Is British English adored and held in prestige in US?
Is British English held in prestige in US?
Not really. Most Americanisms are exported and used in the UK,,
the same is not true of British expressions in the us, the only one that comes to mnd i MISSING, as in be missing, go missing...
the same is not true of British expressions in the us, the only one that comes to mnd i MISSING, as in be missing, go missing...
I thought the OP was asking about speakers of British English in the US--not about importing the vocabulary. British dialects sound very prestigious and upper class in the US (except for extreme ones like Cockney). Cockney sounds sort of funny (but in a good way) to Americans. Most North Americans adore the sound of a British accent--although we don't try to emulate them (except for fun).
Why don't the Americans try to emulate it if British accent is adored?
Because most of us realize we aren't any good at it and there isn't much point.
British English isn't prestige in the US in the sense that one has to speak it in order to sound educated or wealthy. It's just foreign in a positive way and euphonious to American ears. We have our own (more or less) standard and aren't in need of an imported one. If someone decided to adopt British English entirely I think people would just think they were bizarre and more than a bit pretentious.
British English isn't prestige in the US in the sense that one has to speak it in order to sound educated or wealthy. It's just foreign in a positive way and euphonious to American ears. We have our own (more or less) standard and aren't in need of an imported one. If someone decided to adopt British English entirely I think people would just think they were bizarre and more than a bit pretentious.
I do wish people would stop using the word British when it's quite clear they are referring to the bog standard English English RP accent!
Sure enough, that IS a British accent, it exists here in the British Isles, but so do very many more accents which bear little resemblance to that particular one, the one many people abroad, especially in America, think of as being the British accent...period.
Others either don't exist apparently, or are some kind of dialectal sub-speak linguistics which are not anything as identifiable as being typically British as EERP a la mumbly stumbly but still "posh" Hugh Grant or the (seemingly) virginally sweet Keira Knightley, both products of the English English cut glass cum multi carat gold accent of the lush English English leafy heartlands...although Keira originates from equally leafy but highly south west London suburban Teddington, where "posh speak" EERP is pretty much high profile anyway.
A gobby East End Glaswegian or a broad Aberdonian or and an even broader Brummie or a Liverpudlian Scouser or a manky sounding Mancunian or a gibbering Geordie or an unintelligible bloke from the Rhondda (pronounce the "dd" bit exactly the same as the "th" in the! - it's Welsh!) Valley of South Wales or some "Sahf Landun" (ie South London in Londonspeak) single mum off an estate in Peckham ALL have British accents. It's extremely unlikely that any of those would be regarded as having even the remotest hint of prestige in the United States or anywhere else for that matter. No - it's just that high profile *posh" or reasonably "posh" EERP accent which Americans, in particular, automatically think of as being THE British accent, and many no assuming it to be the one and only in these islands, when it most definitely isn't.
The Edinburgh Scottish accent is very pleasant on the ear, even though I say so myself seeing that it is my own, and many people regard it as being on a par with the soft and lilting Highlands and Islands accent, which in fact I think is actually the very nicest to hear and listen to. Listening to people chat together in the streets of Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, is a joy to those who especially appreciate Scottish accents generally.
Americans however are much more familiar with EERP than they are with our own H & I tones so familiarity will breed intelligibility I reckon, so it may be just as well that they continue to regard the former as being the British lingua franca, bless 'em! The last thing we want to do is to confuse them....
I did read somewhere that a British accent (ie EERP) works wonders in the sales marketing and commercial advertising industry over there, and that, apparently, the sound of a British voice has a very positive influence on prospective customers or clients. Maybe they out to try an Edinburgh accent...it may well work very well over there, and that's not just in the selling of shortbread or marmalade or nicely moist Dundee cake.
Just a wee note here about our dearest friends, the English - all 51 millions of them down there South of the Border....making up 84% of the entire UK / British population. There are only 5m of us Scots, and just 3m Welsh people.
