Sligo town accent

shellyriver

How does any body how doesn't come from Sligo or have a nuanced ear for the accent going to be in a position to make pronouncements re 'Sligo Town Twang'?

There are all sorts of inter-generational shifts in accents -- old Sligo folk to middle age down to youngsters. Some are very 'country sounding' others are more pronounced and urban - others like up The Hill almost sounded like a Jonathon Ross lispy dropping of the Rs in their conversation.

Some accents change over time. The Sligo accent can be as urban as a Bronx 1950s, sometimes it sounds from the mouths of others that they are deepest Geevagh.

Huge areas with a strongly entrenched speech also change, such as for eg in London where Cockney rhyming has changed in Tower Hamlets to take in Nigerian/Jamacian overtones, accents morph over time.

Instead of a boring and in some cases ill-informed analysis of a pre-supposed accent (which seems to have been crystalised around a neuk Cranmore 1980s idiom) which is hideously repetative. Give us a few one-liners, which tell about the people's character.

Hear's one - 'Polish the divers, sham' -- if any one has ever heard this and can tell me what it means its significance, then I consider you worthy of further comment. If not, nuff said.

T runner

Dont know if the Sligo accent has changed that much. Got on one of those small imp buses about 7-8 years ago. This tiny old woman with bent back easily over 80 got on the bus. The driver said "Maureen ive been waiting here for you for 20 minutes". She replied "Id say ya wer allriiiight!!"
Everyone from Sligo on the bus had a good laugh at that. It was exactly the same townie accent as youd here today and its an old accent, heavy with sarcasm.

Worked in Ballina for a while and The Ballina townie accent is very similar.

Sweet Cheeks

shellyriver wrote: »

How does any body how doesn't come from Sligo or have a nuanced ear for the accent going to be in a position to make pronouncements re 'Sligo Town Twang'?

There are all sorts of inter-generational shifts in accents -- old Sligo folk to middle age down to youngsters. Some are very 'country sounding' others are more pronounced and urban - others like up The Hill almost sounded like a Jonathon Ross lispy dropping of the Rs in their conversation.

Some accents change over time. The Sligo accent can be as urban as a Bronx 1950s, sometimes it sounds from the mouths of others that they are deepest Geevagh.

Huge areas with a strongly entrenched speech also change, such as for eg in London where Cockney rhyming has changed in Tower Hamlets to take in Nigerian/Jamacian overtones, accents morph over time.

Instead of a boring and in some cases ill-informed analysis of a pre-supposed accent (which seems to have been crystalised around a neuk Cranmore 1980s idiom) which is hideously repetative. Give us a few one-liners, which tell about the people's character.

Hear's one - 'Polish the divers, sham' -- if any one has ever heard this and can tell me what it means its significance, then I consider you worthy of further comment. If not, nuff said.

What about "Dats ma newell post and I hang ma coat on ma newell post"

Janine87

I think I hear the difference in the accents the most cuz I am German. I used to live in Dublin for 2 years and that accentis completely ridculous! lol
I live in Sligo since August last year now. And i have to say a typical Sligonian word is "sound".

shellyriver

:P:D

Sweet Cheeks wrote: »

What about "Dats ma newell post and I hang ma coat on ma newell post"

Ya up there with high regard for civic spiritness amongst those in a certain Community Centre, which went something along the lines of, 'Ya wha?!, Goin' down dere talking sh***e ta a shower of wancgkers'. Lol

siltirocker

Lived there for 6 yrs, the one i couldn't get over was, them pronouncing book as buke!

bobcar61

shellyriver wrote: »

:P:D


Ya up there with high regard for civic spiritness amongst those in a certain Community Centre, which went something along the lines of, 'Ya wha?!, Goin' down dere talking sh***e ta a shower of wancgkers'. Lol

I know your post was meant light heartedly but be careful of your terminology. There has been problems before with the use of the term "mink" so lets not go there again.
Just a word of warning in case people take it up the wrong way.

Janine87

siltirocker wrote: »

Lived there for 6 yrs, the one i couldn't get over was, them pronouncing book as buke!

haha yeah i noticed that too. Why is that? It sounds stupid! lol

Sweet Cheeks

bobcar61 wrote: »

I know your post was meant light heartedly but be careful of your terminology. There has been problems before with the use of the term "mink" so lets not go there again.
Just a word of warning in case people take it up the wrong way.

dont tell me there is a problem with the use of the word "mink" on here? Its one of my favourite words and one that always raises a smile. Minker McLoughlin will be gutted!

bobcar61

No there isn't a problem with the word, just the way it can be used. There was another thread a while back which saw the use of the word mink in a derogatory way and that thread was closed so just be careful.

Sweet Cheeks

bobcar61 wrote: »

No there isn't a problem with the word, just the way it can be used. There was another thread a while back which saw the use of the word mink in a derogatory way and that thread was closed so just be careful.

what about scally, scrote, chav, ned, spide, millie, laney, charmer, knacker, scanger?

bobcar61

There is no problem typing any of these words but if your going to aim it at someone then it could be perceived as personal abuse and action will be taken.

shellyriver

Just itching.

Cheers Sweet Cheeks.

