tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8442430064359197279.post2112959540555074526..comments2024-03-26T10:03:51.827+13:00Comments on Karl du Fresne: "Deetch" or "dutch"? Both are capable of being made to sound absurdKarl du Fresnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05054853925940134404noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8442430064359197279.post-1005159316939694242014-10-19T21:56:17.341+13:002014-10-19T21:56:17.341+13:00There's good evidence that the way Kiwis used ...There's good evidence that the way Kiwis used to speak.. say 20-30 years ago was very much the way Poms used to speak even further back in the day.<br /><br />In fact, back in the early 50s some English educators came out here and recorded my voice (among others) as examples to give to their classes of Cockneys on how the deadly England should be spoke.<br /><br />And back in the 90s I remember ringing a businessman in IIRC Wisconson and struck the wife.. she gave a happy sigh and told me to keep talking because she loved that NZ accent :)<br /><br />But I have to say I've had the advantage of hearing my tape recorded voice and on radio from 40 years ago plus how I speak now.. my voice is lighter and I speak faster now.. and its not an improvement.<br /><br />Remember Robin Kura on TV?.. his voice was thick dark syrup compared to today's sugar water.<br /><br />JCJChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00875768024598278750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8442430064359197279.post-12776566470200826542014-10-19T14:32:19.043+13:002014-10-19T14:32:19.043+13:00Jigsaw,
I had a very similar experience a couple o...Jigsaw,<br />I had a very similar experience a couple of years ago in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where the woman running the local information centre said to me: "Ah could listen to yo' accent all day". So someone likes it, even if the Orstrylians don't.Karl du Fresnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05054853925940134404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8442430064359197279.post-76302777873421428612014-10-18T19:55:01.761+13:002014-10-18T19:55:01.761+13:00When I taught in Ontario, Canada the teenagers wou...When I taught in Ontario, Canada the teenagers would often say "you have a funny way of speaking' to which I would always reply "no its you who speak funny" which always floored them. It got so that I mentally processed words like tomato into American before I said it. Onother time I was asked to speak at a PTA meeting and later overheard a woman saying to another "oh I could listen to that accent forever". I might ad that I don't think I have a strong New Zealand accent. After a few months hearing just Canadian accents it was music to walk into a room full of Aussies!Jigsawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13906156865367357834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8442430064359197279.post-31815455770486296722014-10-18T14:34:46.080+13:002014-10-18T14:34:46.080+13:00I recall an appointment with a dental hygienist in...I recall an appointment with a dental hygienist in Melbourne a few years back. The young lady had an outrageously extreme Aussie accent - think Kath and Kim level. "So you're from New Zealand ?" she said. "Yes that's right". "But you must be from Australia originally ?" she continued. "No no, NZ born and bred" I replied. "Oh, that's strange, you don't have a strong accent".<br /><br />At this point I make the same point as you Karl. "Well you must understand, from our perspective, we don't have accents at all - and you Aussies are the ones with accents". This was met with absolute incredulity, signalled by an open mouthed gape. After a while her normal sunny disposition returned and she said "Oh, good one", having successfully internalised a complicated situation in her head by concluding that I was obviously joking.Bill Forsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12919120230697462221noreply@blogger.com