What is your opinion on the United Kingdom?

[Maistre Gracey]

Benny Hill !!

Does anything else need to be said?

 

[bcla]

Maybe not an opinion but an observation. I suppose most people here would think of "received pronunciation" as a neutral English accent as an analog to we would consider a neutral American accent. I've met a few English people who spoke like that, but most didn't. All have been understandable, but certainly not "received pronunciation".

Patrick Stewart has discussed his native accent.

https://www.wimp.com/patrick-stewart-recites-a-poem-in-his-native-yorkshire-dialect/

 

[mousefan73]

Just wanted to comment that I prefer to PAY to use a public toilet as this usually means it's clean, has TP and is safe and usually in locations where I happen to have a need to use one.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

aha, you fell for tourist trap places of paying for toilets, lol. I lived in London and there were plenty of decent, free toilets but it takes a bit of planning. Also if I did have to pay for a toilet, I would never pay more than 50p

Why am I now imagining someone negotiating with their legs crossed, bopping up and down?

 

[elgerber]

from there , what is everyone from the USA opinion on the UK?

My dd lived there for 6 months in college. We visited for 10 days and would love to go back. My dd actually wants to move there permanently, if she can figure out a way to do it.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I don't really have one? I've never been there. I would like to go.

I mean, I'm not super happy with their treatment of Northern Ireland. Plus their treatment of India. But, as an American, I don't really have much to say on the topic, right? Like, look at us?

 

[CdnCarrie]

Benny Hill !!

Does anything else need to be said?

And Are You Being Served!?!

 

[RamblingMad]

Maybe not an opinion but an observation. I suppose most people here would think of "received pronunciation" as a neutral English accent as an analog to we would consider a neutral American accent. I've met a few English people who spoke like that, but most didn't. All have been understandable, but certainly not "received pronunciation".

Patrick Stewart has discussed his native accent.

https://www.wimp.com/patrick-stewart-recites-a-poem-in-his-native-yorkshire-dialect/

Check out David Tennant Does a Podcast. It's great.

 

[pearlieq]

I've spent a fair amount of time in the UK and have really enjoyed it there. I eventually hope to spend some of my summers there after I retire. The natural beauty is amazing and there's just so much to see and do!

Insanely jealous of the NHS and public transport. I once spent 10 days exploring from Brighton to Glasgow and managed to do it rather easily without a car. I can barely get to the next town over in the US.

The American standard of living is a bit higher (for example, your average American suburban home will be bigger, have central A/C & heat, washer & dryer, etc.) but that's not really important in the grand scheme of things.

It always seemed to me the UK had higher standards for their food than the US. There were tons more healthy options, ingredient quality was better, and portions were more reasonable. But then there's the munchie box.

The vast majority of people I've met were perfectly polite and considerate. It can be hard to socialize in the UK if one isn't much of a drinker. It's also a bit more "closed off" of a society--it can take a long time for anyone new or different to be invited into the fold, if it ever happens at all--though I found less of that in the north and Scotland.

If you watch BBC news you'd think the general level of discourse is higher over there, but if you flipped open the Daily Mirror you'd change your mind. Until Brexit/UKIP, I would have thought the British, as a whole, were more progressive than the US, but it just goes to show any society can be vulnerable to the stuff we're dealing with now.

On the whole, lovely place, lovely people and I hope I get to spend a lot more time there!

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

My dd lived there for 6 months in college. We visited for 10 days and would love to go back. My dd actually wants to move there permanently, if she can figure out a way to do it.

Meanwhile, I dream of living in Cape Cod.

Check out David Tennant Does a Podcast. It's great.

That is a Scottish accent, rather than an English one. Are you watching Des?

 

[bcla]

Check out David Tennant Does a Podcast. It's great.

Isn't he Scottish?

That being said, I know there's a tradition of Scots (see Craig Ferguson) trying to effect an English accent. And Irish. Even Welsh (see Anthony Hopkins or Catherine Zeta-Jones).

 

[Planogirl]

And Are You Being Served!?!

And Monty Python and Judi Dench and Harry Potter and....

 

[Starwarsfan2]

Y'all talk funny.

 

[RamblingMad]

Isn't he Scottish?

That being said, I know there's a tradition of Scots (see Craig Ferguson) trying to effect an English accent. And Irish. Even Welsh (see Anthony Hopkins or Catherine Zeta-Jones).

He is.

 

[tvguy]

Just wanted to comment that I prefer to PAY to use a public toilet as this usually means it's clean, has TP and is safe and usually in locations where I happen to have a need to use one.

I don't have too many issues with dirty public toilets here. Most I use are in grocery stores and fast food restaurants when the health department inspects, so they have an extra reason to keep them up. It was odd to me to go to the grocery store in the U.K. and they didn't have a public restroom.

 

[ronandannette]

That’s like saying Voldemort aloud!

I’m certainly no expert on what the Domestic Policy might have been at the time that causes you to feel so disrespectful towards Margaret Thatcher and I wouldn’t propose to dispute it. Undoubtedly though the entire world owes her a debt of gratitude and she is one of the most influential women in modern history.
https://www.heritage.org/europe/report/how-margaret-thatcher-helped-end-the-cold-war

 

[North of Mouse]

Never been there, but my nephew was there for a time while in the Air Force several years ago, and he and his buddies kept being ridiculed for being 'from the colonies'. (Of course their retort was, who won the war?) Could have been an age group thing, but it did leave some not so good memories with him.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Meanwhile, I dream of living in Cape Cod.

That’s my backyard. I have lived there, too. It is beautiful.

I loved the Herriot series growing up. A friend of mine is from Yorkshire, too.

And then, of course, there is Outlander. (Not sure how the people of England like that series.)

 

[RamblingMad]

That’s like saying Voldemort aloud!

Pretty much. Probably much worse to a lot of people. And Gillian Anderson is going to play her in the next season of the Crown.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

I loved the Herriot series growing up

I haven’t watched it, but a new series has just been released here. https://www.channel5.com/show/all-creatures-great-and-small