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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Joinourclub · 12/03/2018 22:29

I can't say I love the sound of the Brummie accent, but I love that it exists. I love the fact that our little island has so many different accents.

threeelephants · 12/03/2018 22:32

I realise some of my post seemed 'snobby'...it was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, which used to be acceptable here.

It was a response to those who try to say my accent is incorrect. People on mumsnet used to be able to read analitically and understand nuance. I know that sounds snobby, but I give up at this stage.

OP posts:
Gormless · 12/03/2018 22:34

I moved to Birmingham over ten years ago, and initially found the dialect and accent hard to get used to. But then I met so many lovely, friendly people that I started to really warm to the accent and love it now.

YerAuntFanny · 12/03/2018 22:34

I actually mentioned my dislike of the British "Mom" earlier on a FB post and I think I may have offended my part Brummie friend, she writes Mom but I don't think I've ever heard her pronounce it that way tbh so I didn't mean it to offend!

It wasn't meant in a snobby way or anything else just that it does look/sound odd as it's unusual to me. Although in all fairness I dislike most regional dialect which could play a part in this, I'm Glaswegian and hate the terms Maw (Mum), totties (potatoes), brew (tea), watter (water) etc etc. Constantly having the piss taken out of me for using English language words rather than their Scottish counterparts Hmm:o

BackforGood · 12/03/2018 22:35

Don'tdrink - Grin - that made me laugh.

What a shame 3elephants you've had a strop over this. Could have continued being a lovely thread with lots of people saying how nice the accent is.

Your generalisations and insistence that your 'right' is the only way everyone in Birmingham says things is making you sound ridiculous.

Some people say tooth one way, and others the other way. Most use Mom, but some of us say Mum. Personally I grew up saying 'nugget' if I ever needed to say it and marshmellow, but it's not something I can get worked up over.
You don't sound too Brummie to me, as you seem to have lost your sense of humour over the accent. Shame.

StripySocksAndDocs · 12/03/2018 22:35

Incidentally Snobs was a brilliant nightclub in Birmingham. I believe it's moved now though.

Theworldisfullofidiots · 12/03/2018 22:36

I really like Birmingham....
Nice people....

CoffeeWithMyOxygen · 12/03/2018 22:37

Yet another Brummie here who never says ‘Mom’, it’s always ‘Mum’ in my family. My observation is that only certain parts of Birmingham use the ‘Mom’ pronunciation, but they try to claim it’s an entire Birmingham thing. I do say ‘tooth’ with the short sound though, so clearly parts of my accent are similar to the OP’s.

TheDetectorist · 12/03/2018 22:37

YANBU but I am disappointed that your ‘snobs will be snobs’ comment wasn’t about the nightclub.

Let’s all calm down & talk about Mr Egg (always comes up on brummie threads)

TheDetectorist · 12/03/2018 22:38

X-post stripy!

Cailleach1 · 12/03/2018 22:39

I've some marshmallows downstairs (bought for toasting over outside fire/chiminea). I won't get much chance to use them yet with the weather. I've never had a yearning for marshmallows before, but they keep being mentioned...

StripySocksAndDocs · 12/03/2018 22:40

Ah yes TheDetectorist, Mr Egg!!

GreenTulips · 12/03/2018 22:44

Try leaving Brum and everyone's takes the mock! You get used to it!!

I just brush it off now and don't think I stand out - or at least I don't notice

Bostin · 12/03/2018 22:47

With you bab.

TellerTuesday4EVA · 12/03/2018 22:51

So do you sound like they do on Peaky Blinders or not? (Misses point of thread)

WrenNatsworthy · 12/03/2018 22:53

I'm a Brummy. I say Mom. Tooth. Nougat. Barth. :D

tillytrotter1 · 12/03/2018 22:54

Many of the words and phrases described as 'coming from America' are in fact coming home! The much maligned 'gotten', which grates on me, is the original English that would have been taken to America by the settlers, it remains in a few words here, forgotten being the most common
In a book called Made in America the wonderful Bill Bryson writes about the development of American English, well worth reading, funny too.

RubertRoo · 12/03/2018 22:56

I am from a town in Staffordshire and everybody round here uses mom. I don't know anyone that says mum! Only about 30 mins away from Birmingham here

Pandoraphile · 13/03/2018 00:00

Sorry, but I think the Birmingham accent is awful.

SleightOfMind · 13/03/2018 00:12

Brummie lilt (or stronger) is lovely.
threenellies is right about it being closest to the way Chaucerian English was spoken.

Stripy you’ve completely blown your autocorrect’s tiny, tiny mind!

JanDough · 13/03/2018 01:25

I think that the most amazing thing about accent perception is that in a famous study linking perceived intelligence and accent, people with a Brummie accent were seen as less intelligent than those who didn't speak at all.

Maybe the OP learnt from it as it appears they flounced!

BBC - Bath Uni study

NorbertTheDragon · 13/03/2018 01:46

My best friend is from Birmingham but has lived down here most of her life. She doesn't have much of an accent now but when she was younger she was bullied because of it, and people told her she sounded thick. Angry

I am going to read Shakespeare in a Brummie accent now. It will definitely improve it.

I love accents, all sorts. It's great to have variety, it's so interesting, language and dialects.

BitterAndTwistedChoreDodger · 13/03/2018 01:52

Just joining the thread to add my appreciation of Mr Egg.

ethelfleda · 13/03/2018 02:06

I live not far from Brum but both parents and all my family are from Birmingham (the best city in the UK- obviously) I pronounce everything the way that the OP has indicated including saying 'mom'
I think 'mum' sounds weird to be honest!

ethelfleda · 13/03/2018 02:10

Rubertroo I think you and I may live in the same town...