Here is a link to Benedict Cumberbatchs american accent

To what you sound like. It depends on the part of america you are from of course.

I should very much like to hear what Americans sound like through a foreigner's ears . I mean, it is blatantly obvious to us that we sound different from others, but. . . I don't know. . . it's kinda like everybody else sounds like they changed from us. . . like we're the default

It is a bit difficult to convey. Here, we'd consider ourselves the default, and we do note that whereas your children have Mommies, ours have Mummies who do not need to wear bandages to be good ones.

I think much depends on the person listening and the person talking. A friend who was born in Minnesota dropped by to talk to us, but try as I might, I can never tell any difference between her rather slight North American accent and those of the couple of Canadians who are members of our retiree's club. Both sound different from us, because of the more heavily pronounced "r" sound, and there is a vague echo in their voices, but that is all.

On the other hand, there was a tourist who went to a library where I worked many years ago, who asked me "Where are the piriaarrdiculs?" He wanted to read some magazines or periodicals. It is the "o" sound pronounced like "aarr", and there are other sound shifts. Also, I've noticed that USA people often stress the second syllable of a word rather than the first syllable. Especially of Australian towns. So Bris/b'n (Australian) sounds Bris/bane to someone from the States.

I do notice that the presenters on NarniaWeb podcasts sound quite American to me, but when Warrior4Jesus is on, can you tell that he is from Australia? I'm afraid that I haven't been able to do so yet.

A friend who was born in Minnesota dropped by to talk to us, but try as I might, I can never tell any difference between her rather slight North American accent and those of the couple of Canadians who are members of our retiree's club.

In your defense, I grew up around my parents who are from Minnesota, and I can't tell the difference between their accent and a Canadian accent either. However, I can tell the difference between their accent and other American accents.

I do notice that the presenters on NarniaWeb podcasts sound quite American to me, but when Warrior4Jesus is on, can you tell that he is from Australia? I'm afraid that I haven't been able to do so yet.

W4J sounds very Australian. Rilian sounds like a mixture of American and English. The other podcasters sound American.

~Riella

I recall a Tom Clancy novel I read some time ago about about a fictional third world war. ( Sorry, title excapes me ). Anyway. One scene was of a Russian officer doing a deep southern accent to fool a navy pilot. the officer next to him remarked how he couldn't tell the if he was talking Czech.
What I find suprising is how quickly some young people who grow up in the school systems seem to pick up not only the language, and that they learn it at times fluently. But they also learn much of the slang. (Granted, that's not always good.)

Especially of Australian towns. So Bris/b'n (Australian) sounds Bris/bane to someone from the States.

Just out of curiosity, are you from Brisbane? I just finished up at UQ there!

6 months ago I did an exchange program over in England, and hung out with quite a few Americans. Over the table I asked one of them "could you pass the cordial?" He looked at me confused, as did the others. This one has stumped Americans a few times so far - and I keep forgetting. But it's never been cleared up for me: is it that the States does not have cordial (highly concentrated juice w/ added sugar that you need to mix with water) or is it just called something else?

I have heard it isn't a popular item in the states and they may just refer to it as punch thought it really isn't. Apparently it is hard to find it in the supermarket in America.

6 months ago I did an exchange program over in England, and hung out with quite a few Americans. Over the table I asked one of them "could you pass the cordial?" He looked at me confused, as did the others. This one has stumped Americans a few times so far - and I keep forgetting. But it's never been cleared up for me: is it that the States does not have cordial (highly concentrated juice w/ added sugar that you need to mix with water) or is it just called something else?

Outside of "Lucy's cordial" in the Narnia books, I haven't heard of the term before. So, not knowing exactly what it is, it'd be hard for me to say if it exists here under a different name. I Googled it, and it said cordial is "another term for Liqueur". But, I always thought Liqueur was a kind of wine or beer? I have no idea.

~Riella

Just out of curiosity, are you from Brisbane? I just finished up at UQ there!

No, sorry. I'm from Sydney. Or somewhere thereabouts. We do have relations who live in Brisbane, however. Nice to meet you. But are you a Maroons supporter, by the way?

About the cordial, Ithilwen, no, this is one time when Wikipedia needs a better answer. A liqueur is something like Creme de Menthe, Cherry Brandy, Malibu or Kahlua, that is to say, an alcoholic kind of syrup or topping, often a further product, extracted from fruit, wine, brandy and other spirits, that can be used for flavouring drinks, cocktails, desserts, over ice-cream in particular, and in cooking. Also in some liqueur chocolates, the sort one gets at Christmas.

