all of a sudden my accent becomes a lot more Southern. I don't use the improper grammar, but the drawl sure is there.

I think it partially has to do with trying to make the people feel comfortable. I don't want them to think I am "above them" since I was born and raised here as well and it seems they relate better to me.

OH... I appreciate people not criticizing the southern accent. When I began to read this thread, I just knew every other post would be about the South.:o

Kathryn

[Karen]

Kathryn, good point about the southern accent not being ostracized here. I haven't been made fun of in person, not to my face where I could hear it, either. People have grinned, smiled or just been nonchelant about my Texas accent that I thought was gone, and actually am glad it's still with me, though to a lesser extent. As my mom would've said, "it trips my trigger" to still have it.

[MonkeyMan]

Are you kidding? I LOVE a Texas drawl! LOL!

[DannyWilliams]

I don't wanna be "Hating" but gotta mention from my experience is heavily accented Chinese and Filipinos.
When I get asked a question I go by what my ears heard but when I zero in they are actually saying something else. And when I get asked something I am quietly saying what? Sooooo I probe deeper trying to find more in responding back then I go ohhhhhhh thats what they are asking. And if they do not get what I am saying back in response I try to tailor it in a way they will understand in what I am saying.


Jus like the line Chris Tucker/Jackie Chan said in the "Rush Hour" movies.....


"Do Yooooooou Understand The Words Coming Out of My Mouth..."

[cynsaligia]

I don't wanna be "Hating" but gotta mention from my experience is heavily accented Chinese and Filipinos.
When I get asked a question I go by what my ears heard but when I zero in they are actually saying something else. And when I get asked something I am quietly saying what? Sooooo I probe deeper trying to find more in responding back then I go ohhhhhhh thats what they are asking. And if they do not get what I am saying back in response I try to tailor it in a way they will understand in what I am saying.

hmm. your comment, esp the part where you say, "zero in they are actually saying something else" made me remember something i realized about the ilocano dialect v. english. apologies in advance for meandering a little off topic.

i can't offer any insight re chinese but i wonder if part of the trouble people filipinos in communicating in english is partially bcs trying to translate what they want to say demands not only word for word translation, but grammar & maybe thought process translation.

i am not fluent in ilocano but i have noticed that (and if someone knows better and i am wrong, please correct me) that, for example, that there is no direct translation for "he" and "she" and that the language itself is "higher context" than english is. in other words, with english, you say exactly what you mean--you don't have to "read" much into what the speaker is trying to convey. on the other hand, languages like ilocano, there's a lot of "hidden context" in what is being said.

these two things alone sometimes make me have to think a little harder when talking with my mom. note that my mom learned english in the PI, was in the US military until a health problem necessitated an honorable discharge, and that she got her bachelor's at chaminade. she has a great vocabulary--better than some native english speakers--and to my ears, her english is lightly accented. still, we can have a conversation about two different people, each of different sex, and then she'll say, "see went to the car and fell down," and i'll be like, "ma, who fell down? carol or mark?" having to differentiate between "she" and "he" forces her to think harder--and sometimes her mouth doesn't move as fast as her thoughts do. then again, if it's true we think at about 500 wpm but speak about 150 wpm, it's easy to see why she slips that way. plus the ilocano language doesn't flow like the english one--it's not all subject-verb-direct object, or at least it doesn't seem that way to me, and i "think" in english.

i did ask her whether, in her head, when she talks to me, she thinks in english or ilocano. she couldn't give me a definitive answer, but i'd gues at the times i need clarification from her, she's likely thinking in ilocano.

you see this in pidgin, too--when speaking pidgin, the flow of the language doesn't necessarily follow standard english thought process, and often, we have to "read" more into what is being said. "bumbai, we go ste her house and dakine da dakine." see--higher context than standard english (eh, when we locals talk, and one of us says "dakine" somehow, we all know which "dakine" she means is "dakine" versus "da oddah kine," yeah?).

