Brummie Accent Makes you Sound Stupid

[Eemaan]

errr yeah we knew that :smack:

and the Yahorkshire accent is the most intelligent one :inlove:


Thick Folk From Brum (http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1311764,00.html?f=rss)

The Brummie accent makes people sound so stupid that they would actually seem cleverer if they said nothing at all, boffins reckon. :rofl1:
Ozzy has a strong Brummie accent
Ozzy has a strong Brummie accent

Scientists matched up regional accents with perceived intelligence and found that people with Birmingham accents are better off keeping schtum if they want to give a good impression.

But people from Yorkshire can blab with confidence - their accent is apparently the most intelligent-sounding.

It even beat the clipped vowels and precise diction of received pronunciation (RP), known commonly as the Queen's English.

Scientists asked 48 volunteers to look at photos of female models while listening to recordings of women with different accents talking about their lives.

Those questioned were also asked to give an intelligence rating when no voice was played.

The average intelligence ratings given by the study participants, out of 10, were: Yorkshire 6.71, RP 6.67, Silence 5.99 and Birmingham 5.6.

To avoid participants being influenced by appearance, models of roughly equal attractiveness were chosen for the photos, and the accents attributed to them were mixed up.

The researchers found accents made no difference to perceptions of attractiveness, but had a significant impact on whether or not a particular model was seen as intelligent.

Dr Lance Workman, who led the research at Bath Spa University, said: "One of the reasons for doing this study was to find out about stereotypes.

"Surveys have shown that a lot of people associate Birmingham with criminal activity, and they associate criminal activity with low intelligence. Whenever I've been to Birmingham I've found people to be very bright and friendly."

Famous past and present Brummies include former PM Neville Chamberlain, controversial politician Enoch Powell, comedian Jasper Carrott, pop star Ozzy Osbourne, and Clare Short, independent MP for Birmingham Ladywood.

[sapphire_blue]

Let's hope you didn't pick that dodgy accent up when you visited last week then . . . :p

[Ibn Sina]

All British and Aussie accents make you sound stupid! :outta:

[Irfan GBH]

Amreekans sound thickest of all IMO. And IMO Yorkies don't sound particularly bright either :p

[Phoenix CG]

Ofcourse, us Londoners sound the smartest and we are the brightest. :p

[Pippin1376]

All British and Aussie accents make you sound stupid! :outta:

I think you mean Southern parts of the US make you sound stupid. Or apparently some folks here in Canada too.

[Joha]

errr yeah we knew that :smack:

and the Yahorkshire accent is the most intelligent one :inlove:

Famous past and present Brummies include former PM Neville Chamberlain,

Agreed about Brummies (Neville Chamberlain wasn't exactly the smartest pm of the lot), but let's put things in perspective here...

It's a remarkable feat for a yahorkshire man to even begin to make sentences, let alone speech...so all things considered, pretty intelligent :D

[Ibn Sina]

I think you mean Southern parts of the US make you sound stupid. Or apparently some folks here in Canada too.

lol ur right, southers are by far the worst ....

[Basil al-Mamluk]

I think you mean Southern parts of the US make you sound stupid.

lol ur right, southers are by far the worst ....

False. I love my West Virginian accent.

Those South Africans though... :p

[*IslamicGirl*]

:start:

:salams

Ofcourse, us Londoners sound the smartest and we are the brightest. :p

Not if you sound like a chav that's dropped from an eastenders set :D

'alright mate....'

Bleugh :p

:wswrwb:

[Morris]

This makes me laugh. Shakespeare would have sounded West Midlands.

[Phoenix CG]

:start:

:salams



Not if you sound like a chav that's dropped from an eastenders set :D

'alright mate....'

Bleugh :p

:wswrwb:

haha, what the cockney accent? yeah they suck :p. nah I mean normal london accent :p care for some tea and crumpets?

[*IslamicGirl*]

:start:

:salams

haha, what the cockney accent? yeah they suck :p. nah I mean normal london accent :p care for some tea and crumpets?

Can i exchange the crumpets for cookies? :D

I think accents are generally nice- people from all walks of life have the most intriguing way to pronounce things and make them sound interesting :masha:

:wswrwb:

[ummbilal]

I have to say scoucers sound the most unintelligent to me, my mums family are from liverpool and despite the fact my uncle is a doctor of pathology i cant get over his accent doh

[Rosalie-Beauty]

False. I love my West Virginian accent.

