Talking for Britain by Simon Elmes

Talking for Britain by Simon Elmes

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Summary

How would you describe someone who is a bit moody? In Barrow-in-Furness, you might say that they are narky, while in the Midlands, they're probably mardy. Using material from the BBC's Voices survey, this work explores regional English in the twenty-first century, painting a portrait of the British people and uncovering facts about local language.

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Talking for Britain by Simon Elmes

Do you say gooseberries or goosegogs? Would you call someone hen, my luvver or me duck? Do you like to eat a cob, butty or just a plain sarnie? And do you know what a grockle is? Using material from the BBC's ground-breaking Voices survey, "Talking for Britain" explores regional English in the twenty-first century, painting a vivid portrait of the British people and uncovering fascinating facts about local language. We may think that English is becoming homogenized as words such as chav and knackered spread across the country, but there is still surprising regional variation. How, for example, would you describe someone who is a bit moody? In Barrow-in-Furness, you might say that they are narky, while in the Midlands, they're probably mardy. In Scotland, they might be crabbit, but in Northern Ireland, they could well be feeling distinctly thrawn. A fascinating and superbly browsable book, "Talking for Britain" proves that regional English is very much alive and well - and constantly changing.
Simon Elmes is Creative Director of BBC Radio's Documentaries Unit. He was executive Producer of the long-running Word of Mouth magazine (1992 -- 2004). In 1996, it was awarded the Premio Ondas, a premier broadcasting award. Elmes also produced the award-winning Routes of English, a 26 part series on the history of the English language as well as four books to accompany the series.
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780141022772
ISBN 10 0141022779
Title Talking for Britain
Author Simon Elmes
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Year published 2006-09-07
Number of pages 368
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.