A lot of Americans have difficulty distinguishing a New Zealand accent from an Australian accent from a South African accent. New Zealand accents and South African accents are particularly difficult for me, but I can tell a difference between New Zealand and Australian.

I remember talking to old NarniaWebber COIREALL (who is no longer on the forum) who was from New Zealand, and he said that he couldn't tell the difference between an accent from the deep South of the U.S. and somebody from the extreme Northeast.

That's surprising. He is a language/speech/drama sort of person, so I would have thought he would have a good ear for such differences.
I can tell the difference; I was delighted to hear a couple of women on the London Underground once who had that very musical Deep South accent, and I remember thinking "oh they really do talk like that".

He is a language/speech/drama sort of person, so I would have thought he would have a good ear for such differences.

It depends on what a language/speech/drama sort of person might use for referencing different dialects and idiomatic expressions in English. Having worked with ESOL materials, I've learned from them that the English language is basically divided into two groups: Non-rhotic and Rhotic, that is to say it all depends how much stress English language dialects and accents use in pronouncing "R" sounds. Rhotic English language speakers include both Canadian and USA speakers of English, Scottish and Irish versions of English, Geordie, and otherwise the northern Part of England.

Southern Hemisphere English-language speakers such as South Africans, Australians and New Zealanders are all in the Non-Rhotic group of English language dialects and accents, along with English speakers from Wales, Cornwall, Kent, that is to say, Southern England, and, in particular, London, itself. And over the years I've seen many comments about the similarities between the Australian accent and idiom, in particular, and English as it is spoken in London, eg Cockney.

I'm intrigued that this overall English language division in UK, itself, tends to mirror the old Celtic language divisions of Brythonic (Welsh, Cornish & Breton) and Gaelic (Scottish Gaelic, Irish & Manx). The most obvious difference between these two Celtic language groups is that Brythonic languages use p instead of q, so that the Mac used in Gaelic surnames becomes Map in Welsh.

Though I did have a friend from canada who thought the Australian and the British accent sounded the same(she thought there was only 1 british accent).

You can see now why she might think this way. Although Deep South USA accents tend to be quite noticeable, on TV, at any rate, I find it hard to tell the difference between Canadian and Northern USA accents, and have had to be very wary of this when meeting people obviously from North America. My husband, who is born Scottish, has a habit of latching onto any Scottish-sounding voices whenever we go shopping, though sometimes I get tripped up and find myself yarning happily to an Irish-born new acquaintance, instead.

Briefly onto license plates again, I get a small chuckle out of Ohio's license plates as they read the "Birthplace of Aviation". North Carolina, where the Wright Brothers flew the Flyer, has the emblem "First in Flight" and has for as long as we've lived here There's a bit of a rivalry between NC and Ohio over the Wrights which I find amusing.

Though I did have a friend from canada who thought the Australian and the British accent sounded the same(she thought there was only 1 british accent).

You can see now why she might think this way. Although Deep South USA accents tend to be quite noticeable, on TV, at any rate, I find it hard to tell the difference between Canadian and Northern USA accents, and have had to be very wary of this when meeting people obviously from North America. My husband, who is born Scottish, has a habit of latching onto any Scottish-sounding voices whenever we go shopping, though sometimes I get tripped up and find myself yarning happily to an Irish-born new acquaintance, instead.

I have the same problem with Northern USA and Canadian accents. I tend not to say anything about America or Canada until they do so I don't get it wrong.

I do like irish accents. Especially the way they say words starting with "th" such as things, this.

All this talk of the differences of accents is making this poor Marsh-wiggle's head throb. Mind you, I do enjoy an education on the subject, and wagga's explanation was quite informative. It just takes awhile for me to digest it all.
One thing that I have heard, and this from someone in the news broadcasting industry, is that most news agencies in the U.S. hire people from the mid-west. The claim was that of all the regional "accents" it is the most easily understood by most others throughout the country. This person went on to explain that it is the most phonetically correct at least in America. Unfortunatly my experience in that discipline does not extend beyond watching "My Dear Lady", where the claim was English hasn't been spoken in years . So could anyone verify, or refute this

I am find understanding most accents when English is their first language. When English is there second language I usually need to pay more attention and feel very rude when I have to ask them to repeat themselves again.

As for news presenters anyone who sounds like stephen Fry I could listen to all day.

So what are some New Year's traditions that are done around the world?

I happen to live in the same time zone as the famous "Time Square Ball Drop" and so it's traditional to watch that on tele. Last night was the first time I made it to midnight in like 5 years

At midnight a lot of people shoot off fireworks. A lot will fire twelve shots in the air, although this is discouraged as they may kill wildlife, and of course, what goes up must come down . In Ohio, at least, both of these are illegal (but the law kinda looks the other way, as they'd practically have to arrest half the people in the state).

It's tradition to eat sauerkraut and pork today. My family will be doing this, and will also include mashed potatoes and green beans *yum!!!*

Something fun that my family always does is that, after everything is cooked, Mom places a thoroughly scrubbed dime (yes, the coin) into the sauerkraut, and a penny into the mashed potatoes. The plates are then served up, and one has to be very careful eating until the coins are found. The person who finds the dime will have good luck all year long; the one who finds the penny will receive good luck for the first half of the year. If you get the coins, you are to put them under your mattress, so that you get a little dose of New Year's luck each night. I have NO IDEA how this tradition got started, or where it comes from, but it's become so synonymous with the New Year in our house, that I couldn't imagine doing without it.

