United States vs everywhere else ;) or maybe not?

[Andrew]

So, I was looking through the news at cnn.com and what do I come by...

Boy, 11, charged in sexual assault of senior.

That is just sick. I mean an 11 year old trying to rape a 76 year old?!? Death penalty should be used.

While in Canada:

Ottawa forgives debt of 3 African countries

Canada plans to forgive more than $1.1 billion in debts.

[nemafakei]

The syntax of some of the phrases isn't unique.

Hm. Is the verb 'do' ever used for purposes of emphasis, such as "He d'go" to mean "He is giong very quickly" or "He often goes"?

[Andrew]

I don't think so.

Newfoundland, eastern/western(mostly western PEI) PEI, and I think Cape Breton have big accents.

I know someone from out west (Alberta) who thinks all Islanders have accents and found it funny. While She has an accent (to us Islanders).

Best example is a ham sandwich

They say it like a haaaaam saaandwhich.

Although she said we say dad which sounds like dead. And she says dad, well properly I guess. :P

I guess in the US it is mostly a east/west, north/south accents. New Yorkers especially.

[nemafakei]

Hm. Difficult to describe over the net.

But the one most annoying and continual mispronounciation is the use of "ah" of "I". The error does occur this side of the channel, and I maintain that all popular singers ought to be required to take elocution lessons.

[lowzeewee]

In England for example, the "working class" people speak English different and poorer than the "upper class". :O

[nemafakei]

In England, there are many, many dialects depending mostly on where you live and, to a certain extent, where you were educated (since you pick up accents from schools and universities to a certain degree).

There is no one 'working class' accent, nor one 'upper class' accent.

[Dunenewt]

The worst accent in England to understand has got to be Geordie.

[Dante]

Scotland has a few difficult dialects as well. Glaswegian is particularly icky...

In England for example, the "working class" people speak English different and poorer than the "upper class". :O

How exactly would you know that? Especially since that's no longer the case.

[lowzeewee]

By working-class, I generally refer to the lower-income majority places, like Merseyside and the areas of Newcastle and Sunderland, where Geordie is the accent. :O

[Dante]

Don't be an idiot; geography alters accent more than class does.

[Kiyouta]

Yeah lowzeewee, you really do have no idea what you are talking about...

Some things never change. :-

[lowzeewee]

Guess I need to leave temporarily till I find my brain which I left in the coal mine back up in Newcastle. :-[

[nemafakei]

"Don't be an idiot"

A little strongly worded!

To be honest, the phrase 'class' means virtually nothing in Britain. It's far more a case of different cultures on an equal footing that divides Britain.

But yes, geography tends to generate greater accent differences than 'class', certainly nowadays when we have a more meritocratic society.