[Leo Lakio]

(eh, when we locals talk, and one of us says "dakine" somehow, we all know which "dakine" she means is "dakine" versus "da oddah kine," yeah?).Which is a perfect summary of why those of us not raised with pidgin will never fully "get" it, no matter what.

[tutusue]

[...](eh, when we locals talk, and one of us says "dakine" somehow, we all know which "dakine" she means is "dakine" versus "da oddah kine," yeah?).
I'll never forget the first time I was a party to that of which you speak!!! Many years ago my ex and I were building an addition to our house. Our contractor, who was Filipino (which has nothing to do with this story!), was raised in Hawaii (which does!). Our kids were in the same elementary school. One particular day I was at school picking up my kids and the contractor was picking up his son. Son arrived first. Contractor introduced son to me by saying "This is dakine's mom."! Son knew exactly who dad was talking about even tho' no name or gender was mentioned. That was 29 years ago and it still impresses me!

[Menehune Man]

I Looove how all us locals know what "dekine" means in perfect context when within the conversation.
It just always seems to fit / work. You jus' know.

[StephS]

Some Middle Eastern accents are very hard for me to understand, but irksome? Nah.

[Karen]

Menehune, it's that context that defines it each time. I've lived here 13yrs. and it isn't hard for me when it's used in conversation, not if I can understand what else the person has said, which I usually can.

Worse than accents is a mumble. I maybe did one too many rock concert :D in the seventies, but it's mumblers speaking that leave me with a huge question mark and frustration if understanding them mattered to me at all.

[Leo Lakio]

Worse than accents is a mumble. I maybe did one too many rock concert :D in the seventies, but it's mumblers speaking that leave me with a huge question mark and frustration if understanding them mattered to me at all.I long thought Tom Waits and Leon Redbone should do a concert together, because of their "unique" vocal stylings. Years after joking about it with concert-promoter friends, I saw that they finally did do at least one show together (I believe it was in New York in the early '80s.)

[cezanne]

Last night on KHON News, the female reporter was interviewing the friends of an accident victim. She asked them "So what time did he leave your guyses party?". My wife caught it and remarked to me about it "sheesh sounds like something you would say". I didn't even notice at first.

I guess its like being able to turn on and off certain ways of speaking depending on who you're talking to. The reporter probably didnt realize how she said it.

[kiwidiva]

Do Aussie, NZ and Tahitian accents sound different?

Definitely! Australia & New Zealand were colonized by the British so our way of talking is similar to the "English" accent - where Tahiti was colonized by the French so their accent is more French sounding.

I can usually tell the difference between Autralian & New Zealander (which apparently is a trigger for getting appreciation from a Kiwi, in my experience

Oh yes, I give big brownie points for anyone who can pick MY accent!

A little off the topic but I'm going to share - a lot of places I go, I get mistaken for a local (looks wise) so when I was in P.I. they thought I was Filipina, when I am in Cali, they think I'm hispanic (usually Mexican) etc. etc.

I was so happy when I moved to Hawai'i where I "look" local but when I talked, they noticed I had an accent and asked if I was Maori - honestly, I could have cried!!! Most other places I go, they don't even know what a Maori is!!!!

[DannyWilliams]

Last night on KHON News, the female reporter was interviewing the friends of an accident victim. She asked them "So what time did he leave your guyses party?". My wife caught it and remarked to me about it "sheesh sounds like something you would say". I didn't even notice at first.



LOL I hope the reporters boss did not catch wind of that....:rolleyes:
Would be fun if newsreporters be talkin broken english but I tink would not be professional.

[cezanne]

Definitely! Australia & New Zealand were colonized by the British so our way of talking is similar to the "English" accent - where Tahiti was colonized by the French so their accent is more French sounding.

...


Oh okay thanks.

[Frankie's Market]

Last night on KHON News, the female reporter was interviewing the friends of an accident victim. She asked them "So what time did he leave your guyses party?". My wife caught it and remarked to me about it "sheesh sounds like something you would say". I didn't even notice at first.