Those South Africans though... :p

Hey dont make fun of our South African accents :torture:

[Phoenix CG]

:start:

:salams



Can i exchange the crumpets for cookies? :D

I think accents are generally nice- people from all walks of life have the most intriguing way to pronounce things and make them sound interesting :masha:

:wswrwb:

:wswrwb:
if you want :p, well...i cant say you're right, I mean liverpool...they dont even speak english :p, sounds like vomit. :p not far off birmingham :p

[Riceball]

American girls sound the worst... Especially the teenagers :vomit:

So yes, american is the worst. London accent is :up:

[ummbilal]

i dont like my london accent it sounds harsh, i love the west country accent it sounds so friendly and soft.

[*IslamicGirl*]

:start:

:salams

:wswrwb:
if you want :p, well...i cant say you're right, I mean liverpool...they dont even speak english :p, sounds like vomit. :p not far off birmingham :p


:sub: no one has ever said i have a Brummie accent but some of it is so so strong.

There is a sister here when i first spoke to her on the phone, she had such a scottish accent i kept asking her to repeat :embar: but once i got used to it it seemed like any other accent- the key is to get used to the accent :insha: hearing it first time may sound strange but if you get used to it then there isn't a problem.

:wswrwb:

[Riceball]

What about the cockney accent.. Its funny! :rotfl:

[ummbilal]

my husband has a proper cockney accent sounds like an extra from a guy richie film and its the coolest!!!

[Riceball]

my husband has a proper cockney accent sounds like an extra from a guy richie film and its the coolest!!!

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Love guy richie movies!!

[Ignatius F. Peace]

American girls sound the worst... Especially the teenagers :vomit:

So yes, american is the worst. London accent is :up:Women with a British accent are hot ... even if I can't understand what they are saying ... :inlove: ...

I like a woman with a cultured southern accent as well ...

[Riceball]

Women with a British accent are hot ... even if I can't understand what they are saying ... :inlove: ...

I like a woman with a cultured southern accent as well ...

Mate, you gotta learn Japanese. When you listen to 'cultured' Japanese ladies speaking, you will be VERY surprised to their elegance and femininity.. Makes western women sound like men!

Edit - Not to forget to mention their utter and sincere self-respect and honour!

[Ibn Sina]

American girls sound the worst... Especially the teenagers :vomit:

So yes, american is the worst. London accent is :up:

u should hear them going ghetto on each other ... Iggs will tell ya :rofl1:

[MMS]

i can't believe scientists get paid for this type of research, i could have told you brummies were thick and have the most nauseating accent time ago :outta:

[ummbilal]

lol!! MMS u are so bad!

[Phoenix CG]

:start:

:salams




:sub: no one has ever said i have a Brummie accent but some of it is so so strong.

There is a sister here when i first spoke to her on the phone, she had such a scottish accent i kept asking her to repeat :embar: but once i got used to it it seemed like any other accent- the key is to get used to the accent :insha: hearing it first time may sound strange but if you get used to it then there isn't a problem.

:wswrwb:

every brummy i have spoken to say, "i dont have a brummy accent" ahha, oh yes u do! :lol:

[carol_au]

sorry guys and girls .. I have to reply with this


:Professor Henry Higgens: All right, Eliza, say it again.
Eliza Doolittle: The rine in spine sties minely in the pline.
Professor Henry Higgens[sighs] The *rain* in *Spain* stays *mainly* in the *plain*.
Eliza Doolittle: Didn't ah sy that?
Professor Henry Higgens: No, Eliza, you didn't "sy" that, you didn't even "say" that. Now every night before you get into bed, where you used to say your prayers, I want you to say "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain" fifty times. You'll get much further with the Lord if you learn not to offend His ears.


(from My Fair Lady)

[Joha]

sorry guys and girls .. I have to reply with this

Professor Henry Higgens...

(from My Fair Lady)
ooh, I was itching for somebody to quote that (last time I quoted Professor Higgins I was lambasted as a sexist misogynist :D - None of this lot could see it as satire.) :rolleyes:

Must see clip for anybody who hasn't seen 'My Fair Lady'!

Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owWPgUyK7DY

One of my favourite scenes - absolute genius!