There was me thinking 'udder buck' was 'bout to go 'gan ruile' with his happy hammer.

minkey

I too hail from the fair town of Sligo, but didn't get the accent at all
However I have a theory the Sligo accent contributed to the New york accent in a small way

take for exmple the words coffee and chocolate

in a thick Sligo town accent its "kof-ey" and "choke-lit" (sorry my phonetic spelling isn't the best), the exact same way a new yoker would say it
they are both a bit nasel.
Im sure there are lots of other examples but I just cant think of any at the moment .... just wondering does anyone else agree with me?

Minkey

shellyriver

Hey How You Doin' Minkey?

I have a two theories re Sligo and New York accent -- as earlier said a true Sligo Borough accent has passing similiarities to that of nasal natives of the Big Apple.

Theories are as thus -

1., The first and largest number of Irish emigrants into Hells Kitchen (the world's most notorious slum) in the 1820s came from Co Sligo -- fact.

2. There is a contra-flow in that Hillers, when going to 'da flicks' in the 1940s/50s replicated New York gangster accents which found a near symmtery with their own and thus this accent crystalised stuck.



Is the Prince of Serindipity calling me into his Court? Lucky you're called Minkey -- or knowing the proclivities of this board I'd probably get an infraction or ban! :D

PS - Minkey -- got any diamond cut Sligo phrases or throw-away remarks to entertain?

ryanch09

I hate the sligo town accent. Even though I've lived here for the past 9 years I still can't understand some people and I come from east london! The accent there is just as bad!!!

minkey

Hi Shellyriver

I don't live in Sligo anymore so don't really hear the old accent and can't really remember of any phrases....but Ill see if I can think about some later
I chose the name Minkey because of the mink word which seems to be taboo in this forum
No-one outside of Sligo has heard our use of that word , but I'm sure there are other threads about that which have been discussed at length
Interesting about the "hillers" stealing the bronx accent ...mad , makes sence though.
I agree with previous poster the real townie accent is not the most pleasent.

Ill ponder those Sligo sayings

Minkey

minkey

Oh actually I do remember one now

Somebody called their child Ewan and the were out meeting with their friends showing off the baby, to which one one of the locals says

"hey youin(Ewen) the pram "... I though it was funny anyway:rolleyes:

redarmyblues

Sauce-ich for sausage cracks me up.

Any similarity if any there is between the NY and Sligo accent is coincidental, anyhow they don't say Chalklit in NY they say candy.

Sweet Cheeks

redarmyblues wrote: »

Sauce-ich for sausage cracks me up.

Any similarity if any there is between the NY and Sligo accent is coincidental, anyhow they don't say Chalklit in NY they say candy.

Actually they do. Candy = general confectionary (sweets to you and I) as opposed to Chalkit itself.

shellyriver

minkey wrote: »

Oh actually I do remember one now


"hey youin(Ewen) the pram "... I though it was funny anyway:rolleyes:

Here's anudder one -- Re Hillers dropping R's a la Johnny Woss.

Child to Sibling on the Hill: 'Hey ware's Josie?'.

Sibling replies, she's out the front?

What's she doing out dare?

Weeding?

What the plant's?

Naaa, ya f**king dope, she's weeding the Champion!:D Ba Boom Tish!


True story, likewise, I found it funny, maybe some of the high priest's of humour of this forum mightn't, decide to gang up on me and lick their lips with the prospects of another ban! HA HA HA:cool:

DenMan

Sorry shelly but that joke is terrible. :eek:

shellyriver

Cheers Dude

I agree - only think is it's true?!:D

You give us a crack?!

sex?

most people in dundalk have an alright accent , just the odd few loudmouth knacker bastards that make it look like we all do, whereas in drogheda everyone has the same confused louth/dub accent. as for sligo. living there for a year ive come to realize that the townies accents arent the best, but are miles more understandalbe that the regional ballymote, colloney and tubbercurry accents. you wont have a clue sham. SHLIGOOOO

RoversFanatic

ehh...downtada four lights for a snaaackbaax in me haaanda civic, biy..

BestyBaby

here this is hilarious! just reading everyones take on it like.
i have possibly the worst accent in the world
its a ....

>> Belfast

>> Sligo

>> Essex

accent hahaha. if anyone has hear these three seperately then you might have some sort of idea how terrible it sounds like when you put it all together :pac:

starbelgrade

BestyBaby wrote: »

here this is hilarious! just reading everyones take on it like.
i have possibly the worst accent in the world
its a ....

>> Belfast

>> Sligo

>> Essex

accent hahaha. if anyone has hear these three seperately then you might have some sort of idea how terrible it sounds like when you put it all together :pac:

Dear God in heaven.. you HAVE to post some audio!!

teddy_303

no audio = no comprehension. no one could imagine how that sounds, no one.

GG66

I've had the pleasure of hearing some real gems in a sligo accent..

Overheard on O'Connell St.

"watch yerself of i'll giv ya a dose a sidekicks to the head" ranks as one of my favourite sligo quotes ...

or watching a guy beat another across the head with a bag of chips and the bag burst and spilled everywhere ... screamed

"you know nawthin bout life"

or a builder working on renovating gravestones in town cemetery came across a grave marked .."Died of consumption 1867" to which he remarked "Hey lads, looka dis! F**kin greedy bas**rd"

BestyBaby

teddy_303 wrote: »

no audio = no comprehension. no one could imagine how that sounds, no one.

haaaa. i aint puttin up audio! have a bubble lol. i dont want to put innocent people through that aha. all i can say is, god bless my mates cause they put up with it