Southern puff.

lol. Absolutely.

You know it's the funniest thing. I don't have a particularly strong accent most of the time. The further South I go, however, the more northern my accent tends to become. Especially if I am there on business. I went to a Planning summer school at the university of Kent. The vast majority of the councillors in attendance came from Southern boroughs. By the time I reached Canterbury my accent had become thoroughly Bolton and I'd hooked up with three Aberdeenshire councillors. There's a handful of bits of northern dialect generally in my speech, but the accent got stronger. Southerners always seem to find it funny when I use 'thee' or 'tha'. Oh yeah and 'chuck'. I use that quite a lot.

(sorry. Turned into a ramble :P)

Thanks for the mini history lesson Dana. Good stuff. I love the UK.

Actually in the South we use the word pouf (or poof) not puff :p

Yes, I am a Southerner, but hard as nails me, from a proper East End family. My Grandad is a genuine, certified Cockney, born as he was within the sound of Bow bells. Dana & Monster will attest I have no identifiable accent, but in the brief clip of my Dad on Boxing Day you can definitely hear the Londoner in him.

Monster I disagree re the Newcastle accent - I think it's one people either love or loathe. I happen to love it. I can't think of an acccent I dislike though. I did have a violent aversion to Aussies for a while when my evil ex moved one into his flat during one of our breaks. I blamed a whole continent for his perfidy rather than aiming my anger in the right direction. I'm long over that now.

I'll add to the information about Newcastle.
Down here, it's seen as another country. The people up there - especially the men - don't feel the cold. This is despite the fact is is actually much colder there than in the South. They walk around in t-shirts in the middle of winter, arms so tattooed they look like lumps of Stilton cheese. The diet is one of the worst in the country, rivalling Scotland in its delight for deep fried items. Unemployment is higher, house prices are lower and supermarkets sell unbranded items in economy sized packs. Shopping trolleys live in canals and children's playgrounds are paved with broken glass. The local dialect is damn near unintelligible and the sound of a Southern accent brings hostile stares and accusations of snobbery. Football is worshipped and art is suspected. The people are clannish and sentimental - once accepted you are treated as family.

Well, that's the general view anyway.

I've been there - there's an element of truth in the above, but mostly it's an unfair and blinkered view. I think it's perpetuated by ex-Geordies moving to London, who whinge on about how shite everything is in the South and how great but tough life back home is.

Puff more accurately reflects how I am saying it. Puff. :P

That's the odd thing about these kinds of stereotypes they're often quite contradictory. Though the South generally is regarded suspiciously (and a little enviously) by the North, as having grown soft on all that sunshine and ready flowing money, London houses the other accepted Southern stero-type: the East End gangster.

There is a distinct change as one travels southwards in England. The landscape is different, the economy is different, the amount of wealth is different for much of the South (there are many working-class areas inthe South, but the Home Counties really skew the picture) and the sun shines much more. The British economy ensures that there is a general flow of money from the North to the South and not the other way around. Most importantly, the North is further away from the centre of power in England, and apart from a brief spell of Northumbrian dominance in the iron age, that has always been so. Culturally, also, the South is the centre of gravity.

Basically, the North has a gigantic chip on its shoulder about the South. The South sees the North as a slightly embarrassing and uncultured cousin.

Very interesting stuff.

Can anyone explain the obsession with thin sweatshirts with wide horizontal grey and white stripes?

They're everywhere. I see them on little kids through people in their mid-20s. It's definitely a unique trend like the tracksuit and hip-dysplasia walk things.

hahah. I can't explain it.

I lived North of Newcastle for a year. I had me a sexy accent for a while too. :lol: And I was hard as nails. Contrary to your belief, SG, you sound very London to me, just not cockney London.

This I have not seen. Is it the new Burberry (Essex Tartan)? I may need pics, but perhaps once my dinner has gone down....

They were on sale. ;)

UK doesn't do sale like US . but nice try....

Perhaps they want to look like long-time convicts?

Well, we all have tans and zinc-cream on our noses.

The supplier (China) had 'em on sale. :p

aaaah, Matalan had them in......

(Snigger)

the whole north/south thing is further confused when you live in southern Scotland ....

Turrah- local variant of ta ta
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
ta ta Audio Help /tɑ ˈtɑ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[tah tah] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun Chiefly British. good-bye.
[Origin: 1830–40; orig. uncert.]

oh yeah? when are they going to get a team?