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[Carrotsandcelery]

I was out for coffee with a crowd of mums from the local area.
Many many people have moved to this area from other areas, all over the world, due to the oil industry in this area.
From the group I was with I was the only one born and raised in the area and there was only one other Scottish mum in the group. The majority of the rest were English or from abroad.
I class these mums as good friends of mine and I enjoy their company.

However I had no idea what to say when they began a discussion about accents and how they pray their children will not adopt a local accent.
I have a local accent!
Am I being over sensitive (I didn't say a word btw) or is that incredibly rude?

I have grown up in the westcountry from a very young age, but do not have local accent.

I would be horrified disappointed if the dd's developed strong jannerplymouthian accent. I would probably discuss this with my friends and not think anything of it.

I can see how you were upset but I doubt very much it was a dig at you...

How bloody rude!!!

i am an aussie currently living in surrey. Dd is 9 months old and said her first word last night (i know, she is obviously a genuis). DH and i were talking only last week about how wierd it is going to be when she starts school and starts talking with an english accent and not an australian one like us. Neither of us are yet comfortable with the idea.

I can see why it got up your nose but i dont imagine it was said with any malice.

you've got to be quick off the mark. plan some responses and next time they do it, get them - not nasty but straight, humour if you can manage it. but imo they have been very rude indeed - if they don't like the area then piss off somewhere else!

Oh calm down Humanheart,I have a Somerset accent myself.

back at you.

I have said this about dd - when we moved to Gloucestershire I prayed she wouldn't pick up a local accent.

Mind you DP was a bit about it as we come from Devon so he thinks we are a pair of wurzels.

But dd didn't have a Devon accent, but now speaks with a broad Gloucester twang (which for those who don't know, is 99% bristolish, 1% brummyish)

IsItMeOr step away from the Pinot Grigio until at least 6pm.

I love hearing different accents. I have a close elderly friend who has a beautiful Somerset accent and I could listen to her for hours. My hairdresser has a Liverpool accent and I really enjoy listening to her. I used to go out with a guy from the Isle of Wight and adored his accent (probably more than I adored him). I think it makes life far more colourful myself so I was a bit taken aback.

I should have made a joke about it but I was a bit stunned to be honest. I am very good at realising what I should have done 2 hours after the event.

That is rude.

I am english and have to admit that Scottish accents do sound 'alien' to my ears. It's just that they are so different, much more than Welsh or Irish ones. Not horrible though, just very unfamiliar.

Doris.

I am Devonsghire born and bred (ooh arrr) but emphatically do NOT have a devon dumpling accent (despite my MN name). Mind you younger people in Devon tend not to have a strong accent, but older generations speak very broad devonshire, sometimes they are difficult to understand.

Plymouth accent is indeed vile.

I love scottish accents, loads of my family are Glaswegians, and I love the accent when I understand it

I specially love highlands accents which sound almost scandinavian.

I'm originally from Aberdeenshire but now live in England. I am trying my best to ensure DS's first words are "fit like"!

Lol PickleSarnie, good luck with that.

GetOrfMoiLand I love Glaswegian accents. I lived in Glasgow for many years and have taught in Glasgow schools. My MIL does have to "translate" for me at times at family gathering though when folk have had a drink and speed up a bit. She had to do the same for a taxi driver during the summer too. She finds it hilarious. She is also teaching my dd broad Glasgow - it's brilliant!
PickleSarnie - magic! I like your style!

YANBU very rude. They may have lovely accents but they have no manners.

Ach, fit a bunch o' gowks.

Aye

Well, some accents ARE horrid....

YANBU. Very rude!

Even if it was more a discussion about wanting their kids to sound like them as opposed to picking up a local accent it's still very insensitive.

Speaking as someone who has no real accent, I think accents are generally lovely.

My best pal is a Geordie 1944girl and I LOVE her accent.
Life would be very dull without accents I have decided.

What mawbroon said.

Who knows what they meant? They were very rude.

GetOrf - I love your name and always try to pronounce it with the appropriate accent in my head. (Like John Thaw in Goodnight Mr Tom or Worzel Gummidge )

I grew up in various different countries as family moved a lot, but parents are from the North of England, so while I have (I am told!) a strange accent, it has northern flat vowels laugh is 'Laff' not 'larf' etc.

We live in London, and I must admit it sets my teeth on edge that my kids say 'larf', and 'darnse' (instead of 'dans') ....and don't get me started on that SE england glottal stop thing of 'wa-er' instead of 'water'!

And I embrace the SE London accent as charming... just that it sounds different to me

YANBU, but I am guilty of thinking this...

I live in Essex, but have a North-West accent (grew up on Merseyside but with an Irish mother and an African father so although my vowels are Northern my accent is a bit meh!), and I HATE HATE HATE it when DD comes home from school talking like Chantelle from BB... she's already got that horrible Essex thing of not saying double LLs properly - ie "hill" is "hiw" (can't describe it any clearer than that but you'd know what I mean if you heard it!).

Apologies to Essex folk, but it's like nails down a blackboard to me (as I daresay my Northern accent must be to others!)

Ooh, x-post with Sydenham - yes, "wa-er" drives me INSANE!!