Even so, the English as a race of people, as a separate entity going under the title of The English - don't actually exist! Officially, there is no such nationality as The English. That is so according to official UK Government documenation...The Scots, the Welsh and the Northern Irish really do exist and are recognised as such - but not so the English. They are merely British.
On any official document, such as the decadal census form, a resident of Edinburgh or Lerwick or wherever in Scotland, can quite legitimately insert "Scottish" as his/her nationality. Likewise, someone in Cardiff or Llanfairfechan or wherever in Wales, can happilty write down "Welsh" and it is officially accepted by the authorities.
However, a bloke in Basingstoke or a lassie in Loughborough, or anywhere else in England, are not allowed to describe themselves as English in the nationality box......it has to be British! English is not allowed! Why that should be, God alone knows, but that's how it is.
The English are officially "non people" - England is only a name on the largest portion of the map of the UK, and even though they can quite rightfully dscribe themselves as English, because that is just what they are, but not according to officialdom.
Maybe the Sassenachs ought to wave their red and white St George flags much more widely than they do and not just during the World Cup championships every four years - that is, if they are lucky enough to qualify in the first place! Ha! Maybe, just maybe, next time round......as if! Perhaps we Scots could help if so many of us stopped supporting whichever national team was opposing England! As our tennis lad from Dunblane - Andy Murray - resolutely does on each and every occasion!
If the English waved their flags more prominently, and protested their separate identitiy much more vocally and forcefully than they do, as we Scots and the Welsh have done in the past, then maybe the UK authorities may finally notice them and recognise them as a clearly defined nationality of their own, and not simply relegate (or elevate?) them to the status of just plain old British! Aw, bless!
Sure enough, that IS a British accent, it exists here in the British Isles, but so do very many more accents which bear little resemblance to that particular one, the one many people abroad, especially in America, think of as being the British accent...period.
Others either don't exist apparently, or are some kind of dialectal sub-speak linguistics which are not anything as identifiable as being typically British as EERP a la mumbly stumbly but still "posh" Hugh Grant or the (seemingly) virginally sweet Keira Knightley, both products of the English English cut glass cum multi carat gold accent of the lush English English leafy heartlands...although Keira originates from equally leafy but highly south west London suburban Teddington, where "posh speak" EERP is pretty much high profile anyway.
A gobby East End Glaswegian or a broad Aberdonian or and an even broader Brummie or a Liverpudlian Scouser or a manky sounding Mancunian or a gibbering Geordie or an unintelligible bloke from the Rhondda (pronounce the "dd" bit exactly the same as the "th" in the! - it's Welsh!) Valley of South Wales or some "Sahf Landun" (ie South London in Londonspeak) single mum off an estate in Peckham ALL have British accents. It's extremely unlikely that any of those would be regarded as having even the remotest hint of prestige in the United States or anywhere else for that matter. No - it's just that high profile *posh" or reasonably "posh" EERP accent which Americans, in particular, automatically think of as being THE British accent, and many no assuming it to be the one and only in these islands, when it most definitely isn't.
The Edinburgh Scottish accent is very pleasant on the ear, even though I say so myself seeing that it is my own, and many people regard it as being on a par with the soft and lilting Highlands and Islands accent, which in fact I think is actually the very nicest to hear and listen to. Listening to people chat together in the streets of Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, is a joy to those who especially appreciate Scottish accents generally.
Americans however are much more familiar with EERP than they are with our own H & I tones so familiarity will breed intelligibility I reckon, so it may be just as well that they continue to regard the former as being the British lingua franca, bless 'em! The last thing we want to do is to confuse them....
I did read somewhere that a British accent (ie EERP) works wonders in the sales marketing and commercial advertising industry over there, and that, apparently, the sound of a British voice has a very positive influence on prospective customers or clients. Maybe they out to try an Edinburgh accent...it may well work very well over there, and that's not just in the selling of shortbread or marmalade or nicely moist Dundee cake.
Just a wee note here about our dearest friends, the English - all 51 millions of them down there South of the Border....making up 84% of the entire UK / British population. There are only 5m of us Scots, and just 3m Welsh people.
