North/South London accents

[Pip]

Maybe that's it - I can't think of an example of how they're different accents so it could be down to perception. Will have to listen out next time I'm in north London

If I was to tell you I was from West London and aforementioned pal from East London, you might well think "ahhhh, there's an East/West accent" and labour under the impression that West Londoners have lazier Rs (or whatever) for the rest of your life

As it happens my mum was bought up in West London and hers in East London, and their accents probably did influence our own. I've also got more posh friends than her, which I'm sure has a similar effect, or did somewhere down the line.

It could also be that people from certain parts of London are more transient than others. I know people from North and East London who'll never move far because that's where their respective communities are based.

 

[London_Calling]

What about the West Indian influence - that's only been around for about 10 years. Seems very estate-centric in my experience, is it also south ?

 

[Griff]

Well my dad from was Northern Ireland and my mum's a Geordie which probably had something to define my 'East London' accent.

 

[spanglechick]

What about the West Indian influence - that's only been around for about 10 years. Seems very estate-centric in my experience, is it also south ?

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Well my dad from was Northern Ireland and my mum's a Geordie which probably had something to define my 'East London' accent.

That's a shame, a Geordie accent is nice.

Some Northern Irish ones are nice but....


















is twistedAM around?

 

[ovaltina]

I've also got more posh friends than her, which I'm sure has a similar effect, or did somewhere down the line.

I lived just outside Leeds for a few years when I was about two or three and then we moved to north London. Loads of people were taking the piss so I decided to try and talk like Margaret Thatcher (because she was on the telly all the time). Then my parents started taking the piss too.

I do tend to tune into peoples' accents. There's a woman at work with a strong West Country accent (might be Dorset) and I can't help taking bits of it on when I'm talking to her - I bet she thinks I'm taking the piss but I'm not.

 

[Pip]

What about the West Indian influence - that's only been around for about 10 years. Seems very estate-centric in my experience, is it also south ?

It's been around for considerably longer than 10 years

I think what you mean is that under 25 inner city accent. That isn't confined to South or North London, you hear it everywhere (and often from the mouths of affected middle class kids). I never understand why it's said to be influenced by West Indian accents though - me and my brother and our friends sound nothing like a 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 year old Jamaican.

 

[sheothebudworths]

I have a North London accent.....it's pretty much just an unpleasant nasal whine.

People often used to think I was Australian when I was travelling outside the UK.

My ex seems to find it hilarious when I say sandwich and quite often tries to trick me into saying it for his own amusement.
He thinks I say 'saaaaaaaaaanwich', but I don't I just say it right, as opposed to his West Mids version, which is clearly wrong.

 

[Pip]

Like Supernanny? I would have said she had a North London accent, but then my boyfriend told me she had a North London Jewish accent, which is when I started to doubt everything I believed.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Like Supernanny? I would have said she had a North London accent, but then my boyfriend told me she had a North London Jewish accent, which is when I started to doubt everything I believed.

It's not asseptible

 

[tarannau]

Unless you say milk like 'miwk' you ain't a proper Londoner

I love the idea that West Indians have only influenced 'the yoot' in the last 10 years.

 

[Pip]

It's not asseptible

It's not, in fact it's complete UNASSEPTABLE
As an aside, I'm ambiguously beige enough for everyone to ask me "what are you? Where are you from?" my whole life and I kept seeing these exotic North Londoners who also looked like me. I thought we formed our own little sexy ambigious sub group and one day they'd show me the secret handshake, but it turns out they're just Jewish and I'm alone in the world again

 

[Pip]

Unless you say milk like 'miwk' you ain't a proper Londoner

I love the idea that West Indians have only influenced 'the yoot' in the last 10 years.

Like in 1999 we all went "you know what, screw Chaz and Dave, Vybz Kartel has got it going ON".

 

[ovaltina]

North London Jewish accent.

There are different subsets in that accent too - I know lots of north London Jews in their early 30s who have BBC accents and sound very different to their parents (apart from a word or turn of phrase that crops up once in a while)

 

[Pip]

There are different subsets in that accent too - I know lots of north London Jews in their early 30s who have BBC accents and sound very different to their parents (apart from a word or turn of phrase that crops up once in a while)

I think that could be parental influence too though, my boyfriend's got a definite East London gawwwwd that he didn't get in Elstree and that's for sure.

