I’ll have you know that I say “al-yoo-min-ee-um”. I say it in a very snotty quasi-English accent as a mockery of those who feel they must impose themselves on a different culture despite never having been invited to do so.
East Coast (of the USA, for those of you who can’t be bothered to live where you’re from and feel the need to advertise it at every opportunity) city accents make me itch. I can do without Southern Cracker, but it’s tolerable as long as I know I’m not within egg-throwing distance of the speaker.
Can’t stand when people pronounce ‘ool’ as two separate vowels, like in school or pool, as if it slightly rhymed with vowel. It’s not ‘schoo-uhl’ or ‘poo-uhl’.
Sigh, sorry. I keep hearing kids say “I could care less” and quickly correcting it to couldn’t in my head before my blood pressure spikes. And yes, it is Manitowoc (hope I didn’t get anyone “irrationally irritated” by… crappie spelin). By the way, when Fargo came out, all my students from Manitowoc (or Up by Oostburg, dere) were delighted to hear the accent. “Hey, dat dere be just how my neighbors talk!”
I’ve taken that phrase to mean “[as if] I could care less” with the “as if” dropped. At least when I say it, that’s how I mean it. But, hey, it’s an idiom – they don’t need to make literal sense. I could care less how people use it or are irrationally irritated by it. (Sorry, David Mitchell. Love you, but you’re being a pedantic prig on this point.)
You are, indeed, correct. Which is why I was surprised he started out so sensibly with that rant. (I love the back-and-forth between him and Lee Mack on “Would I Lie to You.”)
If your way of speaking does not make the distinction among Mary/Merry/Marry I will automatically brand you a hick and a fool. No exceptions.
And it’s “I couldn’t care less”, as in “it is not possible for me to have less interest; I do not care”. Don’t try to rationalize it by imagining a dropped “as if” which no one said ever.
Yes, but I think its a combination of the two, and applies more to individuals. For example, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a New York accent. But a New York accent combined with a nasally voice is insufferable (e.g. The Nanny, Janice from Friends). Likewise Sophia Vergara’s Colombian accent combined with her Kermit the Frog voice is also grating. I have a hard time taking people with “Valley Girl” or “Surfer dude” accents seriously, but it doesn’t necessarily grate on me.
I do realize that these examples are from actors and are put on or exaggerated. I’m sure there are real life people that talk like that though.
Likewise, certain people can sound sexy with any accent.
