# Any True English People Seen the Geico Gecko? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2007, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728 "2007-10-06T04:03:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/1 "2007-10-06T04:03:40Z")
I effin hate that thing! First, his cockney accent sounds a bit off for some reason Second, we’re in America, I have nothing against cockney accents, but here I just think it’s stupid. Third, he actually uses some words/expressions that English people wouldn’t understand. He says that they’ll give you an “English Muffin with butter and jam.” Unfortunately what we know as an English muffin today doesn’t exactly exist in England, and they certainly wouldn’t call it an English Muffin. I’m not entirely sure of what else they’ve gotten wrong, but I’m sure there’s more. BTW, can any English or better informed dopers tell me if his cockney is actually real? I’m almost certain that his choice of words aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/2 "2007-10-06T04:06:02Z")
My English friend tells me that his cockney isn’t real. He’s probably from Manchester or Liverpool or thereabouts. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/3 "2007-10-06T04:12:58Z")
I thought the current gecko voice was Australian? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/4 "2007-10-06T04:13:45Z")
Not to mention that the gecko has had at least three accent changes since his inception. He was originally voiced by Kelsey Grammer in something close to his typical Frasier inflection. Then he was Australian. Now he’s some sort of London blue-collar type. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/5 "2007-10-06T04:13:49Z")
Most definitely English. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/6 "2007-10-06T04:14:49Z")
[QUOTE=Morgyn] I thought the current gecko voice was Australian? [/QUOTE] He was. For about the last year it’s been closer to an English/London working-class accent, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/7 "2007-10-06T04:15:08Z")
[QUOTE=Morgyn] I thought the current gecko voice was Australian? [/QUOTE] ISTR that the original gecko had a Australian-y accent, and then it changed to Michael Caine in _The Italian Job_. But now I’m not sure if it was ever Australian. I think it was, but it’s been English for so long now I don’t recall. EDIT: [QUOTE=jayjay] He was. For about the last year it’s been closer to an English/London working-class accent, I think. [/QUOTE] Ah, so I’m **not** crazy! ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/8 "2007-10-06T04:33:58Z")
When I was in the US last time he was Australian. So now he is doing Estuary English? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/9 "2007-10-06T04:37:10Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] When I was in the US last time he was Australian. So now he is doing Estuary English? [/QUOTE] It’s roughly the kind of English that working-class characters in Britcoms from the 70s spoke (think Mr. Lucas from “Are You Being Served?”). Kin’ erv 'alf-mumbled, a toned-down ersatz Cockney. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/10 "2007-10-06T08:02:41Z")
The interweb tells me that the current voice of the Geico Gecko is Jake Wood, who plays Max Branning in our long-running soap, Eastenders. Having just watching a couple of the adverts, yeah, it is him. Voice sounds pretty much the same as how I’ve heard him speak on British telly. The guy who did the voice that seems to be described as Australian is another British bloke, Dave Kelly. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/11 "2007-10-06T08:56:05Z")
All of his dialogue is dubbed. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/12 "2007-10-06T09:14:55Z")
[QUOTE=Merkwurdigliebe] He says that they’ll give you an “English Muffin with butter and jam.” Unfortunately what we know as an English muffin today doesn’t exactly exist in England, and they certainly wouldn’t call it an English Muffin. [/QUOTE] True about just calling it “a muffin”, but [they do exist here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=8246496#post8246496). ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/13 "2007-10-06T09:15:45Z")
Well I’ve just trawled the 'Tube for Geico ads and the gecko sounds authentically blue collar London in all of them, except maybe the very first one when he has a posher accent. No Australian or Manchester-doing-cockney to be found. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/14 "2007-10-06T10:34:39Z")
He speaks _Madonna English_…the accent varies, depending on the year. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/15 "2007-10-06T16:47:58Z")
[QUOTE=LiveOnAPlane] All of his dialogue is dubbed. [/QUOTE] You mean he is not really a talking [del]geico[/del] gecko? I am crushed :eek: I’m also waiting for the day he eats a big live cockroach during the commercial 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2007, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-true-english-people-seen-the-geico-gecko/421728/16 "2007-10-06T18:18:36Z")
[QUOTE=Merkwurdigliebe] He says that they’ll give you an “English Muffin with butter and jam.” Unfortunately what we know as an English muffin today doesn’t exactly exist in England, and they certainly wouldn’t call it an English Muffin. [/QUOTE] He knows he’s speaking to an American audience, so he uses the term Americans know it by.