# Brits: a micro tour, by one actor, of UK accents: how'd he do? Others for different languages? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 4, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344 "2014-04-04T15:02:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/21 "2014-04-05T22:46:50Z")
I think he did a really good job. Yes, any of us could pick nits about the representation of our local accent but all in all I am impressed. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/22 "2014-04-06T04:45:26Z")
> [@mkl12](#): > > [Here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUOeYcG0WyQ) a similar video for Germany. The accents from the areas that are part of Germany today sound almost perfect to me. > > I don’t know about those from areas that are now part of Poland or Russia (and were in 1973, when this video was made; the map he uses looks very wrong). Those accents are obviously not that common anymore. Thanks a lot. I’ll give it a look-hear. Keep 'em coming if you think of any more… ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/23 "2014-04-06T04:54:18Z")
> [@mkl12](#): > > [Here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUOeYcG0WyQ) a similar video for Germany. The accents from the areas that are part of Germany today sound almost perfect to me… I was enjoying this with a smile, and all of a sudden I heard my Oma! She’s dead so many years, but truly, an electric streak of joy and happiness ran through me. Actually started crying… Amazing. And all it took was a comic imitating a weatherman from Frankfurt. Thank you so much. ---
**Author:** ![williambaskerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@williambaskerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williambaskerville)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/24 "2014-04-06T07:02:38Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I didn’t think much of his Liverpudlian. > His Northern Irish is robotic but almost there and maybe if it wasn’t a snippet he’d do a passable one. > The Dublin one is half right, half shite, straying into an almost stage Irish stereotyped accent that only exists in other countries. > > There are many, many distinctive accents within Ireland (and of course Britain), even within Dublin alone. I agree with you,there are many different accents within Dublin. I also agree with you, as a Dubliner, that his effort there is mostly rubbish. I was once sitting at a restaurant table in Portland, Oregon, with 3 other guys from Dublin. We were all Dubliners, born and bred Dublin, for generations. The youngest guy was flirting with the waitress, and at the end of the meal he got her to sit down and chat. She’d been wondering where we were from, and he invited her to guess. Her guesses were : 1. English. 2. Scottish. 3. Irish. 4. New Zealander (this was me). British Isles accents are far more complex than that video shows. ---
**Author:** ![filmstar-en](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@filmstar-en](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmstar-en)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/25 "2014-04-06T14:38:16Z")
I was not particularly impressed by this. Theatre actors learn how to do accents, it is an essential skill. While it is easy to say a few words, it takes a lot of training to keep it up for a part with a lot of dialogue. A common technique is to write out key works as they sound and accumulate a vocabulary or words and phrases and listen to a huge number of recordings. This guy was just showing off a little and he chose just a few words that gave a brief flavour of the most obvious features. His example a Yorkshire accent was very different from the East Yorkshire dialect I grew up with. Accents can vary significantly over quite small distances. Despite many predictions for their demise, accents are still as strong as ever. You can hear them very stongly in young people, here is an example: This is clip from one of my favorite movies, Kes. Listen to the accent of the young guy Casper, it is from South Yorkshire. A lot of the young actors were just local kids, hence the very naturalistic style. They were from the Barnsley area, I believe. Which was a coal mining area back when the film was set, in the late 60’s. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX-CkbZDaj0) The film itself is a pretty authentic representation of school life at that time. It was a different world. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/26 "2014-04-07T10:05:15Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > Not germane, but the British take offense when referred to as “Brits.” I did that once on a FB post, and got a reply, “That’s British, Yank.” First I’ve heard of it - and I’m a Brit. Your quote doesn’t even make sense as “Brit” is a noun and “British” is an adjective. Regarding the video, apparently the entire Midlands doesn’t exist. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/27 "2014-04-07T11:07:18Z")
I misremembered. He said “Briton” not British. It was pertaining to our calling a bird as a gallinule and Brits calling it morehen. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/28 "2014-04-07T13:49:50Z")
