Europeans writing colloquial American English

[DaVinciKittie]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
I can\'t stand Southern accents! Period. I don\'t know why really. I just don\'t like them. And I lived in Florida for 10 years.

When I\'m writing to the ladies on the forum, I picture them without accents.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I\'m from East Texas, and there are a *lot* of redneck folk around here. I *HATE* that accent. For a long time I made a conscious effort to *not* sound like I was from Texas for that very reason (I was good at it too- people here would ask me where I was from). Then I realized that Texas/Southern accent doesn\'t necessarily mean redneck (same for country music- took me a while on that one too but now I love it). Now I speak with a slight drawl, but it\'s the slow, lazy kind, so as long as I don\'t start to sound like the Beverly Hillbillies, I\'m happy! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[MaxiMog]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
There seem to be a fair number of Western Europeans contributing to the forums who revel in writing in colloquial American English. I am curious. Do you learn this from TV and movies, from long hours on the Internet, from travel in the US, from music?

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

My English \"skills\" were mostly developped by playing RPGs (Role-playing games) from age 8 to somewhere 14, I guess. I learned practically nothing in English class. I was always the best without even needing to study.

My English isn\'t flawless, but it\'s not that bad. Reading and comprehension are VERY easy to me; but when I have to write myself, I oftentimes find my vocabulary to be lacking a bit. Discussions are easily understood, but participating in them.....

The Internet has of course been a blessing, too, besides games.

[franki]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />


And all of you Europeans do a fine job with

english. If I didn\'t know that Franki was a native Dutch cheesehead living in Germany, I would think he\'s

from Pennsylvania.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Why? Do I sound like Pancho?

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />


And all of you Europeans do a fine job with english. If I didn\'t know

that Franki was a native Dutch cheesehead living in Germany, I would think he\'s from Pennsylvania.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Why? Do I sound like Pancho?

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Or, from Kalamazoo, MI. VERU Dutch town.

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />


And all of you Europeans do a fine job with english. If I didn\'t know

that Franki was a native Dutch cheesehead living in Germany, I would think he\'s from Pennsylvania.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Why? Do I sound like Pancho?

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">


Or, from Kalamazoo, MI. VERY Dutch town.

Yeah, the U.S. is one of

the few (maybe the ONLY) first-world primarily monolingual countries. (sigh)

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
There seem to be a fair number of Western Europeans contributing to the

forums who revel in writing in colloquial American English. I am curious. Do you learn this from TV and movies, from

long hours on the Internet, from travel in the US, from music?

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

Or, touchie-feelie Californiaspeak.
I\'m a bad influence in that regard, almost always

apostophizing the end g\'s and using \"gonna\" for going to, etc.

I miss colloquial English. It\'s dying

out here. There\'s so much snobbisme surrounding it. Instead we tend toward corporate speak.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Just wanted to say thanks to all our non-native

English speakers for making the effort to learn a second language. I appreciate your contributions and we would all

be less well informed without you.

Plus, this way I don\'t have to learn another language!

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I have to make a shameful confession here. I wathced \"Joe Millionaire

II.\"

That\'s the shameful part.

The interesting part is that all the women were European. And, they all

seemed very sophisticated re: American colloquialisms, movie references, and \"in jokes.\" Or, perhaps the ones

who were very \"American-culturally aware\" were chosen.

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
LOL NOBODY can understand Berliner German!!



Berliner deutsch is like raping the german language repeatedly with a 14-inch spiked dildo!

Where do we get

our colloquial english skills? SIMPSONS!! :-D

And yes, long hours on the internet, too!

We learn \"proper\"

british english in school, but who gives a [bad word]? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

ahem ..

[/quote

You are Austrian. Maybe you can teach English to our new governor?

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
FTR - i was referring to \"you all\", rather than SRH only.

Also, I hate

Berliner deutsch, not Redneck drawl ... wait, I hate that too ... okay you\'re right.

Joke\'s on me. Put in

on my tab.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Ehh...it\'s just that kind of thing that\'s

killing regional accents. \"Redneck drawl.\" Yeah, right. Like Brooklynese sounds any better for having

originated north of the Mason Dixon. Or Bostonians who wouldn\'t know an R if it fell in their laps. Or CA\'s

Valley Girls.

It\'s all good. Celebrate diversity. Eschew stereotypes. Broaden your horizons.

Oh, fvck

it, never mind.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Or, Midwesterners who pick up the \"Rs\" that

the Bostonians over looked, and stick them behind vowels. Example: WaRshington.

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
I\'ve always been a student of American Southern

accents. They have a number of distinct \"ecosystems\" based on economic niches and migratory sources. There are

a few that are quite cultivated and melodious, especially coming from beautiful women. See \"Gone with the

Wind\"!

For example, Tidewater Virginian is from Southern England and is rather feudal in origin - think

aristocratic Roundheads fleeing the English Civil War. Piedmont Alabama, Georgia, and west is from what we call

\"Scotch-Irish\" because they had their origins in the borderlands between Scotland and England and Northern

Ireland. Their closest relatives in the \"Old Country\" are the Orangemen of Belfast and

neighborhood.

