Angela Rayner’s glottal stops are infuriating

[Ilovecleaning]

AIBU to be so irritated by the deputy PM’s lazy speech? I was listening to her being interviewed this morning and I was distracted by her Bri-ish/righ-/wai-ed. I googled her and apparently when asking a question about the lockdown parties she said ‘Was you there or not?’
Why does it anger me so much? It is not her accent. I am northern but I don’t drop my t’s and I know when to use was and were.
Her lazy speech distracts from the content. I have my theories but I would love to hear other people’s opinions.

Another waiting to hear your 'theories'

I definitely agree about BJ. Now there’s a man who angered me by what he said not how he said it.

@JustMyView13 Personally I’d much prefer listening to Angela talk passionately about topics, than some of the politicians that have gone before us.

Exactly. Dropping a t or an h is distinctly preferable to listening to the over entitled, totally unrepresentative, over entitled, under talented, tight jawed RP of Rees Mogg.

I honestly think the obsession with RP accents are only in certain circles /arras the rest of the country seem to manage fine with accents/dialects on television.

Yeah sure - whatever.

I don't think you're anything like George Bernard Shaw - but nice comparison

It doesn't bother me as much as the tv announcers and some of the adverts where speech is ungrammatical or colloquial. People saying 'Thu' for The when the sentence structure needs 'Thee' as the pronunciation. 'Mewl dewl' and Ferne Cotton and her Tesco Mobile ads etc.

I really love MN. Obsessed with it. But I mostly read what's trending and woman-bashing threads like this are really getting me down.

I think if you can't understand her meaning, it suggests you struggle with comprehension.

The was/were thing is completely unremarkable.

I just realised it is possible to hide a thread. Yippeee!!!

I agree. Angela Rayner was brought up in home with a mother who couldn't read. She had a bath once a week at her grandmother's house. I doubt that there was money for elecution lessons.

Her trajectory from neglected child on free school meals to Deputy Prime Minister with no leg ups or hand outs is amazing, whatever you think of her politics.

Wha a lo of li*le bo*les.
Those are glottal stops.

@Ilovecleaning not even english!! it is meant to be "WERE you there or not?" That really annoys me to hear people speak like that. I think I need to go to pedants' corner!! 😂

That should be “anyone as illiterate as she is…”. “Her” is not correct here.

Mildly annoying.

One of the DJs on 6music drops her t's for 'artists' which I find more irritating.

If you really find Rayner infuriating I suspect it's more to do with her personally and her politics.

She does sound more normal though than others in the Labour Party who have clearly had some voice training and all sound similar and a bit stilted.

I suspect people who don't support Labour are those most annoyed by AR's accent.

I don’t think I’m anything like GBS either 🤣. Why would I be?

I don’t think she should have to change her accent, not having basic grammar (was/were etc.) is a bit embarrassing for someone in her position.

As a "northerner" you should know that we are not one homogenous group. We all have different northern accents. Just admit that you don't like her fir whatever reason and it has nothing to do with her accent.

So am I but I know when to use was/were…’

Ok but how? Imagine if you have grown up in a community of people you love and respect who use was/ were in one way. You’ve grown up seeing parents, teachers anyone you know using it that way. You learned to speak listening to them.

In later life you are told that this is wrong and makes you sound thick and common. You then have a choice- change it which involves thinking much more carefully every time you speak until you learn to code (so you lose fluency and sound stilted), and you’ll probably still get in wrong if you’re stressed/ passionate about something, AND it feels like betraying your roots, OR stay as you are and have people raising an eyebrow even though they heard every word and understood perfectly what you said. Which would you choose?

But that is also regional. It's the way of speaking in the area she is from.

This Is dialect though I mean it might not be "correct grammar " but.speaking in your own accent/dialect helps some express themselves clearly.

Does the Speaker's accent annoy you?

Some also hate her because she was a young mum and did well for herself. It upsets their theory that you're doomed to failure if you reproduce before the age of 30 😉

I think most people find some or certain accents a bit irritating.

I personally fine overly ‘posh’ accents (like the Made in Chelsea crew) really grating!