Can you tell where someone is from from how they write on MN?

[Theystoleourrecipe]

I've noticed that when going through posts, I'll read something and think, 'oh this person is from x, just by the words and phrases they use. I'll sometimes be able to localise this to a more specific region. I never look at usernames when I'm reading unless something really stands out to me, so I generally don't have any prior knowledge of the poster influencing me. Of course I can't be 100% sure but I would put a bet on being right, most of the time.

Do you ever recognise a particular region through how a poster writes? Are you conscious of how you write, making sure not to use colloquialisms unique to your area or do you not think about it, or do it anyway?

@Ineedwinenow you are right to say wars have been fought for less. But what sort of philistine thinks that crusty and soft bread rolls are fair game to be lumped together? These fine fittles (a word still in daily use in the Black Country. I think it’s a regional variation of victuals) deserve their own words damn you! I’m sharpening my butter knife in preparation for battle.

@DownNative yes!

You are correct Scottish people don’t like to waste their words

Standard English is a dialect RP is an accent. I speak SE but not with an RP accent. I could speak SE with a Yorkshire or Cornish accent. Just to add that into the mix.

Which would mean that it was said as "I went t'shop" - so the word 'to' is still there, just almost elided into 'shop'

Which is different from "I went shop" where you wouldn't hear the 'to' or 't' at all

@watcherintherye, I've never encountered somewhen in contemporary English - until just now 🙂 How lovely! It's quite archaic.

I’m confused 🫤 are you suggesting that only English people speak English or am I 💭

My butter dish is ready to lob at you ( maybe another Derbyshire word)???

Ah yes, @watcherintherye - DH is from the SW, and often says 'where's it to?'

Yes, this is me. And I'm definitely not English! 🤣

It's simply how I was taught at school in east Belfast.

It's an unusual person who doesn't use any regional terms in their informal speech. I suspect you don't speak purely Standard English when with your family and friends, you just don't realise it.

Like how I didn't realise my use of bring and take or gotten aren't standard across the English speaking world until I joined MN - or that "what age is he" is an Irishism until this very thread.

I know lob @Ineedwinenow and if you lob yours, I’ll lamp you with mine. Lamp you on the yed 😂

I know lamp!!!! It’s all still a bloody cob though……

This is correct. The difference I see on here and know the person is English is when they say 'brought' instead of 'bought'.

I like the Irish (or maybe just Northern irish?) way of adding 'so we do' or 'so we did' at the end of loads of sentences for emphasis.

Also expressing something as a question, when it's really not: "Will we go eat in the other room?" meaning "Let's go eat in the other room" etc.

Im not even angry with you @Ineedwinenow , just disappointed 😂 and bloody hell I want a bacon cob now. Shall we call a truce and just Eat bacon cobs in midlands harmony whilst eyeing the rest of Britain suspiciously?

Yeah us midlanders need to stick together, we need to be wary of northerners and southerners with their weird ways!!

Get a bacon cob now! With both butter and ketchup obviously ..

Thank you, that's a really interesting explanation!

I reckon people might think they know where I'm from from my posts but they're probably wrong. I've moved around a lot during my life and I have picked up all sorts of weird linguistic habits from the people around me. And some brilliant local words too!

If someone uses the word 'hen' as as friendly thing- such as , it's alright 'hen' I presume they are Scottish- if someone used the expression 'chippy tea' I presume they are 'up north' as never heard it used elsewhere

Well I’m from the best other part of the midlands (Black Country) and we clearly take our bread more seriously there because there’s a clear distinction between a crusty cob and a soft bap. What you heathens in the east call it is a mystery to me 😂
That makes very good sense. I'm a Londoner, aka softy southerner, and we call all sorts of individual sized bread, rolls. Distinguishing between crusty and soft rolls is a great idea! I never knew that was the difference between cob and bap ( words I've heard but never used).
Also, for the sake of historical accuracy, I'd like to point out that cheese and onion rolls wrapped in clingfilm as a bar snack were a thing everywhere in England ( can't speak for the rest of the UK), and they are sadly missed by all of us. I suspect there's a new rule that all pubs selling food now have to be gastropubs, so it's illegal to sell food for less than a tenner.

I don’t really think about it. I do sometimes notice the things like- mum/mam.

@GarlicGrace @BIWI

I’m really pleased that they’re still being used too! I’d never come across either till we moved here. I’d use them myself, except I’d feel a bit of a fraud. Although we’ve been here 30 years, we still don’t feel properly local!

Is there such a thing as a non regional accent?

When someone is made up, and they haven't applied cosmetics to their face.
When someone takes a bus 350 miles to their destination.
The word kecks.
When your messages include a loaf of bread and two pints of milk.
"Sound, man, Soundman. We've got our own sound, man" - illustrating two different meanings of the word "sound", both as noun and adjective (other definitions are available).

Disclaimer: some of the above may be me showing my age somewhat outdated.

PS can (not may) I add nesh to the list, or does that also define me as old?