There\'s lot\'s more to it but I could always tell, when I was growing up on the Florida Gulf

coast, someone from Selma from someone from, say, Apalachacola, just by accent.

People in New Orleans sound,

surprisingly, like people from the Bronx. And people in New Orleans sound a lot different from the people just

outside of town - the difference between Creole and Cajun.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Mm-hm!

Kentucky and Tennesee mountain people often say, \"I\'m a-walking.\" Which is how it is said in Irish Gaelic.

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
LOL NOBODY can understand Berliner German!!



Berliner deutsch is like raping the german language repeatedly with a 14-inch spiked dildo!

Where do we get

our colloquial english skills? SIMPSONS!! :-D

And yes, long hours on the internet, too!

We learn \"proper\"

british english in school, but who gives a [bad word]? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

ahem ..



<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Yes, there were the diplomatic jokes re: whether or not the U.S.

should be seated with the English speaking countries. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Well if

y\'all like it ... who am I to tell you differently? I just hate it.

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

Tch tch tch tch! \"Y\'all\" means \"you all.\" It is NEVER used to refer to one

person.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I\'ve got a god awful Andalusian accent when I

speak Spanish, SRH. Isn\'t that strange? Both of us have southern English AND southern accents in our second

languages. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Hey

now! \"Ya\'ll\" is a very versatile word! We find all sorts of uses for it down here.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Ha! You should hear me try to speak french. It\'s

atrocious. Spent 2 months there and still couldn\'t communicate worth a sh!t. And I really tried! The sad thing

is, I could understand our professor (it was a study abroad trip) just fine- he spoke french with a very pronounced

Texas accent. Go figure! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

No. I claim the \"worst French\" crown. My sister on the other hand, is so fluent in Mexican

Spanish, her Irish face confuses people.

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
FTR - i was referring to \"you all\", rather than

SRH only.

Also, I hate Berliner deutsch, not Redneck drawl ... wait, I hate that too ... okay you\'re right.



Joke\'s on me. Put in on my tab.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Okie Redneck is

fun:

Jeet? (did you eat?)

I kin drahv frrrds and backards (I can drive there and back) Lit. \"forwards and

backwards.\"

[Holmes]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Or, Midwesterners who pick up the \"Rs\" that the

Bostonians over looked, and stick them behind vowels. Example: WaRshington.

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

Or cyborgs who can only muster an occasional \"I\'ll be back\" or \"Fvck you,

a$$hole.\"

That really gets under my skin.


Holmes

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Hehehe ... there\'s even some colloquial english

on signs and such in Japan ....

Pool



[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Some of it funny... \"Our shoes are best for streetwalking.\" &lt;g&gt;

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Hehehe ... there\'s even some colloquial english

on signs and such in Japan ....

Pool



[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Remember when Chevrolet tried to market the Nova in South America?

Didn\'t do that well, \"no va\" means \"it doesn\'t go.\"

[Holmes]

I\'m a

Pacer man myself.


Holmes

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
&lt;Redneck drawl ... wait, I hate that too

&gt;

Well, there\'s the southern drawl, and \'Redneck\'. Which one do you mean?
The southern drawl is

smooth, relaxed, and slow. \'Redneck\' can be jarring and just sounds ignorant.

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

Yes, there is that sweet, musical mint julip dialect.

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Or, Midwesterners who pick up the \"Rs\" that the Bostonians over looked,

and stick them behind vowels. Example: WaRshington.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Or cyborgs who

can only muster an occasional \"I\'ll be back\" or \"Fvck you, a$$hole.\"

That really gets under my

skin.


Holmes

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Watching Pacino movies again? &lt;g&gt;

[Pancho1188]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />

Or Bostonians who wouldn\'t know an R if it

fell in their laps. Or CA\'s Valley Girls.


<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Fun with

words:
Think of a Bostonian telling you he found his \"ca-keys\" in his \"ka-kis\"...

aka \"car keys\" in

his \"khakis\".

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />


And all of you Europeans do a fine job with english. If I didn\'t know

that Franki was a native Dutch cheesehead living in Germany, I would think he\'s from Pennsylvania.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Why? Do I sound like Pancho?

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I\'m too crazy to be representing my state.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] Besides, if I were representing my hometown of Pittsburgh, I\'d

have to say things like, \"Jaggers\", \"Hoagies\", \"Dantan\" (Downtown), \"Gumbands\", \"Kennywood\'s

open\", and \"Stillers\" (Steelers). [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr

/>

Or, from Kalamazoo, MI. VERY Dutch town.

Yeah, the U.S. is one of the few (maybe the ONLY) first-world

primarily monolingual countries. (sigh)


<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Don\'t be frontin\',

foo. You know we be talkin\' all ghetto and [censored]. I get back to my hood, I be chillin\' wit\' my

homies and we go down to the club to hit the honeys and show off our bling-bling straight-up style like wha... We

best be keepin\' from the po-po so ya\'ll can get straight dope all over this bitch. Y cuando tu recuerdo que

tenemos muchas personas espanolas aqui, es necessario ser muy amable a tus hemanos y hermanas de Mexico, Espana, y

muchos otros paises.

