What do you think of Michael Phelps' accent? When the swimmer with record eight golds at the Beijing Olympics did talking, he gave me the impression that there is a peanut or something in his mouth. Do you feel the same way?
What do you think of Michael Phelps' accent?
Yeah he sounds like his nose is blocked and he slurs his words kind of. He seems reluctant to pronounce consonants.
He's American, obviously, but where in America does he come from? Not that it means much to me as I haven't actually heard him speak - only seen him stand on that centre podium time after time after time......or so it seemed. I could google and find out I suppose but I'm not that bothered to be honest with you.
He's from Baltimore. At least that's where his family now lives and where he's going to be living.
The dude swims the event of his life and you want him to speak with perfect eloquence? C'mon. He's from Baltimore, but who knows what accent that is. Lower Mid-Atlantic area ... Delaware, Philly, DC, all that stuff is in that sphere. No idea what the proper name would be. All the people I've met from there speak with some kind-of generic Northeast accent.
No. I heard him speak and his accent sounds very weird. He slurs unbelievably. And it was in a press conference like 5 hours after the race, so it's not because he was panting.
His swimming is definitely his redeeming feature, no doubt about that. I could definitely watch him swim all day long, but would I choose to sit down and chat with the guy? No, not really.....sorry.....maybe it's his accent (highly likely it is that) or maybe it's his style...probably both.
British people generally don't much for American accents in anything like the same the other way round, that's for sure.
Don't get me wrong - Phelps is one fantastic swimmer, that's for sure, too.
British people generally don't much for American accents in anything like the same the other way round, that's for sure.
Don't get me wrong - Phelps is one fantastic swimmer, that's for sure, too.
<<but would I choose to sit down and chat with the guy? No, not really.....sorry.....maybe it's his accent (highly likely it is that) or maybe it's his style...probably both.>>
So you judge who you would like to have a conversation with based on their accent? What a snob!
So you judge who you would like to have a conversation with based on their accent? What a snob!
British ladies have had no problem with the ole American accent, I can tell you that much. British men, who cares.
***So you judge who you would like to have a conversation with based on their accent? What a snob!***
No, it's nothing to do with snobbishness - no way am I a snob, but in the case of this guy I'd be happy to have a wee chat with him - it's just that after a while the bloke's voice would grate on me - that's my honest impression from listening to his YT clip. After about an hour of chat with Phelps I'd feel like jumping in the car and driving over to Glasgow as fast as the speeed regulations on the M8 allow. And anyone who disses the Glaswegian accent can never be judged a snob...never in a trillion years! ;-)
Remember this - here in Britain we are accustomed to hearing practically every accent under the sun.
My dentist here in Edinburgh is a South African, his wife (the practice receptionist at times) is French, who has about the most alluring of accents ever when speaking Enghlish, which of course she has to do when at work here. One of the hygienists, a female, is Polish - her English is perfect, and so is her accent - it's lovely.
My doctor is English - from Cambridgeshire, which is in the East Anglian region of England.
The people who live on one side of us at home (I live with my Mum and Stepdad at present) are Maltese, but now naturalised Britons. In one of the houses opposite us is a Dutch family. Further up the road, on the same side, lives an English bloke and his Norwegian wife who now has dual nationality.
In an adjoining road lives an American family (connected I believe with the American Consulate here in Edinburgh) who have this pole in their front garden about 20m tall from which the American flag continually flutters in the Scottish breezes. Not that I know them personally, or have ever even chatted with any of them, but even so here in Edinburgh we are extremely familiar with American accents anyway. The city is awash with them right now seeing that the Festival is in full swing.
With all these foreign accents around us all the time (as well as the myriad of native British ones) we'd never chat with anyone if we were snobs would we? There's nothing wrong with finding some accents much more attractive and appealing than others is there?
No, it's nothing to do with snobbishness - no way am I a snob, but in the case of this guy I'd be happy to have a wee chat with him - it's just that after a while the bloke's voice would grate on me - that's my honest impression from listening to his YT clip. After about an hour of chat with Phelps I'd feel like jumping in the car and driving over to Glasgow as fast as the speeed regulations on the M8 allow. And anyone who disses the Glaswegian accent can never be judged a snob...never in a trillion years! ;-)
Remember this - here in Britain we are accustomed to hearing practically every accent under the sun.
My dentist here in Edinburgh is a South African, his wife (the practice receptionist at times) is French, who has about the most alluring of accents ever when speaking Enghlish, which of course she has to do when at work here. One of the hygienists, a female, is Polish - her English is perfect, and so is her accent - it's lovely.
My doctor is English - from Cambridgeshire, which is in the East Anglian region of England.
The people who live on one side of us at home (I live with my Mum and Stepdad at present) are Maltese, but now naturalised Britons. In one of the houses opposite us is a Dutch family. Further up the road, on the same side, lives an English bloke and his Norwegian wife who now has dual nationality.
In an adjoining road lives an American family (connected I believe with the American Consulate here in Edinburgh) who have this pole in their front garden about 20m tall from which the American flag continually flutters in the Scottish breezes. Not that I know them personally, or have ever even chatted with any of them, but even so here in Edinburgh we are extremely familiar with American accents anyway. The city is awash with them right now seeing that the Festival is in full swing.
With all these foreign accents around us all the time (as well as the myriad of native British ones) we'd never chat with anyone if we were snobs would we? There's nothing wrong with finding some accents much more attractive and appealing than others is there?
Michael Phelps slurs his words to the point where I actually thought to myself, "I really hope that people around the world don't think that Michael Phelps' speech is representative of how all Americans speak! THAT WOULD BE A DISASTER!"
I was actually kind of embarrassed that he spoke so inarticulately...sorry Phelps--you're still an amazing swimmer though!
...and an amazing body to match ;)
I was actually kind of embarrassed that he spoke so inarticulately...sorry Phelps--you're still an amazing swimmer though!
...and an amazing body to match ;)
-He sounds like a typical young American male to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erUklTPtGVg-
The interviewers accent is so annoying. Strong NCVS: ask [esk]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erUklTPtGVg-
The interviewers accent is so annoying. Strong NCVS: ask [esk]
He sounds like a dufus to me. I don't see what the big fuss over him is, outside of winning the golds. Chicks seem to go GAGA over him, and I don't know why. Like I said, he looks and talks like a typical, average, ordinary dufus to me...
and he's fuckin' ugly too
and he's fuckin' ugly too