Re: British term

On 8/4/14 4:18 AM, 'Ellen Rawson' via Tamson House wrote:
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Sibyl Smirl <polycarpa3@ckt.net>
>
>> On 8/3/14 10:50 PM, Wayne Morrison wrote:
>>> polycarpa3@ckt.net said:
>>>> What is a "Brummie accent?"
>>>
>>> Brummie is slang for Birmingham.
>>>
>>
>> Thank you, Wayne.
>
> It's also generally considered the most hated British accent. Don't look at me, I'm an ex-pat American. :) But in various surveys and studies, it always ranks very low. In 2008, a study from Bath Spa University (run by Lance Workman) found that people would rather hear nothing at all than a Birmingham accent.
>
> My students often echo such sentiments, so I play them recordings of various British accents to see if they can even guess where they're from. Interestingly, they can't always identify the Brummie accent.
>
> Ellen
>

Thanks, Ellen, that is interesting! Aaronovitch has used it as an
indicator at least twice: the first time, I didn't have anyone to ask.
The protagonist, of course, is half native British and half immigrant
African, with characteristics both physical and cultural from both
mother and father. He's used that "Brummie accent" at least twice,
maybe more, both times that I can mentally quote describing other cops
(in London) of immigrant stock, one a Sikh, and I started wondering
about the significance of it. Of course, he's mentioned Posh accents a
lot, but I _know_ what those are! ;^) I was also bemused (probably
intended to be) by his "Muslim ninja" girl cop.



--
Sibyl Smirl
I will take no bull from your house! Psalms 50:9a
mailto:polycarpa3@ckt.net

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