A question for those living in Britain...

Who buys an answering machine these days? Voicemail is part of a mobile phone contract. Mine has a slightly alluring English posh chick's voice on it
 
It's called Estuary English, innit?

That depends. Where I live is Estuary but I tend to spend my days in South London - it's a different thing. Gravesend is definitely Estuary but Eltham, Thamesmead etc. sounds quite different.

As for that video, sounds a little like my Westcountry cousins!
 
The notion of a 'Brittish' accent is quite hilarious, as frankly, it doesnt exist. What people often perceive as the token 'brittish' accent is usually a non-specific mid regional English accent. Im from Scotland and I can say my accent is nothing like the 'Brittish' one, and, like many other reigions in the UK, our local dialect is so diverse its practically considered a language of its own.

Coming from Aberdeen our dialect (Doric) is totally different to other parts of Scotland although i do like the Glaswegian accent sounds great when you are swearing.LOL
 
Coming from Aberdeen our dialect (Doric) is totally different to other parts of Scotland although i do like the Glaswegian accent sounds great when you are swearing.LOL

I knew a fellow from Turriff, and his acceent was so thick it could barly be understood by even his Aberdonian friends.
I also am heavily complimented on my thick Lanarkshire/Glaswegian accent, and how good it sounds when I swear.
 
If you've listened to the song you'll note that Steve Knightley is more concerned with American (and Australian) accents than Indian ones. The British folk community quite likes the odd Indian accent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QC2av7-_Ik

Apparently I'm not one of those "folk community". I remember taking a call from my phone company and they asked me a question, and I couldn't answer it properly because I didn't hear; needless to say I did complain to them about the accent.
 
My last answering machine actually sounded like a mix of West Virginia, Maryland, and Florida left coast dialect. Yeah...it was me. I have been told many times I have a face made for radio and not TV.
 
I believe the stereotypical neutral British English accent is known as RP (Received Pronounciation) or "BBC English" - the kind that BBC TV & radio reporters from decades ago were required to speak in.

So it's still fair to say "British accent" based on what seems to be the usual we hear. In Oz, there are very minor differences in the various states but it's pretty uniform. The main difference is the range from neutral to very broad.

Not just that, in Australian English there are various Ethnolects formed in various diasporas and the occasional speaker of the "posh"/"Cultivated" Australian accent.
 
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