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Inchoateknowledge Posted 20 years ago
Linguistics Studies

lower-class accent

"Although he never lost his lower-class accent, he lived the life of a rich and succesful businessman as to the manner born."

What is the relationship between accent and social status in an English speaking country?

How, if it does, does accent influence your judgement you form of a native English speaker at the first time you (as another native) meet him or her?
  

Top answer

Accent is still a good indicator of social class in the UK. Luckily we are a reasonably 'fluid' society so no-one is necessarily stuck in the situation they were born in. I have to admit I'm a reverse snob and find it hard to take to people with posh accents.

— Nona the brit

  • Accent is still a good indicator of social class in the UK.
  • Luckily we are a reasonably 'fluid' society so no-one is necessarily stuck in the situation they were born in.
  • I have to admit I'm a reverse snob and find it hard to take to people with posh accents.
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42 Answers
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Accent is still a good indicator of social class in the UK. Luckily we are a reasonably 'fluid' society so no-one is necessarily stuck in the situation they were born in.

I have to admit I'm a reverse snob and find it hard to take to people with posh accents.
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Hi nona the brit,
I have to admit I'm a reverse snob and find it hard to take to people with posh accents.
How would you define 'posh accent'? Why do posh accents irk you? And how often do you meet people who speak with an upper class accent?

Englishuser
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I don't know why, they just get under my skin a little. Thinking about it, true RP accents don't bother me, (uRP, I just find comical), but that middle-England middle-class accent does. Odd as I know a lot of people who speak like that. Once I know someone it's ok, but my first reaction to it is just a little 'prickly'. I think I've just met a lot of annoying/snooty people with that accent in the
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"Like most people, I'm also guilty of having different register voices for different situations."

I wouldn't say that was a 'problem' Nona. To encode the message in the correct register for the receiver is what communication is all about.

And the lack of correctly encoding the message is why communication often either breaks down, or doesn't take place...
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as to the manner born

I always thought it was to the manor born. No?

CJ
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Well CJ...

When asked, during an interview at the height of Beatlemania, why he sang in a transatlantic accent, but spoke in broad scouse*, John Lennon replied:

"It sells better!"

(*the accent/dialect of Liverpool)
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CalifJimas to the manner born

I always thought it was to the manor born. No?

CJ

Hi CJ,

I have heard both versions, and according to my idioms dictionary, manner -born is correct to say, but there is no reference to manor-born.
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interesting comments -- thanks
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See this link:

www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/8/messages/465.html
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It's a play on words with the old BBC TV 'sitcom' staring Penelope Keith called "To the manor born" in which she played an 'upper-class' lady of a country manor who had to sell her house to a 'lower class' rich businessman after her husband died...
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