Edit: oh right, that's what you're saying. But yeah, there are so many things that accents are shaped by, that's it's impossible to try and draw up an accent map.

 

[Griff]

I love the idea that West Indians have only influenced 'the yoot' in the last 10 years.

It was happening when I was at school in the late '70s.

 

[tarannau]

He's a bit of a cock that LondonCalling and make no mistake. Loving the 'estate-centric' sneer as well, possibly written when taking out his monocle and reconsidering his username.

 

[London_Calling]

I think what you mean is that under 25 inner city accent. That isn't confined to South or North London, you hear it everywhere (and often from the mouths of affected middle class kids).

Yep, that's what I mean. At least you agree it is affected by some. Fwiw, I don't hear it around the country. In my experience it is London based, and estate based.

It's quite fascinating to listen to the accents on busses as the kids get off at different stops.

I never understand why it's said to be influenced by West Indian accents though - me and my brother and our friends sound nothing like a 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 year old Jamaican.

I do. Hey ho.

Fwiw, I have no idea where Jo Frost went to schoool but she was born in south west London of a London father and a Gibraltarian mother - I've never seen any mention of Jewishness?

 

[Treacle Toes]

What about the West Indian influence - that's only been around for about 10 years.

What are you talking about? 10 years?

Seems very estate-centric in my experience, is it also south ?

What?

 

[London_Calling]

He's a bit of a cock that LondonCalling and make no mistake. Loving the 'estate-centric' sneer as well, possibly written when taking out his monocle and reconsidering his username.

Not playing. Go and sit on the naughty step for two minutes and practice a convincing sneer.

 

[Pip]

Yep, that's what I mean. At least you agree it is affected by some. Fwiw, I don't hear it around the country. In my experience it is London based, and estate based.

It's quite fascinating to listen to the accents on busses as the kids get off at different stops.

I do. Hey ho.

Fwiw, I have no idea where Jo Frost went to schoool but she was born in south west London of a London father and a Gibraltarian mother - I've never seen any mention of Jewishness?

Oh well, that just goes to show that you can't attribute anything to anything.

BTW I'd be genuinely interested in what makes you think these "estate accents" (please fucking stop saying that btw ) sound West Indian. I don't mean appropriated slang words, but the actual sound and speech patterns etc.

 

[London_Calling]

IIRC, I suppose I first noticed it when the whole Yardie gangsta thing was playing big about, like I say, about 10 years ago. May have been longer. All of a sudden the yoof had yards instead of bedrooms and began with the accent as well.

 

[tarannau]

Sweet Bejesus, the man's a bone fide idiot.

(I can say that with or without my 'estate accent' if you like)

 

[Pip]

IIRC, I suppose I first noticed it when the whole Yardie gangsta thing was playing big about, like I say, about 10 years ago. May have been longer. All of a sudden the yoof had yards instead of bedrooms and began with the accent as well.

Really? REALLY? Are you sure? English children started speaking in a West Indian accent and didn't get laughed out of town?

 

[tarannau]

Ach, they may get laughed at but it happens.

I reckon at least half the youthful population of Croydon say 'akse' rather than 'ask' these day. I doesn't half vex me, the nincompoops.

 

[London_Calling]

REALLY?

Yes, it's cool to talk like a gangster when you're a schoolboy

 

[Griff]

I think the accent LondonCalling is talking about is prevalent across the whole South East with teenagers. I've heard it from kids on trains in deepest Hertfordshire who have never been on an 'estate' let alone mixed with a Jamaican kid.

 

[Pip]

Ach, they may get laughed at but it happens.

I reckon at least half the youthful population of Croydon say 'akse' rather than 'ask' these day. I doesn't half vex me, the nincompoops.

I nearly gave my grandma an aneurysm when I said "arksted him" when I was a little kid (over ten years ago, London_Calling) . I still don't think the accent we're talking about bears any resemblance to West Indian accents.

 

[Stoat Boy]

I reckon I can tell the difference for white people over the age of 30 but anybody younger and I would not have a clue.

 

[London_Calling]

I still don't think the accent we're talking about bears any resemblance to West Indian accents.

Maybe we're talking about different things.

A phrase I saw on Wiki that I haven't come across before was 'London-Caribbean':

The arrival of large scale immigration to England has produced another layer of regional accents that have merged with the accents of immigrants. Such examples include London-Caribbean, West Yorkshire mixed with Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi.