# Is the Geico Lizard's accent a good example of how "Estuary English" sounds? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 21, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-geico-lizards-accent-a-good-example-of-how-estuary-english-sounds/518423 "2009-11-21T17:49:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-geico-lizards-accent-a-good-example-of-how-estuary-english-sounds/518423/1 "2009-11-21T17:49:09Z")
[Geico Lizard’s accent here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYYenpfrlRg). Is this a good example of how [“Estuary English”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estuary_English) sounds? [More lizard accent here.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnLaDOLaj3I&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-geico-lizards-accent-a-good-example-of-how-estuary-english-sounds/518423/2 "2009-11-21T19:20:07Z")
To my mind that is more a full-on London/Cockney accent, or at least right at the Cockney end of the Estuary spectrum. I tend to think of Estuary as a toned-down version of that, halfway towards an RP accent. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-geico-lizards-accent-a-good-example-of-how-estuary-english-sounds/518423/3 "2009-11-21T19:44:52Z")
I’d say it’s an actor putting on the accent as it wobbles a bit. It’s sounds more London than the “awwright mate?” of Outer Suburban Bastardised Cockney that we think of as Estuary English. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-geico-lizards-accent-a-good-example-of-how-estuary-english-sounds/518423/4 "2009-11-21T20:15:01Z")
I’m not up on the intricacies of various English accents, but I’ve read that David Tennant uses an Estuary accent as [The Doctor](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViPqzgp2LDs#t=1m08s). ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-geico-lizards-accent-a-good-example-of-how-estuary-english-sounds/518423/5 "2009-11-21T20:20:28Z")
I’d say David Tennant’s is fairly neutral. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-geico-lizards-accent-a-good-example-of-how-estuary-english-sounds/518423/6 "2009-11-21T20:28:51Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#): > > I’d say it’s an actor putting on the accent as it wobbles a bit. [Here’s his normal voice](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm-mELrFFL4). Sounds pretty close to lizard speak to me. It’s a softened Cockney, but it’s very very rare to hear broad Cockney any more. ---
**Author:** ![Magicicada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c67d28/32.png) [@Magicicada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magicicada)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-geico-lizards-accent-a-good-example-of-how-estuary-english-sounds/518423/7 "2009-11-22T01:58:17Z")
A while back my husband was watching some BBC show (Footballer’s Wives?) while I was in the other room, and I am pretty sure I heard the gecco talking. And I think he was cussing. Pretty weird. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-geico-lizards-accent-a-good-example-of-how-estuary-english-sounds/518423/8 "2009-11-24T20:32:53Z")
here’s perhaps a better example of Estuary English (if still exaggerated for comic effect). Brian Pringle is the ‘voice coach’ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kyAgy2CngfY/hqdefault.jpg "Heineken 'Majorca' commercial - 1985") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyAgy2CngfY) ---
**Author:** ![Livardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Livardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Livardo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-geico-lizards-accent-a-good-example-of-how-estuary-english-sounds/518423/9 "2009-11-24T20:59:57Z")
I really like the lizard’s accent. I specially liked it when he was talking about biscuits, jam and tea during a radio commercial. Bastard.