In 'Life is Toff' on BBC 3 Does anyone know what created that upper class speech impediment?

[Noellefielding]

Do people like Francis Fulford actually have a speech impediment which makes him say 'wabbits' for 'rabbits' and 'Vair' for 'There:?

Is that an actual impediment or is it a historical affectation that turned into an impediment? It seems to be so common among that class of person.

*funding

I think the family are coming across well in this series (and I'm usually the first to moan about posh people). They often discuss their own shortcomings and problems and just seem quite a funny and loving family.

They don't show off about what they drive or eat, no talk of 'chavs' or little people like many other shows like this do and just seem to shrug and say 'this is what we inherited and have to live with'.

Weird that the opening sequence shows them in such a bad light, quite a contrast to the rest of the show. A lot of the things they do seem to be set up by the programme makers too.

I'm developing a bit of a crush on the dad , hadn't really noticed his speech, just the teeth thing.

Don't worry please I am not offended apparently it sounds cute, well DP things so. I am fairly well spoken, so yes it probably comes over as affected. I think I am just afflicted! but ho hum.

I do wonder why these people are prepared to have the nation gawk and giggle at them. Its like a weird freak show, ethology of aristos

The Chelsea brats-muttering like the UnDead, yep, and so boring. They all seem so stilted and false.

"I do wonder why these people are prepared to have the nation gawk and giggle at them"

family's got to make some dosh to repair that crumbling pile I suppose

Inbreeding?

Chelsea brats are dreadful, just dreadful with their spoilt plasticky faces and arrant insincerity.
Give me the Fulfords any day over them

True, it must be quite a drain. I never think I would like to swap places. I am having a day off and I can sit here wasting time without having to catch drips in buckets, chop logs or fall over dozens of dogs.

I have just watched my first Fulfords, they seem so "normal" compared to the Chelsea brats. I think this is the real difference, the Fulfords feel they have nothing to prove beyond their ability to fix their crumbling pile, whilst the brats are constantly having to prove they are something they can only ever aspire to. Although I do find Mark Francis entertaining.

As well as the George I thing, Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire (the one Keira Knightly played) apparently made up a deliberately affected accent and all her friends copied it, using it to show who was 'in' and who wasn't. The one I remember is stressing the middle syllable of 'balcony'. It carried on being 'posh' speech for a long time.

There's a children's book - might be Noel Streatfield - where there's a granny who 'deliberately mispronounced certain words, which had been the fashion when she was young,' and one of them is saying 'ain't'.

SanityClause and SamG74

Sere? Think it's sehr.

(Just checked. It's A Vicarage Family, in case anyone cares.)

sehr to rhyme with vair LOL

SamG76, sorry!

[Illiterate]

In 'Benefits Street' does anyone know what created that chavvy speed impediment?

This is a horrible thread!

*speech

I think I'm the only person that loves this family.

I've noticed a lot of men of a similar age and class speak a bit like Fulford Snr. I think it's a mixture of accent and dentistry.

The son's accent is different because he's a different generation - he sounds just like Prince William.

Neverbuyhelium I was about to start a thread with just that title.

What causes the chavs to end their words with k instead of g and to never say "th" and to look insulted when you try to engage them in a professional capacity. It can't possibly be years of inbreeding because we know they are all incredibly promiscuous... it's obviously not dentistry because they never go to the dentist, being poor chavs and all.

I like the Fulfords; they seem like a total riot and what you see is what you get. They probably don't care about the youngest son being semi illiterate (if he really is) as the upper classes view attending a private school as more than just an 'academic education'. There are plenty of careers in non academic fields that would appeal to these classes. It's not what you know but who you know folks...

As for the speech; everybody has different pronunciations. I know a few people who speak like Francis Fulford (usually after a few)!

I love this programme and I think the dad does have a mild speech impediment and I noticed in the last episode where they were hosting the murder mystery night that younger son Edmund also has problems pronouncing his 'r's. He also really looks like the dad. I think they are a fun family and despite the horse-play they seem close.

I find the accent where people insert random 'r' sounds stranger and more disconcerting to my non-British ear. Just saw a thread claiming latte is pronounced lartay. How? Just how?

oh yes I always ask for a 'lartay' just for the laugh.
and when I was in Greece it was fun to meet Brits who lived
in Karlamarta

How do you pronounce latte?

a as in cat not as in park

lah-te