Americanised Speech

[CaptainWaggett]

Originally Posted by Dame Starry It doesn't really matter, does it? You have your opinion and davidb has his - to which both of you are entitled; it isn't for either of you to question the other's opinion or to try and change it. You must agree to disagree. If we all thought the same, what a dull old World this would be! Vive la difference! DS x.

It makes any discussion a bit pointless if nobody is allowed to question an opinion. I am genuinely interested in why someone wouldn't want a talented actor to demonstrate an ability with accents. Am I not allowed to ask davidb why he thinks actors should stick to one accent? Or is it only some actors who should stick to their native accent (something James Mason, who he mentioned, certainly didn't do)

I might well say that it isn't for you to question my right to ask questions. But then I'd just get confused...

[Dame Starry]

Originally Posted by CaptainWaggett It makes any discussion a bit pointless if nobody is allowed to question an opinion. I am genuinely interested in why someone wouldn't want a talented actor to demonstrate an ability with accents. Am I not allowed to ask davidb why he thinks actors should stick to one accent? Or is it only some actors who should stick to their native accent (something James Mason, who he mentioned, certainly didn't do) I might well say that it isn't for you to question my right to ask questions. But then I'd just get confused...

Of course you are allowed to question him - but unfortunately you often give the impression that yours is the only valid opinion and you appear to go on the defensive - even if it is not your intention to do so.

davidb actually gave you his reasons for his opinion:

Originally Posted by davidb its a problem for me because i find it off putting because i know he doesnt speak like that ! and from an english perspective hugh laurie has a fine english accent .would the show be as successful though ? probably not .maybe its just me but i always think of sandra dickinson when i hear it ,or those two appleton /all saints girls and it puts me off !

....and, personally, I agree with him.

Don't they have any English people living and working in America?

[GRAEME]

Originally Posted by Dame Starry Don't they have any English people living and working in America?

They certainly do!

Law and Order and CSI regularly feature people with English accents as they move through their investigations - waiters, visitors, doctors, actors, etc. Their Englishness is almost never remarked upon which suggests it is no big deal.

[Dame Starry]

Originally Posted by GRAEME They certainly do! Law and Order and CSI regularly feature people with English accents as they move through their investigations - waiters, visitors, doctors, actors, etc. Their Englishness is almost never remarked upon which suggests it is no big deal.

Precisely, GRAEME - which begs the question: why couldn't House have been an English doctor working in an American hospital?
After all, Holby City has had American doctors - David Soul for one; now, I'd love to see HIM doing an English accent!

DS x.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Dame Starry Precisely, GRAEME - which begs the question: why couldn't House have been an English doctor working in an American hospital? After all, Holby City has had American doctors - David Soul for one; now, I'd love to see HIM doing an English accent! DS x.

David Soul has been living in London since the 1990s. So it wouldn't surprise me if he does a reasonable British accent. He is now often the "resident American" that they call on for West End stage shows that need an American, like Jerry Springer in Jerry Springer, the Opera or Mack Sennett in Mack and Mabel

Steve

[Dame Starry]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook David Soul has been living in London since the 1990s. So it wouldn't surprise me if he does a reasonable British accent. He is now often the "resident American" that they call on for West End stage shows that need an American, like Jerry Springer in Jerry Springer, the Opera or Mack Sennett in Mack and Mabel Steve

To be fair, I remember that I have heard him do an English accent - but it wasn't that good and I don't think he can keep it up for very long!

My point is that both he and David Bedella (who won an award for Jerry Springer, the Opera) are Americans who have played American doctors in Holby City but, IMHO, it would be an insult to British actors if they brought over an American actor to play an Englishman.

What would have been the problem of House being an eccentric English doctor working in an American hospital?

DS x.

[davidb]

yo britmovie dudes ! can we take a raincheck on this one ?..........ive no idea what ive just said there [ not for the first time i hear some people saying ] but you quite often hear the yanks saying it in that context and yank wannabees ,what does it mean ?

[rskershaw]

Hey, I'm good today.

[Dame Starry]

Originally Posted by davidb yo britmovie dudes ! can we take a raincheck on this one ?..........ive no idea what ive just said there

I've always thought it meant to put something aside for the time being; forget about it.

DS x.

[batman]

A 'raincheck' was given to ticket holders at US sporting events (mainly baseball) which had to be cancelled due to rain. They could use it at the re-arranged event. Hence it meaning a postponement.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by rskershaw Hey, I'm good today.

Aren't you usually good?

Steve

[bhowells]

Thanks Rustywhite, I would be very pleased if you could recommend some places should I go to Memphis.

Thanks

[ShirlGirl]

Originally Posted by scholes However whilst the plethora of 'Americanisms' which currently pervade our verbal heritage is quite alarming, the current penchant for 'Australianising' our speech is even more of a concern. Emphasis on each sentence containing a hidden interrogative is plain bloody annoying, and must ,I argue, be blamed on that early evening soap called 'Neighbours.' Richie Benaud and Rolf don't speak like that. If Peter Finch had continued along similar lines surely he would have had poor old Virginia McKenna thinking 'now is that a romantic proposition or not?' I spoke to somebody on the phone the other day and the last part of each of his sentences finished with that pronounced high inflexion, which quite frankly grated.

It's the Australian equivalent of the English " Know wha' I mean?" - but we are too lazy to say that so we simply use the rising terminal instead!

No, it's a modern thing and peculiar to the younger generation. We oldies just grit our teeth and hope they'll grow out of it. Personally, I'm quite sure it originated in New Zealand - but we Aussies get the blame for all the sins of the Kiwis!

What ever happened to phrases like- 'Gooday mate' 'Alrighty blue' 'Where yers going, sport?' Grumpy old men ain't we?

"Alrighty" is American. "Blue" and "sport" are obsolete and have been for at least the last two generations - I've never heard either in my lifetime and I'm ancient. "Mate" is still very common and so is "g'day".

"Yers" or "yous" is ugly and horrible and unfortunately is very widespread, but only amongst the poorly educated. Sadly, it is being picked up by non-English speaking immigrants who simply don't know that it is a non-word. They hear it all the time, so that's what they learn.

[SirOllyBolly]

I hate all Americanisms.

Period.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by SirOllyBolly I hate all Americanisms. Period.

It's like when someone was complaining about the use of foreign expressions in the English language. "Oh I don't know," said his friend, "they give the language a certain je ne sais quois"

Steve