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Thread: On the Benefits of Having a British Accent

  1. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by Waterways View Post
    I Have a very watered down Liverpool accent and pronounce the words correctly. One lady on the phone said I had the best voice she had ever heard on a telephone - I was shocked.

    Having a Liverpool accent in the south is a distinct disadvantage. If we were collectively black we would have legal case against some organisations. I met one girl who went for an interview and they said to her that she cannot have the job as many people would find her accent "offensive".

    In the USA, I get regarded as a "very" intelligent person, as I write with an italic pen and they are astounded. I also know more about the world and history than them. They are in awe at times - to the point I unintentionally intimidate some of them. One company would always run some projects past me, as I thought and looked from a different angle than them.

    In the south of England the only way to survive is out dress them. Have a clean crisp white shirt on every day. A dark blue immaculate suit and a Burberry raincoat. Immaculately polished black shoes. They then can't point at you. If you are scruffy you get nowhere. The doormen also call you Sir when dressed that way - just say little to nothing to them, as if they detect the accent the respect drops.

    Always be in first in the morning and one of the last to leave. Don't drink alcohol with them at all, as Liverpudlians are drunks aren't they. If you have to, only at company meals, and learn about wine and knowingly order the wine if you can. It helps if you learn French too. Don't willingly socialise with them as they really don't want to know you. Some will make an attempt to be friendly with you, but mainly out of a sense of duty more than anything else.

    Follow all that and you will survive. You may not be the first on the redundancy list then.
    You're not the sort of man one meets every day, John. I enjoyed reading that. Every so often one will actually marry you, but, yes, only out of a sense of duty. That's women for you though.

  2. #17
    Senior Member ChrisGeorge's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrel View Post
    You're not the sort of man one meets every day, John. I enjoyed reading that. Every so often one will actually marry you, but, yes, only out of a sense of duty. That's women for you though.

    Hello Squirrel and Waterways

    Waterways, I don't doubt that what you say is true, though it still pains me to hear that a Liverpool or northern accent may be viewed as a disadvantage in the job market place down south. Although I am sure that as you imply, you have to do whatever you have to do in these precarious times when one can so easily face the axe.



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  3. #18
    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrel View Post
    You're not the sort of man one meets every day, John. I enjoyed reading that. Every so often one will actually marry you, but, yes, only out of a sense of duty. That's women for you though.
    I don't want them to marry me. They can earn their own living. :-)
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    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChrisGeorge View Post
    Hello Squirrel and Waterways

    Waterways, I don't doubt that what you say is true, though it still pains me to hear that a Liverpool or northern accent may be viewed as a disadvantage in the job market place down south. Although I am sure that as you imply, you have to do whatever you have to do in these precarious times when one can so easily face the axe.
    Chris, I know some Liverpudlians who were highly qualified and couldn't get jobs, discrimination was so rife. They started a company themselves and quickly employed southerners on the phones and as the front men mainly because of their accents. They did very well. So, like the Jews and Asians before them, Liverpudlians benefited from discrimination.
    The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
    Save Liverpool Docks and Waterways - Click

    Deprived of its unique dockland waters Liverpool
    becomes a Venice without canals, just another city, no
    longer of special interest to anyone, least of all the
    tourist. Would we visit a modernised Venice of filled in
    canals to view its modern museum describing
    how it once was?


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  5. #20
    doyler doyler's Avatar
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    Smile scouser in staten island

    riding me bike on si today saw a construction worker with everton tatooed on his back. i sang a stave from an old one. oh we ate bill shankly and we ate st john.....made up he was. him sean sweeney. me sean doyle. small world...

  6. #21
    Senior Member ChrisGeorge's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by doyler View Post
    riding me bike on si today saw a construction worker with everton tatooed on his back. i sang a stave from an old one. oh we ate bill shankly and we ate st john.....made up he was. him sean sweeney. me sean doyle. small world...
    Hello doyler

    As you may have gathered, I'm a long-time Red living in Baltimore, but I enjoyed reading this great story of the get-together of two Scouse Blues in an unlikely location. My best to you both.

    Chris
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  7. #22
    Senior Member gynsman's Avatar
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    Default Scousers "darn sarf"

    I always found my accent to be an advantage when I worked in London. All my clients knew it was me that they were talking to when I phoned them (worked in recruitment providing casual hospitality staff).
    On the occasions that I actually went out and worked on some of the jobs myself I always found that I wasn't the first scouser to grace their premises, whether it be places as different as Millwall Football Club or a City of London livery hall (well posh and very traditional).
    The usual thing was to joke through the boring initial comments "hope I've locked my car", etc. until getting to the point were people actually admitted that theyliked scousers.
    The moral of the story is......... don't change your accent, wherever your path leads, or you could turn into Ringo Starr (or Cilla Black if we need a female alternative).

  8. #23
    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gynsman View Post
    I always found my accent to be an advantage when I worked in London. All my clients knew it was me that they were talking to when I phoned them (worked in recruitment providing casual hospitality staff).
    Maybe being in that field. In other fields the accent is clearly not acceptable at all to them.