Even so, the English as a race of people, as a separate entity going under the title of The English - don't actually exist! Officially, there is no such nationality as The English. That is so according to official UK Government documenation...The Scots, the Welsh and the Northern Irish really do exist and are recognised as such - but not so the English. They are merely British.
On any official document, such as the decadal census form, a resident of Edinburgh or Lerwick or wherever in Scotland, can quite legitimately insert "Scottish" as his/her nationality. Likewise, someone in Cardiff or Llanfairfechan or wherever in Wales, can happilty write down "Welsh" and it is officially accepted by the authorities.
However, a bloke in Basingstoke or a lassie in Loughborough, or anywhere else in England, are not allowed to describe themselves as English in the nationality box......it has to be British! English is not allowed! Why that should be, God alone knows, but that's how it is.
The English are officially "non people" - England is only a name on the largest portion of the map of the UK, and even though they can quite rightfully dscribe themselves as English, because that is just what they are, but not according to officialdom.
Maybe the Sassenachs ought to wave their red and white St George flags much more widely than they do and not just during the World Cup championships every four years - that is, if they are lucky enough to qualify in the first place! Ha! Maybe, just maybe, next time round......as if! Perhaps we Scots could help if so many of us stopped supporting whichever national team was opposing England! As our tennis lad from Dunblane - Andy Murray - resolutely does on each and every occasion!
If the English waved their flags more prominently, and protested their separate identitiy much more vocally and forcefully than they do, as we Scots and the Welsh have done in the past, then maybe the UK authorities may finally notice them and recognise them as a clearly defined nationality of their own, and not simply relegate (or elevate?) them to the status of just plain old British! Aw, bless!
<<Most Americanisms are exported and used in the UK,,
the same is not true of British expressions in the US>>
In fact, it works both ways. For example, the word for 'airplane', meaning 'aeroplane', originated in Britain, but, strangely enough, is now essentially only heard in the US.
<<In any official document, such as the decadal census form, a resident of Edinburgh or Lerwick or wherever in Scotland, can quite legitimately insert "Scottish" as his/her nationality.>>
This is certainly NOT the case when stating ones nationality. A citizen of the United Kingdom is British and putting Scottish is not acceptable on immigration forms.
<<If the English waved their flags more prominently, and protested their separate identitiy much more...>>
I certainly hope they do not start doing that. If there is anything that has been imported from the US wholesale in Scotland, it is blind nationalism. All this is a long way from the intellectual heyday of the Scottish Enlightenment. A man who thinks he can best serve his country by waving a flag in an unquestioning manner and accepting with it anything it may represent is a fool and no friend of democracy.
One true strength of the English is that (perhaps with the exception of World Cup season) they do not define themselves by their nationality and flag-waving, but by a common sense of justice and morality which the huge majority of the world shares. As a Cornishman, I would hope this could be extended to the British as a whole. I would be greatly saddened to think the Scottish had rejected what they themselves played a huge role in realising. I trust you can reassure me, Damian, this is not the case.
the same is not true of British expressions in the US>>
In fact, it works both ways. For example, the word for 'airplane', meaning 'aeroplane', originated in Britain, but, strangely enough, is now essentially only heard in the US.
<<In any official document, such as the decadal census form, a resident of Edinburgh or Lerwick or wherever in Scotland, can quite legitimately insert "Scottish" as his/her nationality.>>
This is certainly NOT the case when stating ones nationality. A citizen of the United Kingdom is British and putting Scottish is not acceptable on immigration forms.
<<If the English waved their flags more prominently, and protested their separate identitiy much more...>>
I certainly hope they do not start doing that. If there is anything that has been imported from the US wholesale in Scotland, it is blind nationalism. All this is a long way from the intellectual heyday of the Scottish Enlightenment. A man who thinks he can best serve his country by waving a flag in an unquestioning manner and accepting with it anything it may represent is a fool and no friend of democracy.