The Times Square ball drop happens at 11 pm here, which makes it convenient to watch, especially when the kids at our get-togethers were younger and couldn't make it until midnight. (One local affiliate broadcasts it on tape delay so the ball drop happens at midnight our time).

I'm part of a group of friends who have gotten together since the early 1990s for New Year's Eve. Just games, food, watching some TV. Playing Ping-Pong is part of the action...I remember when we had to hold one of the kids up so she could wave the paddle at the ball (she was about 2 at the time). She'll be 13 next spring and has become pretty good at it.

Lots of fireworks to watch around here; it seems like many suburbs fire them off in addition to Minneapolis and St. Paul themselves. It's usually easy to catch a few from the front yard.

If the sky is clear I like to close out the old year and then open the new one with a stargazing session (often brief since temperatures are usually a bit nippy here).

No sauerkraut here! (Whew! Sorry, Digs, but I've never liked it).

In Russia, New Year is the biggest holiday of the year. It's a time when you get together and celebrate with your family and loved ones. Traditions including cooking a big dinner with heaps of different salads and treats, watching old movies (there is a certain set of movies that are always played on tv the week before New Years) eating late (around 10 or 11 pm) almost at 12 the president will give a speech that most people watch on tv and then the big clock in the Kremlin strikes the seconds to twelve and at midnight you open champane (or whatever) and toast. Fireworks are a HUGE thing. It gets SUPER loud, we used to joke that it sounded as though there was a war going on. It's all party from then on People often go visiting friends and wishing them a happy new year. Oh, and most people put gifts under the tree for new years and after midnight they open them.

(oh and I forgot to mention the tangerines, no new years will be new years if there are no tangerines. We eat them in by the kilos...literaly )

I have a sort of romantic idea about Russia in wintertime (pre-1941!) I think because I read War & Peace so many times, so I have this image of lots of horse drawn sleds, trips to the dacha, and occasionally cavalry charges.

So do you wear those furry hats and the furry things you put your hands in to keep them warm? Attend grand balls with all night dancing? Repel French invaders? Oh there I go again...

Seriously, I've wanted to visit Russia ever since I started reading Tolstoy and Dostoevsky and Tom Clancy. And I want to try borscht. And wrestle a wild bear. And listen to good Russian classical music in a symphony hall. Now if you can arrange all of that I'd be greatly appreciative!

Russia looks like a very nice country. I have never been myself.

In Western Australia(well basically all over Australia) people tend to take there kids to watch the fireworks etc. As for me I sually watch a movie with friends and we shout silly stuff at 12. Though this year none of my friends were free. So I went to be early and was woken up by some neighbours shouting at 12.

I have a sort of romantic idea about Russia in wintertime (pre-1941!) I think because I read War & Peace so many times, so I have this image of lots of horse drawn sleds, trips to the dacha, and occasionally cavalry charges.

So do you wear those furry hats and the furry things you put your hands in to keep them warm? Attend grand balls with all night dancing? Repel French invaders? Oh there I go again...

I agree there is a sort of romance to Russian winters...it sort of got lost when 1917 came around and winters in the 1930 really killed the remants of it, and by 1940 there really wasn't much romance left and with the years and war and post war all the romance really died out, sadly

Trips to dachas still happen, but unfortunatly not on horse drawn sleds, cars have replaced those. Furry hats, some people wear them, the 'furry things you put your hands in ( it is called a 'mufta' in Russian, what's it called in English?) are sometimes worn, but they aren't very popular anymore. Balls still happen too, if you reenact the 19th century and lknow how to dance the dances of those days you can attend them. I went to a stort of amature one last year, one of my goals this year is to learn to learn more dances and attend a real reeactment 1812 ball. Repel French invaders.... no, not really, lol.

Seriously, I've wanted to visit Russia ever since I started reading Tolstoy and Dostoevsky and Tom Clancy. And I want to try borscht. And wrestle a wild bear. And listen to good Russian classical music in a symphony hall. Now if you can arrange all of that I'd be greatly appreciative!

Haha, well, borscht (how come in English you put a t on the end?) will not be a problem at all it's one of the easiests soups to cook (my sister can make an amazing borscht). Wrestling a wild bear will be a problem, it's not something that's really done anymore. Good Russian music in a symphony hall will be easy too, it's extremely popular to go to symphony halls and listen to orchestras plays. Arranging you coming here may not be very simple, but hey, nothing is impossible

( it is called a 'mufta' in Russian, what's it called in English?)

It's called a "m**f" in English , at least, that's what we've always called them. My sister used to have one in winter months when she was a child. I never really got the point of them, as gloves do the job just as well, and allow you to actually use your hands as tools.

As Canadians, we too, spell the soup at "borscht". So, you don't have the 't' on the end, wrose? I've made it before, and it's tasty. Lotsa cabbage.

I used to have a winter m**f that I'd wear as a young halfling. (I do like the sound of "mufta"!)

... although ours were typically white, rather than a dark colour.