Accents you can do/imitate

[trinacriabob]

I grew up in this kaleidoscopic multi-ethnic city, so my friend's parents, people in high school/college and neighbors provided fuel for the fire. Here's my list:

Cuban - this is Ricky Ricardo talk, this is NOT a Mexican accent. I love it. It's my favorite.

Iranian-Middle Eastern - perfected from LA experiences - make damn sure you leave out articles in front of nouns whenever possible. I once asked this Middle Eastern guy at a party where he was from. His response: "I leev een Bay Area." I had meant which country he came from, but that's ok. I can't drive through Concord on 680 without muttering that to myself.

Southern - it's great and it can be so affected. I love those Southerners who call Dr. Laura and put the Christian bent in there ... when she's Jewish. Southernisms are great.

OK, I won't use the "E" word, some African American street slang...with inflection. There are 2 guys I work with and we will go to lunch every other week at a pizza place we like and "ham" this one up in the car on the way over there and back as if it's a ritual.

German - to some extent. It's so guttural....it's great. Remember Dr. Ruth? My hero.

New York - one of my favorites. Perfected because just about every Italian and Jewish person who hung out with my parents in LA came from there...and never lost the accent. A co-worker who is from Port Washington L.I. says mine is a Jewish/Queens version.

Accents I cannot do:

Irish brogue, French, Australian, Minnesota/Scandinavian, New England

Edited February 5, 2006 by trinacriabob

[CSpec]

New England is easy (even though I don't know anyone who actually speaks it), so is Jewish (think Kyle's cousin Kyle on South Park), British, southern, Mexican, Chinese, French, and black (TEEEvee). For the life of me I can't do a Russian accent.

[Drew Dowdell]

British, Cartman, Mr. Mackey, Pittsburgh <I'm not a native>, southern

[thegriffon]

There is no british accent. You mean oxfordian, scots, welsh, yorkshire, bristolian (all words which end with a vowel sound have an l on the end, the real name of the city was bristow), cockney, glaswegian etc. Up north you get names such as Menzies (Mengis) and Dalziel (Dee-yell) in which the apparent z is not a z at all it's an old letter called yogh (ȝ if you have a really big font set) which looks sort of like a z with a tail like a g and sounds like a guttural y and gh at the same time (as in yogh).

[NOS2006]

I can definitely do ebonics, "valley girl," arabic, "redneck." I think that's all?

[Charger4U]

ebonics, hillbilly, and new engalnad

[CSpec]

There is no british accent. You mean oxfordian, scots, welsh, yorkshire, bristolian (all words which end with a vowel sound have an l on the end, the real name of the city was bristow), cockney, glaswegian etc. Up north you get names such as Menzies (Mengis) and Dalziel (Dee-yell) in which the apparent z is not a z at all it's an old letter called yogh (ȝ if you have a really big font set) which looks sort of like a z with a tail like a g and sounds like a guttural y and gh at the same time (as in yogh).

Most people mean Tony Blair style.

[Croc]

I can definitely do ebonics, "valley girl," arabic, "redneck." I think that's all?

NOS, you are now forbidden to talk anything but "valley girl"

I can do a nice Texas drawl, though I need to go to the South a little more to perfect my Southern accent.

I can do Canadian, Minnesotan, California Coastal (sometimes), I'm decent at Irish, New Englander? Piece of cake.

[mjdecker]

If I heard it first I can do a bit of Irsih.

I can also do a near perfect Gollum/Smeagol from Lord of the Rings.

[NOS2006]

Like OMG like totally? Me? Like noooo wayyy!

[Croc]

Like yes way!

[trinacriabob]

Crap, I forgot - I can also do the East Indian accent (it's hilariously musical) and general purpose Asian.

[ocnblu]

Our manager has just departed to purchase a local independent bodyshop with two other guys. It's called "Dutch Valley Motor Works".

I had a brainstorm for a TV commercial I'm thinking about pitching to him. He's about 6'4", 320 pounds, with a beard. One of the other guys is about the same height, but really thin. The third guy is built like a boxer, shorter than the others. Of course, I want to be compensated for my creativity. It goes like this.

"Dutch Valley Girls"

Scene: front office. A customer walks in to the sound of a door chime and stands at the front counter. Manager emerges from office wearing a long blonde wig and speaks.

"Like, Oh My God! How can I help you today!?"

Customer looks dumbfounded, but smiles. He takes a step back.

"I had an accident and need an estimate for repairs."