One true strength of the English is that (perhaps with the exception of World Cup season) they do not define themselves by their nationality and flag-waving, but by a common sense of justice and morality which the huge majority of the world shares. As a Cornishman, I would hope this could be extended to the British as a whole. I would be greatly saddened to think the Scottish had rejected what they themselves played a huge role in realising. I trust you can reassure me, Damian, this is not the case.
What Dan has informed of us here regarding the status of English people as a nation is really odd and interesting! If that has long been the case for the English, why haven't any Englishmen protested against such treatment? It is clearly prejudice. I think English people shoule be proud to call them as English.
"I do wish people would stop using the word British when it's quite clear they are referring to the bog standard English English RP accent!
Sure enough, that IS a British accent, it exists here in the British Isles, but so do very many more accents which bear little resemblance to that particular one, the one many people abroad, especially in America, think of as being the British accent...period."
I think you'd find that most British accents have similar prestige, since said prestige is generally of the "foreign, smart, and sexy" variety and not linked to any great knowledge of class and/or region connected to them. Is it all British accents, I'm sure not. Is it more than RP/Home Counties, most certainly. Does it include some Scottish, Welsh and N. Irish accents, yes. So therefor we're talking British.
Sure enough, that IS a British accent, it exists here in the British Isles, but so do very many more accents which bear little resemblance to that particular one, the one many people abroad, especially in America, think of as being the British accent...period."
I think you'd find that most British accents have similar prestige, since said prestige is generally of the "foreign, smart, and sexy" variety and not linked to any great knowledge of class and/or region connected to them. Is it all British accents, I'm sure not. Is it more than RP/Home Counties, most certainly. Does it include some Scottish, Welsh and N. Irish accents, yes. So therefor we're talking British.
I doubt Americans would think of Geordie and Scouse as posh accents...
because they don't even understand them!
because they don't even understand them!
Does anybody know where I could hear Geordie or Scouse accents?
To answer the OP's question: Received Pronunciation--and other English accents in general--are used quite a bit in our advertising industry; I don't quite know why.
To answer the OP's question: Received Pronunciation--and other English accents in general--are used quite a bit in our advertising industry; I don't quite know why.
Ths one's from Newcastle
http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personalisation/object.cfm?uid=021MMC900S11129U00022C01
This is from Liverpool.
http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personalisation/object.cfm?uid=021MMC900S10010U00001C01
You could find some others through the search on the site
http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personalisation/object.cfm?uid=021MMC900S11129U00022C01
This is from Liverpool.
http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personalisation/object.cfm?uid=021MMC900S10010U00001C01
You could find some others through the search on the site
GEORDIE - the accent of the North East England region = Northumberland, Cleveland, Tyne and Wear (pronounced as "Weeah" - definitely NON rhotic!), the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area and Country Durham (pronounced as "DURR-um")
Geordie accents - Hebburn, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/newcastle-hebburn.shtml
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Typical Geordie accent from the guy particularly - Seaham, County Durham (pronounced as "DURR-um")
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/newcastle-seaham.shtml
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Pigeon fanciers in Coxhoe, Cleveland - guys who keep pigeons in lofts and race them - very definite Geordies!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/cleveland-coxhoe.shtml
----------------------------------------------------
===============================================
SCOUSE = Liverpool and the Merseyside, area surrounding the city, and also The Wirral - the peninsular just across the River Mersey from LIverpool proper.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/merseyside-liverpool.shtml
College students in Birkenhead, just opposite to Liverpool waterfront on the other side of the River Mersey (sixth formers as these particular guys are called in England) - typical thick Scouse accent, with the characteristic throaty sound as if they have acute catarrh!)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/merseyside-birkenhead.shtml
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===================================
CORNWALL - George's home area at the South Western tip of England.
Three female hairdressers in Truro, the county town of Cornwall. Absolutely no hint of the Cornish accent at all - it is very much a generational thing down there***.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/cornwall-truro.shtml
***As you will hear with these old guys who are members of a male voice choir in the seaside village of Marazion (pronounced as Marra-ZYE-un) - a very clear Cornish accent and clearly different from that of the young hairdressers not too far away in Truro (pronounced as TRUE-row).
