When Americans talk about the "British accent", what exactly are you imagining?

Question

I mean there's dozens of different accents. Which do you have in mind?

I'm fairly certain people expect Prince Harry, whereas I've got a Midlands accent thick enough to cut wood with. =/

Answer 1

When I think of "the" British accent, I think of RP. I especially like Richard Dawkins' accent (that is RP, isn't it?). I like most British accents, but Welsh and Scouse sometimes grate on me.

Most people probably think of Hugh Grant as having "the" British accent. Some may also imagine some Cockney gangster from the 1930s.

This guy (originally from England but now in Scotland) does great impressions of British regional accents:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KH_kOjsXakM

EDIT: Midlands? As in like the ones from "Dead Man's Shoes"?
Don't feel bad. A little bit of southern-fried hillbilly starts to slip through if I let my guard down too much. :)

Answer 2

I usually think of the Midlands kinds of accents. I hate that standard accent they use in the lame 'Harry Potter' movies and other films that are meant for Americans. Too polished for my tastes. I prefer the kinds of accents where the average American doesn't have the slightest clue what the person's just said. Try watching 'This is England' with a person who only knows the English accent used in the more main-stream British films, they will be quite confused.

Answer 3

Most Americans aren't thinking of a Brit accent when they say "Brit accent." What they are thinking of is standard stage speech. In my youth I had training as an actor and appeared in many productions. I particularly enjoyed acting the classics and had many good parts in plays by Shakespeare and Shaw while in college and after. I was often accused of having a British accent, when in fact it was my training in standard that was coming out. (Even today when I am tired, or with actors I find my diction slipping back to standard stage.) Also what most non-Americans think of as an American accent is the carefully trained diction of our radio and television personalities. They sound nothing like our southerners, nor Americans from my part of the country. Mainers have several very distinct accents just in this one small state!

Answer 4

Yeah, i know brithish people have a lot of diffirent accents, it's kinda unfair to say a "british" accent! Im not sure what the accent thats steroytyped here would be though, although i think it comes from southern england!
Also, theres little cultural phrase differances, I picked up that you were british a long time before you asked this, because of phrases and rxpressions you used!

Answer 5

Im in the States but originally from the West Coast of Scotland.
I still to this day (12 yrs on) argue with people who are adamant that I am NOT British!!!!
Then we have a short lesson on the British Isles/Geography.
Then, that a British accent DOES NOT constitute 'just' an English accent
Then, me stating Im British they claim I have to be bloody English....
sooo when I tell em Im Scottish and also British.... totally messes them up lol.

12 yrs and I still have the pleasure of watching a lot of Americans squirm when their proven wrong lol, doesnt mean it doesnt irk me just a tad tho LOL

Answer 6

I have never heard a very good British accent from an American. I am assuming that they just try to mimic some of the sounds they hear on television. BUT the British use different words and have different expressions that most Americans don't even know, which makes it even funnier to hear an American try.

Answer 7

I think that most (not all, of course) Americans hear British accents on TV or in movies. And often times it's that sort of upper crust, kind of posh, received pronounciation sort of thing. And imagine that all Brits are uppity and posh. But also I think lots of Americans are familiar with a Cockney accent too, and associate that with London's more street-wise population. (like the little lizard we have advertising insurance)

But just like America, there are tons of accents in Britain.

I hope this helps.

Answer 8

I think most Americans imagine a "proper" accent. Queens English. Although all of my British friends here in America speak w/ a cockney accent. My apologies if I did not use the correct terminology.

Answer 9

I usually think of the one that Kate Winslet has... I've heard lots on tv but they all sound the same to me... lol. I was also watching a movie where the main character had a British accent and I swear I barely understood any of it, she was talking so fast and like cutting off the end of her words when she spoke.

Answer 10

I love any British accent.. :) Gets me all giddy... I love a good Prince William accent. ;) And I'm sure your accent is quite nice..