Before manager can answer, the second guy emerges from another office wearing a long blonde wig.

"Like... no WAY! I can totally help you with that!"

Customer is a bit confused, but goes along.

"Does your bodyshop deal with insurance companies? Do you guarantee your work?"

Before the second guy can answer, a third guy emerges from a third office wearing a blonde wig.

"Like, OH MY GOD, sir! We, like, TOTALLY guarantee our repairs, and we have a totally TUBULAR relationship with just about all insurance companies!"

Customer, impressed and amused, signs the repair order. Another job sold by the Dutch Valley girls!

Brilliant, if I do say so myself, don't you all agree, like totally? :AH-HA_wink:

Edited February 5, 2006 by ocnblu

[NOS2006]

Well, I wouldn't suggest a new company to make such a commercial.. maybe an established one though. Funny though, o' blu.

[trinacriabob]

Funny, definitely. I can't quite gauge whether your area of PA is conservative or close enough to the urban centers to be liberal to where that would go over. I, personally, would find it amusing.

[Enzora]

I can do a nice Texas drawl, though I need to go to the South a little more to perfect my Southern accent.

Piece of cake. There are really just two things you need to know to make the perfect Southern accent (Eastern North Carolina variety, at least.)

1. When pronouncing a word, always stress the first syllable. Also, you gotta flatten your vowels. Words with two syllables where the syllable break occurs between two vowels become one-syllable words. Example: heel = hill. I'm a Tar Hill born, I'm a Tar Hill bred, and when I die, I'm a Tar Hill Dead!

2. Keep your mouth as closed as possible while talking. If it ain't mumbling, it ain't Southern!

Follow these rules, and you'll be grilling pigs in no time!

[Flybrian]

Pretty much any nationality and dialect. Also, good ones of Presidents Kennedy through Dubya, except for Ford...if I do Ford, I just talk slow and stupid. According to one guy, my Jimmy Carter was dead-on, so yeah. This isn't me bragging, merely stating what my friends have told me. My girlfriend says if the flying gig doesn't work out, I could always voice cartoons.

[Turbojett]

damn, name it.

Mexican, Ricky Ricardo-Cuban, Punjabi (Indian), Middle Eastern*, Russian, German, Southern drawl, Scottish**, Irish***, several British accents, Aussie****, and I cooud probably faeke a Canaedian accent, eh, but it'd oonly werk oover the phohne, you knohw, you'd see me, eh, and you knohw I'm a Yank. I also do a great old Jewish guy, sort of like Jerry Stiller.

*Always remember that they swithch their W's and V's (i.e. Wolksvagen.), and enunciate their vowels, especially their long-E sound. Punjabi is totally different.

**RRRRRRoll yourr Arrrrs. make sure you speak fast and sloppily. if nobody understands what the hell you just said, you did it right.

***Do NOT roll your R's. pRonounce them veRy distinctly, and soRteR distoRt the vowel afRont of it, if any.

****Always keep your mouth and throat in the position to make the AE sound, and don't pronounce your R's. It sound nothing like any British accent.

Edited February 5, 2006 by Turbojett

[Cory Wolfe]

Accents? I try some... but not very convincingly.

[Paolino]

Ebonics

French

Italian

British

Australian

Spanish

Irish

Indian

Austrian (a.k.a "Ah-nold")

Oh, and faggus homosexualis

[trinacriabob]

Australian

Oh, and faggus homosexualis

I can only do a few words. Whatever Paul Hogan has said along the way.

The latter - is that similar to homo erectus?

[Enzora]

I can only do a few words.  Whatever Paul Hogan has said along the way.

The latter - is that similar to homo erectus?

I always thought it was homo eroticus.

[chris]

scouser, yorkshire, nondescript soft new england accent...

the more foreign i get, the less accurate it is. my welsh and chinese affectations are identical.

[trinacriabob]

I always thought it was homo eroticus.

No, I'm almost sure there is a homo erectus in some high school science book showing the evoluation of man at the point where he can stand up and he's not dragging himself on the ground.

[bowtie_dude]

Just about any accent you can think of.

Including all types of American English (New England, New York, valley dudes and dudettes, homo-lisp (no offense), southern, yankee and Texan). British, French, Russian/Eastern European, Indian (not Native American), Australian, African, Swedish, etc etc.

[Enzora]

No, I'm almost sure there is a homo erectus in some high school science book showing the evoluation of man at the point where he can stand up and he's not dragging himself on the ground.

I know. I was referring to Paulino's faggus homosexualis.