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

[threeelephants]

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.

[froufroulala]

Remember my daughter & I looking at each other when Alvechurch was pronounced Alverchurch

[ladypippa]

Defo MOM where I come from (west mids too!)

And nuggat

And tuth


And day-bree (not deh-bree.)

And I say breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper.

I am not pronouncing or saying anything 'incorrectly' and anyone who says I am can kiss my fat ass!

Some terrible terminology snobbery on here!

Oh, and Brummies rock, and the accent is fab - ay it?!

[GretchenFranklin]

I think the later Plantagenet kings were a bit Brum. I like it.

And I say nugget because 'nu-gah' sounds twatty to me .

[Bebepoor]

I love love love it. I’m an immigrant from the south coast, not a native midlander but it’s my absolute favourite UK a regional accent. Nothing cheers me up more than a bright “‘ow bin ya?” at work on a Monday.

[ladypippa]

@GretchenFranklin

Yeah I am pretty sure the original Royals from 1.5 millennia ago were the Mercians. (From the west mids!)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercia

[theluckiest]

I'm a fully paid up, born n bred Brummie (Selly Oak hospital if you're interested, which is now a posh development of overpriced apartments ).

I say 'Mum'. But DH says 'Mom' and GET THIS...he's an interloper from Solihull so he's supposed to be dead posh!!

And I tried really hard to like Peaky Blinders but the slightly shit accents grated on me.

[Caspiana]

Someone mentioned the other day that calling roundabouts “islands” is a brummie thing too - I just assumed it was universal (like gambol!)

I don’t have the accent but I do say “tuth”!

And to PP who mentioned that Snobs now serves food, that has blown my mind.

[BackforGood]

My dc have told me that Snobs didn't take the sticky carpet with them when they moved, either

[GretchenFranklin]

Ladypippa that's very interesting, thank you.

[PhilODox]

@TreesAgreen I grew up in the NW, and it was called a "tipply-top-tail"

I haven't called it that since I was five though!

[KingsHeathen]

And 'polyroll' for kitchen roll.

[GreenTulips]

Tip-Tops are brummie - anyone else?

[SleepingStandingUp]

Tip tops are Black Country too.
Hold your tip top in your donny whilst we drive round the island

[itstimeforanamechange]

Shakespeare didn't come from Brum! Stratford is quite a few miles away.

I thought it was quite funny during the Indoor athletics championships that they were interviewing all these people who allegedly came from Birmingham. Not one of them had a trace of a Birmingham/West Midlands accent and I assumed they'd all gone to expensive private schools.

Then Andy Pozzi (won a gold medal for hurdles) said he was from Stratford. Ah. Not Birmingham at all then. He might have gone to a private school too for all I know, but he's not from Birmingham.

[Talith]

I'm in the Black Country and I love the dialect. I think it's such a friendly accent or maybe its the people.

[thecatsthecats]

I am an immigrant to Birmingham, and the accent in Birmingham itself is relatively ok - it's the Dudley accent that makes me want to claw my ears off.

Mind you, I'm not one for strong accents in any flavour. Hard Geordie, Irish, Scouse, Brummie, whatever - I prefer softer accents.

Going to have to be pretty fierce to not end up being 'mom' either, though for balance, I also dislike 'mam', which is what I should use coming from my part of the north.

[mintich]

I think I'm the opposite and love strong accents!

[IndieTara]

I'm a Brummie born and bred and I've never in my life said y'alright!
I do say mom but spell it Mum and tooth like book .
I also call a traffic island a roundabout which I believe is also Brummie.
I don't have a broad accent but spent years in telesales which took a lot of it away.

[Theresasmayshoes11]

froufroulala

[Theresasmayshoes11]

Posted too soon I had a posh friend who used to say Olvechurch

I didn’t think we were too brummie but dd went to stay with a uni mate recently in Cornwall and everyone took the piss as she said ‘orite’ for hello

Oritebab.

[Theresasmayshoes11]

And I am a nanny as in a gran.

[SleepingStandingUp]

Surely Nanny isn't overly limited to Midlands? I'd assume it was more class based if anythinh

[Theresasmayshoes11]

Maybe although only heard nan or nanny used as gran or granny in the midlands but you may be right.

Holding your donny Slerping I ar wurking clas and fookin proud ov it.

[bananamonkey]

Not from Brum but nearby and I've learned something from this thread, my Dad pronounces it tuth and I always though it must be a Scottish thing as that's where he's originally from and no-one else I knew growing up said it but it must be local. Although my Mum doesn't.

I thought gambol was universal - surely lambs gambol all over the country?! Catching the buzz always makes me laugh as it reminds me of my childhood. My Mum says Bab and it makes me cringe inside out though.

I love accents, it's fascinating the difference a few miles can make! I am an awful snob though as some of DC's nursery staff say a particular local word (that is grammatically incorrect) and I hate it.

[aRespectableBureaudeChange]

I love accents, and this is one accent you don't hear enough on TV for sure.

So yes, I'm very interested to hear local ways of saying things.

I have a good ear and can mimic a few accents - in a loving way I must add as I find them fascinating - the variation and shape of the mouth required is different so it's interesting trying new ways of saying the same word.