I guess its like being able to turn on and off certain ways of speaking depending on who you're talking to. The reporter probably didnt realize how she said it.

It can happen to anybody.

Reminds me of Bette Midler. About 15 or so years ago, she was a guest on Arsenio Hall's show and she was talking about some guy who irritated her. She said, "So I gave him a stink eye!" Arsenio, naturally, didn't know what she was talking about. So he said something to the effect of, "What did you say??" Then Bette, realizing that she had let some of her native pidgin slip, quickly changed the subject. :D

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Last night on KHON News, the female reporter was interviewing the friends of an accident victim. She asked them "So what time did he leave your guyses party?". My wife caught it and remarked to me about it "sheesh sounds like something you would say". I didn't even notice at first.

I guess its like being able to turn on and off certain ways of speaking depending on who you're talking to. The reporter probably didnt realize how she said it.

confession time: I say "your guyses" all..the...time. "Where are your guyses backpacks?? What time is your guyses games at?"

Although I can write well, I lapse a bit when speaking. In other words, I do not write like I talk.

[MonkeyMan]

Last night on KHON News, the female reporter was interviewing the friends of an accident victim. She asked them "So what time did he leave your guyses party?". My wife caught it and remarked to me about it "sheesh sounds like something you would say". I didn't even notice at first.

Hacome? What stay wrong wit dat???

[StephS]

Worse than accents is a mumble. I maybe did one too many rock concert :D in the seventies, but it's mumblers speaking that leave me with a huge question mark and frustration if understanding them mattered to me at all.

I have the same problem with my husband sometimes. If he's not facing in my direction when he's talking, then all I hear is a mumble, and that's very frustrating.

[hedkikr]

I love accents & don't hold them against anyone (that's all the disclaimer you're getting from me).

I live & work near Little Saigon in So.Cal. I hear various degrees of Vietnamese accent every day. It bugs me that many can't put the "s" on the end of words & sylables ("Mit-tah Jone, you come to my how & meet my sit-tah. Hah no not aa big aa mine.").

Go to a Vietnamese food store full of Vietnamese women on a w/e morning. It literally sounds like a flock of ducks. It's the nasal quality that gets me.

(of course, I probably have the worst American accent when I try to order food) ;)

[Karen]

Steph, did you sit on the first five rows of a few too many concerts? :D

My pride insisted on it. I'm all grown up now and know better.

[Lalalinder]

I guess the way I feel about some southern accents is best summed up with a line from the movie Auntie (Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!) Mame:

Sally:"Mame honey, I'm just gonna hold my breath 'til tomorrow morning". Mame:"You do that,sugar"

[Mokihana]

you see this in pidgin, too--when speaking pidgin, the flow of the language doesn't necessarily follow standard english thought process, and often, we have to "read" more into what is being said. "bumbai, we go ste her house and dakine da dakine." see--higher context than standard english (eh, when we locals talk, and one of us says "dakine" somehow, we all know which "dakine" she means is "dakine" versus "da oddah kine," yeah?).

I married a mainland haole boy and I can't tell you the number of times I've done just that! I say to him "da kine da da kine" all the time, and he looks at me with a totally blank look and finally says, "Could you say that in English please?" But if I were to say the same thing to anybody local, they would know exactly what I meant!