Gracias,
Pancho

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />

Or Bostonians who wouldn\'t know an R if it fell in their laps. Or

CA\'s Valley Girls.


<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Fun with words:
Think of a Bostonian

telling you he found his \"ca-keys\" in his \"ka-kis\"...

aka \"car keys\" in his

\"khakis\".

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />


And all of you Europeans do a fine job with english. If I didn\'t know

that Franki was a native Dutch cheesehead living in Germany, I would think he\'s from Pennsylvania.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Why? Do I sound like Pancho?

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I\'m too crazy to be representing my state.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] Besides, if I were representing my hometown of Pittsburgh, I\'d

have to say things like, \"Jaggers\", \"Hoagies\", \"Dantan\" (Downtown), \"Gumbands\", \"Kennywood\'s

open\", and \"Stillers\" (Steelers). [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr

/>

Or, from Kalamazoo, MI. VERY Dutch town.

Yeah, the U.S. is one of the few (maybe the ONLY) first-world

primarily monolingual countries. (sigh)


<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Don\'t be frontin\',

foo. You know we be talkin\' all ghetto and [censored]. I get back to my hood, I be chillin\' wit\' my

homies and we go down to the club to hit the honeys and show off our bling-bling straight-up style like wha... We

best be keepin\' from the po-po so ya\'ll can get straight dope all over this bitch. Y cuando tu recuerdo que

tenemos muchas personas espanolas aqui, es necessario ser muy amable a tus hemanos y hermanas de Mexico, Espana, y

muchos otros paises.

Gracias,
Pancho

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

WOW, honey! Now you

sound just like L.A.!

[Kari]

http://www.kowloontraders.com/ampaug00.html

[Kari]

http://www.thetranslatorsinc.com/terribletrans

lation.html

[Holmes]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
WOW, honey! Now you sound just like L.A.!

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Just throw in

some agentspeak and a few \"I wish I could help\"s and I\'d reckon it\'d be pretty darned close...

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]


Holmes

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
WOW, honey! Now you sound just like L.A.!

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Lets\'s do

lunch and take a meeting. &lt;g&gt;

Just throw in some agentspeak and a few \"I wish I could help\"s and I\'d

reckon it\'d be pretty darned close... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]


Holmes

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

[Pancho1188]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />

Or

Bostonians who wouldn\'t know an R if it fell in their laps. Or CA\'s Valley Girls.


<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Fun with words:
Think of a Bostonian telling you he found his

\"ca-keys\" in his \"ka-kis\"...

aka \"car keys\" in his \"khakis\".

</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />


And all

of you Europeans do a fine job with english. If I didn\'t know that Franki was a native Dutch cheesehead living

in Germany, I would think he\'s from Pennsylvania.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Why? Do I

sound like Pancho? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I\'m too crazy

to be representing my state. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] Besides, if I were representing my

hometown of Pittsburgh, I\'d have to say things like, \"Jaggers\", \"Hoagies\", \"Dantan\" (Downtown),

\"Gumbands\", \"Kennywood\'s open\", and \"Stillers\" (Steelers).

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr

/>

Or, from Kalamazoo, MI. VERY Dutch town.

Yeah, the U.S. is one of the few (maybe the ONLY) first-world

primarily monolingual countries. (sigh)


<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Don\'t be frontin\',

foo. You know we be talkin\' all ghetto and [censored]. I get back to my hood, I be chillin\' wit\' my

homies and we go down to the club to hit the honeys and show off our bling-bling straight-up style like wha... We

best be keepin\' from the po-po so ya\'ll can get straight dope all over this bitch. Y cuando tu recuerdo que

tenemos muchas personas espanolas aqui, es necessario ser muy amable a tus hemanos y hermanas de Mexico, Espana, y

muchos otros paises.

Gracias,
Pancho

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

WOW, honey! Now you

sound just like L.A.!

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Well, I should know a little. My dad lives

there, you know. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I might even go out there again soon...

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[franki]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />


And all

of you Europeans do a fine job with english. If I didn\'t know that Franki was a native Dutch cheesehead living

in Germany, I would think he\'s from Pennsylvania.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Why? Do I

sound like Pancho? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Or, from

Kalamazoo, MI. VERU Dutch town.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Why? Do they wear wooden shoes

and eat a lot of cheese.. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[MysteriousMan]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr

/>
</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />


And all of you Europeans do a fine job with

english. If I didn\'t know that Franki was a native Dutch cheesehead living in Germany, I would think he\'s

from Pennsylvania.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Why? Do I sound like Pancho?

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Or, from Kalamazoo, MI. VERU Dutch town.

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

Why? Do they wear wooden shoes and eat a lot of cheese..

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Or do they live

in caravans? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]