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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that I need to start a thread about the Birmingham dialect?

207 replies

threeelephants · 12/03/2018 21:50

I'm so annoyed lately at all of the threads belittling my accent/dialect. I'd like to describe it as snobbery but I actually feel it goes beyond that.

In Birmingham we say mom, not mum. It has been this way for at least a hundred years. It is not 'Amercanism', in fact it was us who took the word over there. Mum is a slang word, it isn't 'the correct term' in anyway-if you want to have a dig at me saying mom then you'd better be calling yours mother!

We eat nougat and pronounce it nugat (not nugget, like some of you seem to think). We also eat marshmellows...tbh I'd never noticed there was supposed to be an a in there!

We pronounce tooth with the shorter oo sound (like in book, look, foot etc).

We are not uneducated, nor are we all bloody working class!

And while we're here, dinner is a hot meal, doesn't matter what time of day you eat it, lunch is a cold meal in the middle of the day, tea is a simple meal at the end of the day and supper is a biscuit before bed.

The Birmingham accent/dialect is the closest in existence to how Chaucer/Shakespeare would have spoken. Which makes us more correct than most of you.

OP posts:
FrustratedDotCom · 12/03/2018 22:14

In Birmingham we say mom, not mum.

This Brummie doesn’t. Nor do any of my friends or family.

StripySocksAndDocs · 12/03/2018 22:14

Within my brummie relatives most say mom. Some say mum. Apparently (according to the rest of them) it's because they're posh.

Ssssurvey · 12/03/2018 22:14

I am new to Birmingham and have found that in restaurants and shops the accent is lovely. However, growing up and hearing the accent on TV it is obviously used by some in a very exaggerated way and is not so nice, but I would say the same regarding scouse, cockney, Glasgow, Bristol to name a few. I think we are exposed to caricature accents which leads to criticism. IRL things are far more sane.

FrustratedDotCom · 12/03/2018 22:16

We eat nougat and pronounce it nugat (not nugget, like some of you seem to think).

This Brummie pronounces is noo-gah

We also eat marshmellows

This Brummie eats (and says) marshmallows.

We pronounce tooth with the shorter oo sound (like in book, look, foot etc).

Nope, sorry. Again this Brummie pronounces these words correctly.

Creambun2 · 12/03/2018 22:16

"Mom" - must be in Birmingham, Alabama

TheBakeryQueen · 12/03/2018 22:17

You will love this Black Country poet Op, take a listen......

m.youtube.com/watch?v=5eX21ugST70

FrustratedDotCom · 12/03/2018 22:18

The Birmingham accent/dialect is the closest in existence to how Chaucer/Shakespeare would have spoken. Which makes us more correct than most of you.

Confused
skippykips · 12/03/2018 22:19

Oh and a forward roll is a gambol!
I love being a brummie however, I say tooth (oo sound) and I am a 'Mum'
I never knew 'marshmellows' was a brummie thing! I thought it was just me!

ThisIsTheFirstStep · 12/03/2018 22:19

I worked in a school in Birmingham for 5 years and all the kids said ‘mom’. I was really confused at first as I’m not from round there.

I don’t think people mean to sound like they’re belittling the accent when they call ‘mom’ an Americanism, cos I definitely thought it was too til I lived there. I think it goes to show that we should ask questions before criticising though, especially something as personal as how someone speaks. Language evolves and there’s nothing wrong with that.

I think it’s a lovely accent, very friendly-sounding.

Original poster
threeelephants · 12/03/2018 22:19

Frustrateddotcom, perhaps read my posts and you'll be less confused.

OP posts:
FrustratedDotCom · 12/03/2018 22:20

I have read them and they are nonsense sweeping generalisations.

Original poster
threeelephants · 12/03/2018 22:21

And can you explain what you mean by 'correctly'?

OP posts:
threeelephants · 12/03/2018 22:22

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

RebeccaCloud9 · 12/03/2018 22:22

In fairness to the mom OP, I don't think she knew that it was said in parts of the UK but was commenting on Americanisms spreading here (which is also true and happening more and more - look at how many bloggers/teens use the terms drug store, Fall etc these days). It certainly didn't read as though it was started with the intent of belittling the Brummie accent.

ThisIsTheFirstStep · 12/03/2018 22:22

Not that I’m saying ‘mom’ IS an Americanism, but just generally - people get very pissy about stuff like people using ‘like’ a lot or whatever and it’s just a bit tiring to hear these rants about how uncouth it is or whatever.

StripySocksAndDocs · 12/03/2018 22:22

Look up the Shakespearean accent. It's very interesting.

There's strains of several mordern accents in it. (Interestingly it's the accents of those that are frequently put down on here.) It would be closer to the modern day brummie accent than that new fandangled RP accent. 😉

Original poster
threeelephants · 12/03/2018 22:23

Thanks to all those who were interested in an adult discussion.
I'm possibly overinvested in this die to other issues, so I'm going to cut my losses here. Snobs will be snobs, unfortunately.

OP posts:
ThisIsTheFirstStep · 12/03/2018 22:24

stripy AND Shakespeare uses ‘gotten’, which is frequently slagged off on here as an Americanism.

MillieMoodle · 12/03/2018 22:24

Love the Brummie accent. Moved away when I was 6, but my Dad still has an accent, although it's not as strong as it used to be. I could listen to it all day. You can take the girl out of Brum... Grin

Original poster
threeelephants · 12/03/2018 22:25

Rebecca, she very much went on to belittle it. Many didn't though, I know that.
I love discussion of accents, I just don't like them used as a way to put people down (or attempt to)

OP posts:
Jestem · 12/03/2018 22:26

I don't like the Birmingham accent.

However, I remember reading a study where the participants, who were non English speakers from other countries, were asked to pick what they thought was the most beautiful dialect of any form of English (American, Canadian, British etc etc) - they only went and picked the Brummie accent! It sounded the most musical and harmonious to the ears of the participants.

DalekDalekDalek · 12/03/2018 22:26

This wasn't a discussion about accents. This was a my accent is better than yours thread because Shakespeare and Chaucer spoke the same

NoqontroI · 12/03/2018 22:27

I love the accent. It's one of my favourites.

LeighaJ · 12/03/2018 22:27

I will agree it's Very annoying to have people try and "correct" the way you pronounce something when the pronunciation is perfectly correct from where you grew up.

I'm American and while I do use a lot of British slang and try to use British spellings there are some words I simply pronounce differently. I don't appreciate Brits trying to "correct" me or ask me to say certain words so they can laugh at my pronunciation. It's appallingly rude.

I'm guessing the comment about education and class means people shouldn't assume based on your accent that you're uneducated and/or working class?

The last bit though about being more correct sounds extremely snobby.

NotTheMrMenAgain · 12/03/2018 22:29

I'm a Brummie and I'm dead posh Grin. It's been 'mom' in our family for at least five generations that I know of.