this post was submitted on 09 Oct 2025
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Casual UK

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Casual UK

A casual place for banter and anything that doesn't fit in anywhere else.

Have chat and a natter. Talk about anything and everything that's not political!

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[–] pjwestin@lemmy.world 10 points 3 days ago

One summer, when I was 19, I became deeply infatuated with a British girl and it took me two full weeks to realize she was really dumb.

[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world 58 points 4 days ago (6 children)
[–] cRazi_man@europe.pub 42 points 4 days ago (3 children)

As far as Americans are concerned, there are only 2 British accents:

Villain or wise mentor: Queen's English

Henchman or comic relief: Cockney

I would really like to see a movie about a team up between detectives with Yorkshire, Brummie and Scouse accents; working cross regionally to bring down a gang of criminals. Hardcoded subtitles for the Americans please.

[–] neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works 12 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Michael Cain would like to have a word about the Cockney accent typecasting.

[–] ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

He gets a pass cause he can make cockney sound refined

[–] Madzielle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 4 days ago

Hey now, I've watched enough Simon Roper to know that's not true.

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[–] Pipster@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 4 days ago (16 children)

Many yanks don't tend to think of brummie or scouse...

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[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 12 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (6 children)

Anecdotal..

British gal is visiting New York. Loves it and makes plenty of friends. She learns that if she has a job offer she can almost certainly get permission to stay. Goes to an employment agency and gets an interview the same day. Hired to a prestigious firm almost immediately. They tell her they love her classy British accent. In the UK she was lower middle class.

edit = silly me. I forgot that 'middle class' means different things.

At home, she would be a barmaid at the local.

In NYC she was a receptionist in a law firm on Madison Avenue.

[–] skisnow@lemmy.ca 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

lower middle class

Do you mean in US terms or UK? That phrase means something very different in the UK.

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 8 points 4 days ago

I'm an idiot.

Yes, I meant USA.

To rephrase, to a Brit she was a slum girl who'd gotten a bit of education.

To americans she was Lady Diana's cousin.

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[–] NKBTN@feddit.uk 12 points 4 days ago

It does, but I once met a Mancunian who sounded, in his own words, common as muck and rough as fuck to a fellow brit, but in the states was treated like Shakespeare

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[–] rizzothesmall@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Clearly never spoken to a brummy

[–] LadyButterfly@reddthat.com 5 points 3 days ago

The most sensual accent known to man

[–] bunnyBoy@pawb.social 6 points 3 days ago

My boyfriend from the UK is actually staying with us right now and damn, the accent is powerful. Free food at restaurants, free drinks at bars. People just jumping into our conversations because they want to talk to him. Earlier this week we were taking the train to do some shopping, and when the ticket taker came around to get our tickets, he just said 'Oh, I'm from leeds, I didn't know I needed a ticket' (Even though I bought one for each of us already) and it was fine. Ticket taker just said 'Oh its all good, welcome to america' and just.... moved on.

[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago

Then you see a pack of them getting off a Ryan Air or Wizz flight for a stag party in a place they picked for the sole reason of cheap pints and realize how misguided you were all along.

[–] DagwoodIII@piefed.social 27 points 4 days ago

Lenny Bruce said "Thank God Einstein came from Germany! If he'd told people about the Theory of Relativity in a Georgia accent they'd have laughed him out of the college."

[–] abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zone 24 points 4 days ago (4 children)

Which British accent though? Like RP will make you sound intelligent, West Country makes you sound like a farmer, Northern Irish makes you sound like you're about to stab someone, Edinburgh makes you sound like a lawyer, Glaswegian makes you sound like a docker, Liverpudlian makes you sound like a rascal, Yorkshire makes you sound like a Union leader, and Shetland makes you sound like a folklorist.

[–] foofiepie@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago

And Welsh (particularly central Wales) makes you sound irresistible. That might just be me mind.

[–] Sir_Premiumhengst@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

I need a Shetland voice actor to read the Silmarillion...

[–] Aggravationstation@feddit.uk 4 points 4 days ago

ASAR - All Scousers are Rascals

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[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 7 points 3 days ago

If you sound like Tom Hiddleston, sure.

If you sound like Shaun Ryder, probably not.

[–] AppleTea@lemmy.zip 15 points 4 days ago (9 children)

don't worry, this malady can be cured by following british politics for a month or two

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[–] youCanCallMeDragon@lemmy.world 12 points 4 days ago

It’s because we know you didn’t go to school in America

[–] Reginald_T_Biter@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

Depends which British accent. This post is referring to, probably, a fancy southerner accent, but if you speak like a crazed man from Birmingham, less so I'd imagine.

[–] trolololol@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Oi mate how many points do Oi get with my Aussie vibe?

[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

You get 10 fun points, 10 adventure points, and 30 hard drinking points. We'll treat you like people treat every American in places where they don't see a lot of Americans.

"So, uh, do you know Mel Gibson/Hugh Jackman/the Flight of the Concords guys?"

"Mate, I used to live the next Cattle Station over from Mel Gibson/Hugh Jackman/the Flight of the Concords blokes!"

[–] Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

+5 knife size

+7 can throwing

-2 etiquette

[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 3 days ago

About 5 surfer points

[–] MoonManKipper@lemmy.world 14 points 4 days ago

This is true- am British, lived in America. Also good for dating

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 9 points 4 days ago (3 children)

I take twenty away.

I know what you people do at your soccer hooliganeries.

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[–] cynar@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

In their defence, Queens English (Kings English now?) or RP was what most (older) Brits grew up hearing from news and documentaries. I'm still conditioned to give more weight to an argument given in a formal accent.

Though I do love how shocked Americans are by the range of British accents. E.g. the pirate, in "Treasure Island" was using a particularly thick West country accent.

Also see "Hot Fuzz" for the best play on accents!

[–] Hozerkiller@lemmy.ca 3 points 4 days ago

He says “an ‘edge is an ‘edge, only chopped it doon cause couldn’t see view no more waz monin bout?”

[–] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 11 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Isn't that already how it works in the UK, for RP? Which is probably the "British accent" that most non-Brits are thinking of, anyway.

[–] clockworkrat@slrpnk.net 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Not necessarily. In many places RP labels you as a posh wanker.

[–] fakeman_pretendname@feddit.uk 4 points 4 days ago

...or a Tory, Criminal or Conman (or all of the above).

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