A cordial is a similar concentrated juice, a syrup, just as Trusty describes, which can be used as a mixer. But, unlike a liqueur, it doesn't have to be alcoholic. A little cordial diluted with iced water can make a nice cooling drink which won't go flat during the day, unlike a soft drink. You may have a different term for such drinks. Pop, perhaps, instead of soda?

In your defense, I grew up around my parents who are from Minnesota, and I can't tell the difference between their accent and a Canadian accent either. However, I can tell the difference between their accent and other American accents.

Thank you. I've met Canadians at work and elsewhere that I've liked very much, as well as our Minnesotan friend. I treasure having met all of them, and do not want to offend anyone.

That's a good definition of cordial. In Australia it's very popular with kids. In fact, the melody for a 1980s cordial ad (view here) still remains pretty much a national icon haha.

Nice to meet you. But are you a Maroon supporter & should I hide next March?

I'm afraid so! But I really only follow State of Origin passively so you're safe!

W4J sounds very Australian. Rilian sounds like a mixture of American and English. The other podcasters sound American.

Well, it's certainly reassuring that I sound Australian. Many South Australians typically sound more British than those from other states. My ancestors arrived here from Prussia, back in the late 1830's, so we've been in the area awhile.

We have cordial cherries here in the US, which is a delicious maraschino cherry that's been dipped in what I presume is some sort of cordial, although to me it tastes like liquified sugar, and then dunked in milk chocolate. They're super sweet so I could never eat more than a few at any one sitting, but my Paternal Figurehead is a well known addict and we generally provide him bountiful fixes around birthdays and Christmas.

It sounds like soda flavoring syrup to me in general though. They mix that in to the carbonated water when they're making a soft drink. They use the same stuff on ICEE's and slushies too. I've never heard of one being put on a table though for use alongside salt, pepper, ketchup, or mustard.

I recall a Tom Clancy novel I read some time ago about about a fictional third world war. ( Sorry, title excapes me ). Anyway. One scene was of a Russian officer doing a deep southern accent to fool a navy pilot. the officer next to him remarked how he couldn't tell the if he was talking Czech.

That's Red Storm Rising, one of my top 5 favorite books. And the battle that follows that scene is quite hair raising!

I would assume that cordials would be similar to our juice concentrates. . . That's a juice that comes in a can, and is kept in the freezer isle at the grocery store. You mix it with water to make juice drinks.

Then again, you could be talking about something like Ribena, which we do not have here in the states, unfortunately

Growing up, our commonest cold drink (apart from water and milk) was cordial. It was bought with the groceries in a glass bottle the size of a large mug, and we added several spoonfuls to a half gallon bottle (firstly glass, later plastic) with vast amounts of sugar. We could fit two of the big plastic bottles in the bottom shelf of our old fridge.
My sister and I would take some to school (in recycled cordial bottles) to drink with our lunches. It was probably just artificial flavour and colour, as it never claimed to be a fruit drink, but I remember lemon, orange, orange + lemon, & raspberry flavours.
When I was younger I can remember buying glasses of "orange drink" as refreshment at the cinema. When I went to England I found that this was still available but was called "squash". I suspect it was the same basic thing as our "cordial".
Lucy's cordial, on the other hand, is a sort of medicine. It's a drink that is good for you, and I have met it in Tolkien too I think (didn't the Fellowship get a mouthful each of something while trying to cross the mountains?).

When I hear 'cordial' I think of a fruit liqueur, like Raspberry Cordial in 'Anne of Green Gables'. Ithilwen's googled definition isn't too far off of what comes to my mind. The fruit drink you described, Trusty, I've never heard of it. DiGs's description of a can of juice concentrate is the closest thing I can think of that we'd have here, and I call it juice. Could you link a specific product so we can see what you're talking about?

ETA: I was reading coracle's description to my husband and he said "Sounds like Kool-Aid."

Thank you Shadowlander. I know several of Clancy's books, and get the titles a little skewed.
You are quite right about the cherries. I asked the Mrs. about cordials since she had been a student in Europe before we met, and she promptly handed me a box with the label saying "Chocolate Covered Cordial Cherries". Yep! They definitly tastes like liquified sugar!