    I believe the accent is not discriminated against in the music and entertainment industry either. Try banking, consultancy, etc, fields were the money is big. Try working your way up the ranks in these companies even if they take you on.
    Last edited by Waterways; 03-18-2008 at 11:09 PM.
    The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
    Save Liverpool Docks and Waterways - Click

    Deprived of its unique dockland waters Liverpool
    becomes a Venice without canals, just another city, no
    longer of special interest to anyone, least of all the
    tourist. Would we visit a modernised Venice of filled in
    canals to view its modern museum describing
    how it once was?


    Giving Liverpool a full Metro - CLICK
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  9. #24
    Senior Member kevin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Waterways View Post
    I Have a very watered down Liverpool accent and pronounce the words correctly. One lady on the phone said I had the best voice she had ever heard on a telephone - I was shocked.

    Having a Liverpool accent in the south is a distinct disadvantage. If we were collectively black we would have legal case against some organisations. I met one girl who went for an interview and they said to her that she cannot have the job as many people would find her accent "offensive".

    In the USA, I get regarded as a "very" intelligent person, as I write with an italic pen and they are astounded. I also know more about the world and history than them. They are in awe at times - to the point I unintentionally intimidate some of them. One company would always run some projects past me, as I thought and looked from a different angle than them.

    In the south of England the only way to survive is out dress them. Have a clean crisp white shirt on every day. A dark blue immaculate suit and a Burberry raincoat. Immaculately polished black shoes. They then can't point at you. If you are scruffy you get nowhere. The doormen also call you Sir when dressed that way - just say little to nothing to them, as if they detect the accent the respect drops.

    Always be in first in the morning and one of the last to leave. Don't drink alcohol with them at all, as Liverpudlians are drunks aren't they. If you have to, only at company meals, and learn about wine and knowingly order the wine if you can. It helps if you learn French too. Don't willingly socialise with them as they really don't want to know you. Some will make an attempt to be friendly with you, but mainly out of a sense of duty more than anything else.

    Follow all that and you will survive. You may not be the first on the redundancy list then.
    Superb - really can't decide just how far your tongue is in your cheek!

    Having worked in London for a few years, until two years ago, my accent was often picked up on in a very negative way. Took 40 of my students (a lot of them from overseas) to Liverpool - 3 day study visit. They loved it and their attitudes changed totally.

    When in the Merch I used to go to New Orleans a lot. Used to get asked if I was Australian, or even from Boston!

  10. #25
    Chris48
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    I went to a restaurant in down town San Francisco once and they asked if I was Australian. I said that I was from Liverpool and they said "Where is Liverpool" ?
    Last edited by Chris48; 03-19-2008 at 07:12 PM.

  11. #26
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    I went to New York some years ago and was asked was I Irish, then Scottish, then Welsh, then Australian and finally New Zealander. I replied 'no from Liverpool'. I got a puzzled look - I just said 'it is in the north west of England...'
    It is Accomplished

  12. #27
    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kevin View Post
    Superb - really can't decide just how far your tongue is in your cheek!

    Having worked in London for a few years, until two years ago, my accent was often picked up on in a very negative way.
    You will know what I am on about then.

    Took 40 of my students (a lot of them from overseas) to Liverpool - 3 day study visit. They loved it and their attitudes changed totally.
    What did they study?
    Last edited by Waterways; 03-19-2008 at 11:31 AM.
    The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
    Save Liverpool Docks and Waterways - Click

    Deprived of its unique dockland waters Liverpool
    becomes a Venice without canals, just another city, no
    longer of special interest to anyone, least of all the
    tourist. Would we visit a modernised Venice of filled in
    canals to view its modern museum describing
    how it once was?


    Giving Liverpool a full Metro - CLICK
    Rapid-transit rail: Everton, Liverpool & Arena - CLICK

    Save Royal Iris - Sign Petition

  13. #28
    Senior Member kevin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Waterways View Post



    What did they study?
    Tourism Planning.
    They had a very lucky escape - Mike Storey was due to speak to them but cancelled at the last minute.

  14. #29
    Senior Member molly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Waterways View Post
    I personally can't stand the Northern Irish accent. I think it is the most grating sounding accent of any ever heard. No disrespect to any decent people over there, that is just my view.
    Coming from Northern Ireland but living in the North of Ireland (there is a difference) there are many different accents, we dont all sound the same.

    People in other countries think or ask are we from Scotland?.

    To me the Northern Irish Accents is as different as all the Scottish Accents. I cannot see where or how people think we sound scottish.
    100% Irish

  15. #30
    Senior Member kevin's Avatar
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    Re: Students

    Not sure I haven't posted some of this before so apologies if I'm repeating myself.

    When briefing the students (about 6 different European nationalites and a couple from South America) I had to point out the differences between London and Liverpool.

    'Don't freak out if people speak to you on the street'.
    This would be an alien experience to them in London and they'd be very unlikely to respond.

    Within a day they got used to the idea and each time they came back to the hotel they'd tell me about interesting conversations they'd had with complete strangers. One girl from Slovakia had gone in a shop to buy a paper. By the time she left the person serving knew where she was from, what she was studying in London, and why she was in Liverpool.

    The feedback I got from my students was amazing and I've never been so proud of the people from my home town. Of all the positive experiences they had, the people made the most impact.

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