The stafford accent??

[Kinky Afro]

I've lived in stafford for over 10 years now and on the rare occasion I do come across a native staffordian I seldom detect any kind of accent. Logic would suggest it should be a mix of Stoke/Wolverhampton but it just sounds a bit nondescript. Don't mean to offend anyone as I really like the place. Head to stone they sound a bit stokie. Head to penkridge they sound a bit Wolverhampton. Am I alone on thinking this? Can anyone put me straight on this one and give me some examples of typical stafford lingo.

 

[Gramaisc]

I've lived in stafford for over 10 years now and on the rare occasion I do come across a native staffordian I seldom detect any kind of accent. Logic would suggest it should be a mix of Stoke/Wolverhampton but it just sounds a bit nondescript. Don't mean to offend anyone as I really like the place. Head to stone they sound a bit stokie. Head to penkridge they sound a bit Wolverhampton. Am I alone on thinking this? Can anyone put me straight on this one and give me some examples of typical stafford lingo.

You are not alone....

 

[Lucy]

I am native, the only slight accent I have is a bit of Yorkshire picked up from my mum. I've never thought there's been any accent here.

 

[Alee]

i'm with you kinky.... people just say stafford people sound posh/stuckup/snobby, least thats what they say to me lol (which i'm not)

 

[John Marwood]

I've lived in stafford for over 10 years now and on the rare occasion I do come across a native staffordian I seldom detect any kind of accent. Logic would suggest it should be a mix of Stoke/Wolverhampton but it just sounds a bit nondescript. Don't mean to offend anyone as I really like the place. Head to stone they sound a bit stokie. Head to penkridge they sound a bit Wolverhampton. Am I alone on thinking this? Can anyone put me straight on this one and give me some examples of typical stafford lingo.

I canna coz a dunna so a wunna anna dinna

 

[John Marwood]

Every nine miles
The accent changes
Writes an expert

 

[Withnail]

There is an acute lack of a distinctive accent - it's a grave situation.

 

[John Marwood]

Every nine miles
The accent changes
Writes an expert

* where there is population

 

[John Marwood]

Flat vowels but less flat than Stoke

Travel nine miles west just beyond Eccleshall and the popular Facebook word LIKE becomes LARK

 

[staffordjas]

Born & bred here, I used to have a Stafford (non)accent and when I first met the in-laws in West Brom I was called 'That posh tart from Stafford' . 30 years on I blame hubby for me losing a bit of my 'normal' accent as I occasionally sling a few of his words into sentences.

I'm proud of my non-accent

 

[John Marwood]

Born & bred here, I used to have a Stafford (non)accent and when I first met the in-laws in West Brom I was called 'That posh tart from Stafford' . 30 years on I blame hubby for me losing a bit of my 'normal' accent as I occasionally sling a few of his words into sentences.

I'm proud of my non-accent

Babcocka

 

[Glam]

Head to stone they sound a bit stokie.Am I alone on thinking this?

Excuse me! Stone folk are posher than Stokies/Clayheads ty!
My 4 are all born & dragged up in Stafford, their accents are a mixture of mine (Stone) and their dads (soft southern jessie Farnborough).
Stafford dunna av an accent. My kids can't even say Cost kick a bow agen' a woe, y'ed it back an bost it?'

 

[Withnail]

When i went to Polyversity i had to transcribe a piece of literature into the IPA (not that one) to denote how it would sound to me. Myself and the only other person who wasn't from darn sarf - a chap from Bradford - on the course were the only ones who had anything different on the page.

Having said that, i'm not a 'born & bred' chap - though i have been sort of here since the age of three - as would seem to be the case for the majority of people here, ie their 'roots' are elsewhere. There was a thread x years ago asking about who on here was 'Staffordian' in the sense that they could trace their family history back to the Burh, as 'twere, and if memory serves most people found themselves here from elsewhere.

Post-war rehousing + people on Tebbit's proverbial bike - let's not forget that it wasn't that long ago that Stafford was a fairly big industrial centre - have had a big effect on the town's demographics. Perhaps this has had a knock-on effect resulting in a sort of accenta franca?

 

[John Marwood]

Not as much as the telly

Starting with Neighbours

 

[Withnail]

Not as much as the telly

If telly was a significant factor, the erosion of regional accents would be more widespread.

Although i would imagine this is to some extent actually happening - certainly an interesting research topic - it must be doing so at the pace of the snail as there are still most discernably different regional pronunciations and even dialect elements of English use.

 

[John Marwood]

What?!

NOTFROMROUNDEREAREYAMATE

 

[Withnail]

No, no i'm not.

Nor are
Me Ma 'n' Pa

 

[John Marwood]

Never mind the accent there is double deffo a Stafford look

Kind of a cross between a crow and a poker face

Pre startled as I call it

 

[John Marwood]

I think the Stafford accent enables two sarcastic genes, whilst withholding the much more valued sincere gene.

Ergo

Women more likely to offer a slap if not local

 

[Withnail]

The stafford accent??

Never mind the accent ...

Isn't this the kind of approach that generally lands you in the hot water of public opinion?