REGIONAL VARIATIONS
EAMONN: Let me state from the outset that I love an accent – especially regional accents. You may have seen the BBC’s police drama, The Responder, starring Martin Freeman as Urgent Response Officer Chris Carson. The show is based in Liverpool and so Martin boasts a rather strong Scouse accent, which has left viewers divided.
One disgusted viewer was none other than Lord Alan Sugar, who claimed to have stopped watching the show as he couldn’t understand what anyone was saying due to their heavy accents. As a Northern Irishman working in TV, I’ve always been conscious of my accent. I’d say it’s fairly tame when compared to most from back home, but I’m sure many of you would disagree. I’ve never tried to lose my accent – and have stubbornly fought against those who suggested I should. Having a regional accent has its pros and cons. One of the cons is that I’m often faced with people mimicking me, after saying words such as ‘now’ and ‘mirror’, or asked to say the words ‘power shower’ for the amusement of those listening. Usually, I smile, laugh and play along… but sometimes I’d love to respond with language that’s instantly recognisable – whatever the accent! A pro, however, would have to be colloquialisms. Words and phrases used by locals that leave outsiders dumbfounded. For example, in Belfast we would say, ‘Dead on’ to signify something is good. ‘It’s Baltic’ to describe cold weather or we might suggest, ‘Going for a poke’ in warm weather (to clarify, this means getting an ice-cream). So, to Lord Sugar and anyone else who dislikes a regional dialect, I suggest you ‘Catch yourself on’ and ‘Wind your neck in’…!
‘I’ve never tried to lose my accent’ Eamonn