[1stwahine]

I married a mainland haole boy and I can't tell you the number of times I've done just that! I say to him "da kine da da kine" all the time, and he looks at me with a totally blank look and finally says, "Could you say that in English please?" But if I were to say the same thing to anybody local, they would know exactly what I meant!

heheheh

First of all. Howsit Sista!:D

K-den. You forgot "da one!" :p

Auntie Lynn

[CoralFish]

Is anyone bothered by jackie chan or Chow Yun Fat's accent? (I am not saying I am)

[StephS]

Is anyone bothered by jackie chan or Chow Yun Fat's accent? (I am not saying I am)

Nah. If anything, it adds to their charm.:D

[nikki]

I think it's really strange when people mispronounce their line of work. Like, I've heard several men say, "I do masonary work". Oh, and I've heard some say, "I'm a realator". Seems to me that if it's their profession, they should know how to say it. :p

[D'Alani]

I think it's really strange when people mispronounce their line of work. Like, I've heard several men say, "I do masonary work". Oh, and I've heard some say, "I'm a realator". Seems to me that if it's their profession, they should know how to say it. :p

This Hawaii as why we say "valocano" and "lieberry" and "used to to":D

[Hot Dog]

accents have never irked me, in fact i'll tell you what irks me:

When people apologize and say, "Pls Pardon my English"
cuz I always say "Why, my english is JUST as GOOD as yours"
That always illicits a smile, and a feeling of comfort.

I could not BEGIN to list all the accents I've heard in Hawai'i ALONE. Not to mention the Mainland, Canada, Australia, The PI, Guam, Ireland(Those were some KILLAH accents), Germany, Kuwait and, Iraq)

....then again, there is that whole "Niggepino" thing....and the "Blondiepino" thing, but thats just form too much MTV. (ericncyn, no getz nutz!)

ALL accents are SUPAH! Da moa' u hea, da mo' u learn! HANA HO!

-Scott-

[lavagal]

This Hawaii as why we say "valocano" and "lieberry" and "used to to":D

OK, since I'm from New Jersey I probably have no business on this thread, but, what I cannot stand hearing is "USEDED TO IT" and I hear it coming out of my little girl...I'm all over that whenever she says it.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

ALL accents are SUPAH! Da moa' u hea, da mo' u learn! HANA HO!

-Scott-

hana hou, Scottyman. Hana hou. ;)

[Mokihana]

I think it's really strange when people mispronounce their line of work. Like, I've heard several men say, "I do masonary work". Oh, and I've heard some say, "I'm a realator". Seems to me that if it's their profession, they should know how to say it. :p

You just hit one of my irky words! Realtor. We have a real estate appraisal business, and hear that all the time. Realator. You're right, even the realtors say it.

[cynsaligia]

I think it's really strange when people mispronounce their line of work. Like, I've heard several men say, "I do masonary work". Oh, and I've heard some say, "I'm a realator". Seems to me that if it's their profession, they should know how to say it. :p

the other one that irks me is "jew-ler-ry."

do any of you notice that a lot of locals add an "h" sound to words that start with "st"? as in:

shhtreet...versus ssstreet

shhtrawberry...ssstrawberry (okay, i just remembered lots of people say "shhtrawbarry")

shhtrange....sstrange.

[cynsaligia]

as a local born filipina whose parents and grandparents came from the mother country, frank delima's and gregg hammer's versions of the filipino accent is offensive. they're badly done and for me, NOT funny. every time i hear either of them go, "nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah..." as a precursor to each sentence, i want to punch em straight in the eye. that's like saying every old japanese man exclaims 'YOOOOOOSH!" every time he opens his mouth.

and frank's filipino christmas song ticks me off, too.

i'm not saying don't use my people's accents in a humorous setting. i'm saying, if you're gonna do an accent and make it such a part of your act that you become known for it, then do the damn accent right.

i just remembered that gregg is part pinoy. if that's the case, then he really has no excuse.

I'll co-sign this.

You should blame his writer, who I believe is filipino.

And because the song offends you, I (a filipino) will dedicate that song to you this Christmas.

Black dog rrroasting on a open pire...