His Ohio accent stunk. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/29 "2014-04-07T14:20:17Z")
> [@mkl12](#): > > [Here’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUOeYcG0WyQ) a similar video for Germany. The accents from the areas that are part of Germany today sound almost perfect to me. Jonathan Pryce did a [British equivalent](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1MgS46zLy0&t=2m25s). ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/30 "2014-04-13T15:20:46Z")
A hijack, but since you’re all here: In [this video of a genial fall-down drunk and his pizza](http://thechive.com/2013/10/17/the-incredible-emotional-roller-coaster-of-a-drunk-man-holding-a-pizza-video/), these guys are from Scotland? I’m embarrassed that’s as good as I can come up with. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/31 "2014-04-13T15:38:04Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > A hijack, but since you’re all here: > > In [this video of a genial fall-down drunk and his pizza](http://thechive.com/2013/10/17/the-incredible-emotional-roller-coaster-of-a-drunk-man-holding-a-pizza-video/), these guys are from Scotland? > > I’m embarrassed that’s as good as I can come up with. North-East England - Sunderland maybe? I feared for his pizza watching that! ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/32 "2014-04-13T16:01:41Z")
That’s certainly North East, seems too mild to be a Newcastle accent, Middlesborough perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/33 "2014-04-13T18:12:28Z")
Well, since you’re still here (this is fun): This I _know_ is Scotland. In fact, I’d bet more people in the US (if not all Anglo) heard hard-core Scottish from _Trainspotting_ than any place else. (_Pace_ James Bond.) It was famous for stumping so many people, actually being shown with subtitles someplaces. Two questions: 1. Where are they guys from? 2. By the second or third viewing (which I don’t think it was worth, but Netflix+bored), it was understandable, but the guy Bexby (sp?) still stumped me here and there. Admittedly, he’s a psycho with a vocabulary and manner of speech befitting such, but still, his speech is in a class by itself. What’s up with his accent/speech? A YouTube scene I found is [here](http://youtu.be/EsRoSsauhss); he begins talking a 1:20. (Note: sick violence.) ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/34 "2014-04-13T19:54:35Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > 1. Where are they guys from? The characters are from Edinburgh, or Leith. Incidentally, the way you use “they” here is fairly common in Scotland, although it might better be spelled “thae”. > [@](#): > > 1. By the second or third viewing (which I don’t think it was worth, but Netflix+bored), it was understandable, but the guy Bexby (sp?) still stumped me here and there. Admittedly, he’s a psycho with a vocabulary and manner of speech befitting such, but still, his speech is in a class by itself. > > What’s up with his accent/speech? It’s Begbie, and it’s a pretty damned good radge’s accent. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/35 "2014-04-13T20:24:34Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > The characters are from Edinburgh, or Leith. Incidentally, the way you use “they” here is fairly common in Scotland, although it might better be spelled “thae”… Huh. As far I was concerned, it was a typo, which I didn’t feel like going back and fixing… > [@](#): > > …it’s a pretty damned good radge’s accent. 😕 I have absolutely no idea what this means. But you probably knew that. 🙂 You were taking the piss?\<—Don’t Englishmen say this? Do Scots? Did I use it right? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/36 "2014-04-13T20:35:10Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Huh. As far I was concerned, it was a typo, which I didn’t feel like going back and fixing… “They” or “thae” is quite often used in spoken Scots for “those”. > [@](#): > > 😕 I have absolutely no idea what this means. But you probably knew that. 🙂 I did 😉 A radge is the sort of thick as shit psycho that Begbie is. It’s used a lot more in the book than the film. > [@](#): > > You were taking the piss?\<—Don’t Englishmen say this? Do Scots? Did I use it right? I wasn’t, but you’ve used it perfectly, **Leo**. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/37 "2014-04-14T10:43:10Z")
“They” and “thae” are different words - they mean different things and have different etymologies. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/38 "2014-04-14T11:13:43Z")
> [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](#): > > “They” and “thae” are different words - they mean different things and have different etymologies. So is it “thae” that gets used for “those”? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344/39 "2014-04-14T11:56:00Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > So is it “thae” that gets used for “those”? Yes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-a-micro-tour-by-one-actor-of-uk-accents-howd-he-do-others-for-different-languages/685344.md?page=1)