mate

Steerpike · March 25, 2010, 03:36:21 PM

I was curious about that - are American accents considered sexy in the UK, or is that role more filled by continental European accents?

Kindling · March 25, 2010, 04:27:44 PM

I can't speak for the whole country, but personally I'm either indifferent to or annoyed by American accents, depending on the region. I'm not too good on what region sounds like what, but some American accents really kind of grate. Others are nicer, though, and I think some of it has to do with the quality of the speaker's voice too...

Nomadic · March 25, 2010, 04:52:12 PM

Quote from: Rorschach Fritos
Quote from: NomadicI don't have any problem with the term. I honestly don't see how someone could see it as being pretentious to use mate or any other British slang :huh:

It's pretentious if used too liberally by an American, usually with the idea "I say 'mate' and 'bloody', ergo I'm cultured and refined". If you're actually British (Australian, NZ, etc.), then it's really no more pretentious than an American saying "dude" or "[analogous expletive]".

I'd say it's just as pretentious to say that an American is pretentious for using such terms. I've known a few Americans who talk like that just because that's how they are, a few of them because they were raised with that slang and some because they spend alot of time around brits. I know one of those guys who if you said he was pretentious for using so much brit slang would probably tell you to bugger off. :blah:

Nomadic · March 25, 2010, 04:55:28 PM

Quote from: KindlingI can't speak for the whole country, but personally I'm either indifferent to or annoyed by American accents, depending on the region. I'm not too good on what region sounds like what, but some American accents really kind of grate. Others are nicer, though, and I think some of it has to do with the quality of the speaker's voice too...

Grate... haha you're talking about us west coasters right? We have a grindy sound to our accent (I think it has to do with the fact that our accent lacks the cot caught variance).

Kindling · March 25, 2010, 07:15:15 PM

I meant more that they grate on me than that they sound grating, but it could be west coast... like I said I have very little idea of which American accent comes from where.

oh, and...

Quote from: Rorschach FritosIt's pretentious if used too liberally by an American, usually with the idea "I say 'mate' and 'bloody', ergo I'm cultured and refined". If you're actually British (Australian, NZ, etc.), then it's really no more pretentious than an American saying "dude" or "[analogous expletive]".

In light of this, how do you feel about us over here using Americanisms? I mean, from my point of view, we get so much of them through various media that most of them don't even really stand out as being that American anymore, they're just kind of part of the language, so that being called dude, for example, seems pretty normal, regardless of the speaker's nationality.

EDIT: Just to clarify, what I mean is that, if a Brit called me dude, unless they were of an older generation or something, their use of the word dude wouldn't seem like an affectation, but a natural part of their vocabulary.

Nomadic · March 25, 2010, 08:30:01 PM

Enjoy some west coast accent. It's a bit old... but you do get to see a dead whale blown up by dynamite.

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SDragon · March 25, 2010, 08:30:54 PM

Quote from: Nomadic
Quote from: Rorschach Fritos
Quote from: NomadicI don't have any problem with the term. I honestly don't see how someone could see it as being pretentious to use mate or any other British slang :huh:

It's pretentious if used too liberally by an American, usually with the idea "I say 'mate' and 'bloody', ergo I'm cultured and refined". If you're actually British (Australian, NZ, etc.), then it's really no more pretentious than an American saying "dude" or "[analogous expletive]".

I'd say it's just as pretentious to say that an American is pretentious for using such terms. I've known a few Americans who talk like that just because that's how they are, a few of them because they were raised with that slang and some because they spend alot of time around brits. I know one of those guys who if you said he was pretentious for using so much brit slang would probably tell you to bugger off. :blah:

To be fair, they don't really talk like that for the reason I gave...

Nomadic · March 25, 2010, 08:57:57 PM

Quote from: Rorschach Fritos
Quote from: Nomadic
Quote from: Rorschach Fritos
Quote from: NomadicI don't have any problem with the term. I honestly don't see how someone could see it as being pretentious to use mate or any other British slang :huh:

It's pretentious if used too liberally by an American, usually with the idea "I say 'mate' and 'bloody', ergo I'm cultured and refined". If you're actually British (Australian, NZ, etc.), then it's really no more pretentious than an American saying "dude" or "[analogous expletive]".

I'd say it's just as pretentious to say that an American is pretentious for using such terms. I've known a few Americans who talk like that just because that's how they are, a few of them because they were raised with that slang and some because they spend alot of time around brits. I know one of those guys who if you said he was pretentious for using so much brit slang would probably tell you to bugger off. :blah:

To be fair, they don't really talk like that for the reason I gave...

Yes but then they aren't being pretentious because they're using british slang they're being pretentious because they're trying to appear cultured and thus superior. That has nothing to do with what slang they use.

Kindling · March 26, 2010, 06:43:22 AM

As to this pretension debate... although, as I said, it doesn't seem odd for me to hear us Brits use Americanisms, it would sound kind of wrong in my ears to hear Americans using British slang and stuff... not on any level of pretension, as has been suggested above, but just because they would, obviously, be saying them with an American accent, and so I'd be a bit like, that's just not how those words should sound... don't know if that makes sense...

Weave · March 26, 2010, 10:29:07 AM

Quote from: SteerpikeI was curious about that - are American accents considered sexy in the UK, or is that role more filled by continental European accents?

I've asked myself that question before. I think accents are a fascinating thing, being how relative they are. I've always wondered what it would sound like if there was some sort of divine, "unaccented" speech (I know that isn't possible, but it was an interesting thought to me). I've also wondered why people found accents so attractive (and I'm not exempt from this; I love Indian accents on women... I have no idea why).

I'd be thrilled to be in your shoes, pulling the "sexy foreigner accent" role for a little bit.

khyron1144 · April 02, 2010, 01:22:46 PM

I'm fine with the term mate.

I am even fine with the idea of Americans using the term in its U.K./Australia/ etc. sense. To me, it isn't so much pretension as it is an accidental statement on universality in this global village,millions of channels on tv, everyone has the internet age.

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