P.S. See, now you made me incite a flamewar. Why must I argue with my own people?

if i didn't make it clear, it's not the words of that song that irk me so. its his poor, sloppy delivery. listen to how he starts off the song (when he's actually trying, somewhat...i suppose) versus how it degenerates as it goes.

however, now that you have me thinking of the lyrics, i would say they're less than phenomenal. if a filipino wrote it, it's rather disappointing that all s/he did was mishmash some stereotypic images of filipinos with legitimate ilocano words strung in with some faux ilocano words that non-flips would find melodically amusing. there's no real wit there, and really, this person could have done something really cool with this opportunity. the fact is, s/he did not. come on! any dog roasting on a fire (open or not) turns black, macadangdang is a fili last name, and "soyut" is something that vaguely sounds like an actual leafy vegetable. and these are supposed to be funny lyrics? as my grandma would say, "ukim!"

that said, random, i see no flames, nor is there a war, but i'm happy to offer you a glass of danum as a peace offering.

:cool:

here's a REALLY good song, by a white guy, jimmy da geek (tho i'm sure he had help from some pinoy or pinay). in terms of originality and use of ACTUAL filipino (specifically tagalog) words and with pretty darned good pronunciation versus de lima's pseudo-filipino, as well as actual humor, mr. geek puts frank de lima to shame.

"talk a pinoy," by jimmy da geek (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoZ9EbNmuwo&mode=related&search=)

lyrics are available there, too.

also...for family guy fans, here's stewie speaking tagalog (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ8iVOaFJeo).

[Mokihana]

the other one that irks me is "jew-ler-ry."

do any of you notice that a lot of locals add an "h" sound to words that start with "st"? as in:

shhtreet...versus ssstreet

shhtrawberry...ssstrawberry (okay, i just remembered lots of people say "shhtrawbarry")

shhtrange....sstrange.


I've heard that a lot too. Here on the mainland, if I hear that, I think, "Aha! Local!"

[nikki]

my father, who passed away over 30 years ago, used to say fillum instead of film. I don't know where he got that from.

[Honoruru]

my father, who passed away over 30 years ago, used to say fillum instead of film. I don't know where he got that from.

My father, who passed away over 30 years ago, also used to pronounce film as fillum.

[nikki]

My father, who passed away over 30 years ago, also used to pronounce film as fillum.

Hey, are you my brother? :eek: No, don't answer that... I don't want to know.

[Hope]

Being raised in the Detroit area, I can relate to Peshkwe. Being so close to Canada, there is definitely an influence. I really have to work at not saying "aye?" at the end of sentences sometimes, lol! Can't say I hear an accent when I speak, but people have said they hear one.

Growing up, we visited my my auntie Dee on weekends, and she was very educated. She loathed for my older brother and I to speak "improperly", so...she charged us a nickel every time we said "huh"? "ain't", or "uh-huh", "huh-uh". I am still indebted to her, and owe her buckets of nickels :)

My mom was from Arkansas, but had moved "up north" to Michigan, and lived there for 40 years. She worked to lose her southern accent. However, when she was in the presence of her 8 siblings, her accent MORPHED to the south, 40 years prior...and I loved her even more.

[Peshkwe]

Being raised in the Detroit area, I can relate to Peshkwe. Being so close to Canada, there is definitely an influence. I really have to work at not saying "aye?" at the end of sentences sometimes, lol! Can't say I hear an accent when I speak, but people have said they hear one.

Growing up, we visited my my auntie Dee on weekends, and she was very educated. She loathed for my older brother and I to speak "improperly", so...she charged us a nickel every time we said "huh"? "ain't", or "uh-huh", "huh-uh". I am still indebted to her, and owe her buckets of nickels :)

My mom was from Arkansas, but had moved "up north" to Michigan, and lived there for 40 years. She worked to lose her southern accent. However, when she was in the presence of her 8 siblings, her accent MORPHED to the south, 40 years prior...and I loved her even more.


And then....ya get the Yooper accent (we be 'trolls' 'cause we live 'below da bridge')

Like in this trailer:

http://www.escanabathemovie.com/index2.php?location=trailer


Heh...my uncle got threatened with a bearwalker once when he went to pick up my cousin. Guy got all territorial when he thought he was there to see Thunder's aunt rather than pick up Thunder.