---------------------------------------------
================================================
Now, let's travel a long way north, over the border into Scotland, and up here to EDINBURGH:
Three actors who happen to suffer from cerebral palsy, but who are determined to overcome their difficulties. Two of the actors have the very clear, very typical Edinburgh accent, and that of the bloke, James, mirrors my own virtually exactly, except that he has allowed traces of the Scottish version of the Estuary glottal stip to creep in here and there, especially where the letter "t" is concerned, plus the fact that he sounds quite a few years older than I am right now which is 26.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/scotland-edinburgh.shtml
Now to a very distinct district of the city of Edinburgh - Morningside, which is actually part of the city itself, and not separate from it as that map so wrongly indicates with the flashing location indicator - it's a fairly smart"posh" area, so much so that the Morningside accent is bit of a standing joke in Scotland as it's generally perceived as being a wee bit snooty, but I think that must be dying out now with the new generations coming up and it really does seem to be mostly elderly ladies taking tea and shortbread biscuits in a restaurant or hotel bar who talk the way some of these ladies do in this recording from Morningside:
:http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/scotland-morningside.shtml
That's all for now but if you click on any of those green dots on the UK map you can hear the whole range of UK accents (and even languages in the case of parts of SVCotland and parts of Wales).
You will need audio tuned in, naturally!
Geordie accents - Hebburn, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/newcastle-hebburn.shtml
-----------------------------------------------------
Typical Geordie accent from the guy particularly - Seaham, County Durham (pronounced as "DURR-um")
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/newcastle-seaham.shtml
-----------------------------------------------------
Pigeon fanciers in Coxhoe, Cleveland - guys who keep pigeons in lofts and race them - very definite Geordies!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/cleveland-coxhoe.shtml
----------------------------------------------------
===============================================
SCOUSE = Liverpool and the Merseyside, area surrounding the city, and also The Wirral - the peninsular just across the River Mersey from LIverpool proper.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/merseyside-liverpool.shtml
College students in Birkenhead, just opposite to Liverpool waterfront on the other side of the River Mersey (sixth formers as these particular guys are called in England) - typical thick Scouse accent, with the characteristic throaty sound as if they have acute catarrh!)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/merseyside-birkenhead.shtml
---------------------------------------------------------
===================================
CORNWALL - George's home area at the South Western tip of England.
Three female hairdressers in Truro, the county town of Cornwall. Absolutely no hint of the Cornish accent at all - it is very much a generational thing down there***.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/cornwall-truro.shtml
***As you will hear with these old guys who are members of a male voice choir in the seaside village of Marazion (pronounced as Marra-ZYE-un) - a very clear Cornish accent and clearly different from that of the young hairdressers not too far away in Truro (pronounced as TRUE-row).
---------------------------------------------
================================================
Now, let's travel a long way north, over the border into Scotland, and up here to EDINBURGH:
Three actors who happen to suffer from cerebral palsy, but who are determined to overcome their difficulties. Two of the actors have the very clear, very typical Edinburgh accent, and that of the bloke, James, mirrors my own virtually exactly, except that he has allowed traces of the Scottish version of the Estuary glottal stip to creep in here and there, especially where the letter "t" is concerned, plus the fact that he sounds quite a few years older than I am right now which is 26.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/scotland-edinburgh.shtml
Now to a very distinct district of the city of Edinburgh - Morningside, which is actually part of the city itself, and not separate from it as that map so wrongly indicates with the flashing location indicator - it's a fairly smart"posh" area, so much so that the Morningside accent is bit of a standing joke in Scotland as it's generally perceived as being a wee bit snooty, but I think that must be dying out now with the new generations coming up and it really does seem to be mostly elderly ladies taking tea and shortbread biscuits in a restaurant or hotel bar who talk the way some of these ladies do in this recording from Morningside:
:http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/group/scotland-morningside.shtml
That's all for now but if you click on any of those green dots on the UK map you can hear the whole range of UK accents (and even languages in the case of parts of SVCotland and parts of Wales).
You will need audio tuned in, naturally!