Sometimes Americans can't understand me...

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Geeze, British accents seem pretty easy on the ear. Well, don't feel bad, I'm from the Midlands of South Carolina, and the accents vary so wildly down here sometimes we can't understand each other.

I've literally talked to a man from the coast (that's three hours by car from where I live) through a translator. Granted, he was speaking Gullah, but still...

[laborcat]

You can stop by here and speak your accents to me all you want to... I love English accents.

Actually I enjoy accents of most all kinds, as long as it's understood that with my hearing difficulty that I may not understand you the first time you say something...

Only problems I've had were with Indian tech support over the phone, and the one guy in Wales I spoke with once over the internet that was very very difficult for me to understand... it was really really thick, though his voice was sexy as hell and I'd listen to it forever regardless...

[judecat]

I grew up in a neighborhood with a horendous local accent which no one understands. Not many people have that particular accent any more, but it's who I talked when I was a child, but when I've been away for a while, it takes me a few minutes to understand. But I don't stand there and look stupid, I politely ask them to repeat, and sometimes have to guess what they want. I always repeat back to them what I think I am hearing. And this is my native accent. "Hi, I'd like to buy an arn", "excuse me, could you repeat that", Yes, I'd like an arn". Oh, would you like a sunbeam Iron, or another brand"?
"Could you tell me how to get to Droodle Park?" Yes, to get to Druid Hill Park, you go down this street until you get to that road and make a left."

[ralerin]

I thought I was the only one who mimiced accents! Thank God!

OP from what part of England are you? Boyfriend's from Southeast.

[Lachrymose]

I grew up in a neighborhood with a horendous local accent which no one understands. Not many people have that particular accent any more, but it's who I talked when I was a child, but when I've been away for a while, it takes me a few minutes to understand. But I don't stand there and look stupid, I politely ask them to repeat, and sometimes have to guess what they want. I always repeat back to them what I think I am hearing. And this is my native accent. "Hi, I'd like to buy an arn", "excuse me, could you repeat that", Yes, I'd like an arn". Oh, would you like a sunbeam Iron, or another brand"?
"Could you tell me how to get to Droodle Park?" Yes, to get to Druid Hill Park, you go down this street until you get to that road and make a left."

Hampden, hon?

(Judecat from Snopes perchance?)

[bhskittykatt]

I kinda get where game store guy was coming from. Sometimes when I run into an accent that doesn't immediately parse for me, my brain just stalls. I literally cannot figure out whats going on, because I feel like I should be able to understand whats happening, but I can't. When that happens the only thing I can usually say is "huh?" I'm not trying to be rude, my brain just isn't working properly. It's especially disconcerting for me because I usually don't have much trouble with non-American English.

Ditto here. I try to be aware of my reactions, but sometimes I just stall while my brain processes what it just heard and tries to form it into words.

I always find that if you speak slowly and avoid slang as much as possible, communication isn't too hard.

I checked in a couple Aussies once, and they were great, until they each said something to each other...they were English words, at least mostly (to me), but the order was gibberish to me and killed my brain. They went back to speaking "American" when they talked to me.

On an aside, my (woefully ignorant) friend thought her classmate had a speech impediment for about 6 months before someone explained said classmate was from Britain and had an accent...I just shake my head at her. She's a little nuts (but a lot of fun, and not rude or anything).

[Lachrymose]

I'm sorry, could you type a little more slowly? I can't understand you.

[ShootMePlease]

I love British accents.

However, there are certain times, particularly with the Cockney accent, that I can't understand anything that was said. Cheryl Cole is extremely hard to understand. I'm sure those that are used to the accent have no problem understanding. I would never be rude to someone because I couldn't understand them. There have been quite a few times at work where writing and miming have been needed to help someone.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I checked in a couple Aussies once, and they were great, until they each said something to each other...they were English words, at least mostly (to me), but the order was gibberish to me and killed my brain. They went back to speaking "American" when they talked to me.

.

I do this when I'm talking to anyone not used to American Southern. We do things like contract words that don't need to be contracted, stack the hell out of our modals, and replace letters that don't need to be replaced with d's (and y'all might could understand us better if we waddn't doon'at all the time.).

I do try to enunciate properly and avoid southern grammar if speaking to someone who "ain't from around here." I guess if someone's not used to it, it might make it hard to understand.

Someone on here said once they thought Aussies and American Southerners sounded similar. I've since heard others say that elsewhere. I personally don't hear it, but I guess maybe there's something to it.

[Fire_on_High]

I do this when I'm talking to anyone not used to American Southern. We do things like contract words that don't need to be contracted, stack the hell out of our modals, and replace letters that don't need to be replaced with d's (and y'all might could understand us better if we waddn't doon'at all the time.).

Close but no cigar. "All'uh time" is the correct version.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Close but no cigar. "All'uh time" is the correct version.

Ach. Gosh. You're so right. How'd ah missat?

[Ironclad Alibi]

Taking about accents...

Once upon a time Mrs. IA and I were having dinner in a Mexican restaurant. Nearby a couple was having a conversation in something not English. One of the waiters (who were Mexican) commented it that was the worst Spanish they had ever heard. Mrs. IA (who was a language major in college) said that was because they were speaking Portuguese. Mrs. IA had taken a course in Portuguese.

[judecat]

Hampden, hon?

(Judecat from Snopes perchance?)

Nah -- Ahm from Hollentown hon!! And yes the same one and only Judecat.

[MadonnaC]

the main thing I found was to elongate the 'a'
while washer is spelt the same, the voice system at sears didn't understand me until I said 'waaaaasher'

also provides getting funny looks when you talk about a pawn shop - our 'a's sound like o, so I got some funny looks when I suggested picking up some PS2 games from a pawns shop

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, I make special care to enunciate when I'm using my phone to text or whatever (it has voice recognition.) It can mostly understand me, but some words I am consistently screwing up. I wonder if those voice recognition things can eventually adjust to accent?