LL-L: "Language varieties" LOWLANDS-L, 10.MAR.2000 (05) [E]

[Ian James Parsley]

Colin,

I think you are absolutely right regarding why English people would have
viewed your accent as "Irish" or even specifically "Northern Irish". There
is genuine uncertainty whether somebody is Scottish or Northern Irish, and I
can well believe it works both ways unless the accent is definitely one they
know (I daresay accents similar to Gerry Adams or Ian Paisley would rarely
be mistaken!)

As a matter of interest, indeed WestSound is the station I was thinking of
(though we can get Clyde FM here as well sometimes). Certainly most of their
readers have Ayrshire accents to me. (I remember on that point a fella from
Stirling telling me I had a great Ayrshire accent - he was fully aware where
I was from, it was simply a sign of solidarity, I suppose because we were
both in London at the time!)

Best,
-------------------------------
Ian James Parsley
http://www.gcty.com/parsleyij
"JOY - Jesus, Others, You"