[carol_au]

ooh, I was itching for somebody to quote that (last time I quoted Professor Higgins I was lambasted as a sexist misogynist :D - None of this lot could see it as satire.) :rolleyes:

Must see clip for anybody who hasn't seen 'My Fair Lady'!

Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owWPgUyK7DY

One of my favourite scenes - absolute genius!

I had forgotten that scene.. and you are right.. it's a supurb scene.. though I can imagine why many would not like it if they don't understand the movie.

[`asiya]

Brummie accent is perceived as 'worse than silence'

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article3671116.ece

:eek: lol brummie accent is worse then silence?! thats a bit harsh


heres a brummie ( birmingham) accent for all the non brits :up: ( opens in real player)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/realmedia/voices2005/dudley/dudley_3.ram

[SD.]

In my book, the American accent (not the Southern one) is the best, while the Scottish one is hardest to understand. I had trouble watching Brave Heart. Does plain English exist anymore?

[carol_au]

Brummie accent is perceived as 'worse than silence'

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article3671116.ece

:eek: lol brummie accent is worse then silence?! thats a bit harsh


heres a brummie ( birmingham) accent for all the non brits :up: ( opens in real player)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/realmedia/voices2005/dudley/dudley_3.ram

is the link working? I tried it but it says the server isn't there?

[`asiya]

is the link working? I tried it but it says the server isn't there?

just tried it now works for me sis , do u have real player ?

[carol_au]

just tried it now works for me sis , do u have real player ?

good point. I used to.. till it was removed by someone trying to help me get media player to work properly.. jazak Allah khair.

[`asiya]

oh u should be able to run both media player and real player on your computer insha Allah, u can download an earlier version here that takes up very little memory try the 1.0 or the 3

http://www.oldversion.com/program.php?n=real

[sunrise]

i dont like my london accent it sounds harsh, i love the west country accent it sounds so friendly and soft.


i always get told i sound 'posh' whatever that means, i don't think London accent is harsh i like it pretty standard most people understand what your saying

i like accents they are kool, but not too strong that you can't understand what the person is saying:rubeyes:

i like the irish accent and the french/spanish accent when they speak english sounds kool

[Eemaan]

sorry guys and girls .. I have to reply with this


:Professor Henry Higgens: All right, Eliza, say it again.
Eliza Doolittle: The rine in spine sties minely in the pline.
Professor Henry Higgens[sighs] The *rain* in *Spain* stays *mainly* in the *plain*.
Eliza Doolittle: Didn't ah sy that?
Professor Henry Higgens: No, Eliza, you didn't "sy" that, you didn't even "say" that. Now every night before you get into bed, where you used to say your prayers, I want you to say "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain" fifty times. You'll get much further with the Lord if you learn not to offend His ears.


(from My Fair Lady)

:rotfl: i love pygmalion

[carol_au]

:rotfl: i love pygmalion

:D I thought of you when I posted that post about Eliza .. am so glad you appreciated it..

[Ibn Sina]

Is it the same Eliza from the Wild Thornberrys?

[`asiya]

Is it the same Eliza from the Wild Thornberrys?
sounds like this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/realmedia/voices2005/dudley/dudley_3.ram[/QUOTE]

[carol_au]

Is it the same Eliza from the Wild Thornberrys?

No .. this is Eliza Doolittle .. here is a link to the story of the musical that we are talking

about.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058385/plotsummary



A chance meeting between two noted British linguists, Prof. Henry Higgins and Col. Hugh Pickering, leads to a wager that will test Higgins' skills. After they hear a cockney flower girl caterwaul in the street, Higgins proposes to transform the girl, Eliza Doolittle, into a refined Victorian lady with an aristocratic accent. After some hesitation Eliza agrees to become their test case.


The movie/musical is about how he goes about it and all the things that happen on the way to achieving his goal. Her family's reactions to it and even her own reactions. It is about how inncocence and purity can overcome snobbery and prejudice in my mind. I'm sure it means much more.. but for a 1960's musical it sure has hung around.

All this talk about different English accents and how to improve them.. couldn't but help make me think of this story.

[Joha]

All this talk about different English accents and how to improve them.. couldn't but help make me think of this story.

Just to add to that, the musical is based on a play by George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion... a brilliant play, one of the best I've read or seen! Quite short too, so if any of you have some free time, read it. It's better than the musical!