[spireitematt]

I was told the other day by two Manc lads that I speak posh and that people from Derbyshire are posh, was told that we speak weird in Derbyshire. Anyone else been told they speak posh or they speak weird being from Derbyshire?

[Dancingwilldoit]

I was born in Manchester, lived in South Africa, Nottingham, Warrington, London and Derbyshire for 40 odd years and talk like a prick most of the time, so I don't think my accent matters that much. One thing I have noticed whenever I go back to Manchester, the accent seems stronger than I ever remembered it.

[SaltergateBorn]

In the course of my life I`ve been called many things, Matt, but I honestly can`t remember 'posh' ever being one of `em.

Like you though, Dancing, I`ve spent most of my life away from the area and have been told I don`t have much of a local accent left at all. I remember one time - it must be at least 20 years ago now - I came back to the town for the first time in quite a while; I`d lived in the London area and abroad for some years and hadn`t had the chance. My wife and I sat drinking coffee and people-watching and listening for a while, at which point I made the unbelievably crass (even for me) comment; 'Don`t people talk funny up here!'

After a few minutes - when she`d stopped nearly wetting herself laughing - my better half politely (well, sort of) pointed out that this was the accent I`d grown up listening to and hearing for the first 20-odd years of my life. Strange how the way the ears pick things up changes; that`s probably what`s happened in your case, Dancing.

[Devongone]

Well I've a broad accent of some kind ........ but I think I sound more Yorkshire, where I spent four years.

I reckon the Manc accent seems to be more pronounced now than it was when I was young.

Manc does sound kinda rebellious to me ........ so I can see normal Derbyshire might sound posh to them and Yorkshire/ Derbyshire like me might be hilarious.

Very few people down here guess where I'm from ......... they know it's north. But then you hear precious few true Devon accents down here.

I've spent time Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Stoke (uuuuuuuugggghhhhh, still recovering), Gloucestershire and Devon.

[spireitematt]

I don't think we sound posh being from Derbyshire.

Also got told off for using the term "Duck" as was told it's a Stoke saying which I then had to educate and tell them its Derbyshire like the saying "Ey up mi duck".

[St Charles Owl]

I’ve never really considered Derbyshire even having a distinct accent of its own, i suppose its a nOrthern accent to me just like mine is. I have to say though one of the benfits of living in the States is that most Yanks assume English people are intelligent because of their accent, I can say pretty much what I want with conviction and a nice English accent and they will believe it!!

[SaltergateBorn]

You`re right about the Yanks thinking we`re intelligent because of the accent, St Charles. If they only knew......

That`s probably how Farage convinced Trump he was a genius. Mind you, when you`re a moron I suppose anybody sounds intelligent.

When I was in the States a few years ago, I was asked about a dozen times in the course of a few weeks what part of Australia I was from. Clearly, I didn`t sound intelligent enough to be English - no surprise there - but I`m wondering whether being thought Aussie counts as being called posh. Probably not, come to think of it.

[St Charles Owl]

I think the average American ear, when it comes to accents, struggles to distinguish between an English and Aussie accent. Most recognize that I am English, but I still get a lot thinking I'm Australian.

[Dancingwilldoit]

Would love to put an American in a room with a Welshman, Geordie, Scot, Cockney, Brummie, East Anglian and Somebody from Somerset/Devon and strike up a conversation about Wee Donald Trumpy. If the American thought he spoke English before he started can you imagine the result when he came out.
Yorkshire is nowhere near as strong an accent as any of the above but how anybody could confuse it with the Aussie accent surprises me.

By the way, whats happened to Blue? Has somebody upset him?

[SaltergateBorn]

Good point, Dancing. Where are you, Blue? Not gone all Red on us, have you?

I`ve heard the same thing from a few people - about being thought to be Australian in the US, that is. What you said, Dancing, reminded me of a conversation I had with a few Yanks whilst I was there about American actors` ability to do an 'English' accent. (I still can`t think of Dick van Dyke in Mary Poppins without creasing up.) Gwynneth Paltrow in Sliding Doors was mentioned, as was Renee Zellweger in the Bridget Jones films and Johnny Depp in several - by far the best, for me - but I got a bit confused when they started talking about Robin Williams; I really couldn`t think what film they were talking about. It turns out they were talking about his 'English' accent in Mrs Doubtfire. I`m sure that would go down well north of the border.

To be fair, I suppose it`s only like us distinguishing between an Australian and a New Zealander. Nowadays, having been to both, if I listen carefully I can just about tell the difference after a few minutes but to an Aussie or a Kiwi it`s obvious straightaway, apparently. A few years ago I did once call a Kiwi an Aussie on the basis I couldn`t tell the difference. Nearly got into VERY hot water there; it cost me a couple of pints to get out of it.