My new housemate
The girl I'm going to be sharing a house with next year is Australian. During the course of our house-hunting, I noticed that she cannot tell any British accent apart, at all. We met one girl who was Scottish and she knew that she was speaking slightly differently but couldn't place it at all.

Click "I like this" if you think I should spend the next year telling her all people with Northern accents are from Cornwall, and so on.
(Petite chien is going to do science to it, Fri 13 Aug 2010, 14:21, 11 replies)

When we were kids
and Neighbours was all the rage, my sister and I could converse in an utterly convincing Australian accident.

This we decided to do when meeting our American cousins for the first time in ages, you know, just to weird them out. We went through a whole meal before switching back and revealing our hilarious prank.

The Yanks had been TOTALLY oblivious and couldn't even detect any difference between the accents when we gave demonstrations of both.
Weird.
(Happybara The jungle came alive and took him, Fri 13 Aug 2010, 15:08, closed)

I did
not click because that is sooo naughty
(whiskas loved by 8 out of 10 cats, Fri 13 Aug 2010, 22:09, closed)

Are you able to tell the Australian accents apart?

(waxdart hello., Fri 13 Aug 2010, 15:14, closed)

That one's easy
Melbourne sounds OK, Brisbane Bogan is vile...
( sanityclause is waiting until, Fri 13 Aug 2010, 15:23, closed)

No.
But I can certainly tell an American from an Australian, an Englishman from an Australian etc. Furthermore I have no doubt that if two very different Australian accents were demonstrated to me, I would immediately pick up on it.

I'm good with accents, me.
(Happybara The jungle came alive and took him, Fri 13 Aug 2010, 16:28, closed)

I can tell
east and west Australian apart, which I know is pretty limited, but still. I'm starting to be able to narrow down my recognition of American accents to states rather than compass points, which I'm pretty proud of :D
(Petite chien is going to do science to it, Fri 13 Aug 2010, 17:20, closed)

There's not really more then about 3 or 4
You've got city people - who speak in a much more eloquent manner, and then you have people from queensland, who say "ay?" at the end of every sentence. There's people from Adelaide - they're very refined thank you very much (though they sound posh). Then there's people like me, who live in the countryside, and have a broad, slow, twangy accent.

And there are your aussie accents in a nutshell.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sat 14 Aug 2010, 7:37, closed)

To be fair
I'm British and find it quite difficult to tell the accents apart. A year or so ago, when the new Star Trek came out, I saw an interview with Simon Pegg explaining why he picked the Glaswegian accent over the cobbled together one from the original series. Can't hear the different myself. In fact, I often find it difficult to even recognise someone is talking with a Scots accent.

And that's got nothing to do with being a Southern English Poofter as its the same with pretty much anything. About the only accent I CAN recognise is Welsh. I don't think it helps that my family are their own little melting pot, so my own accent and dialect is pretty mucked up to begin with.
(Captain Skippy pooed in a bag and left it on your doorstep, Sat 14 Aug 2010, 9:33, closed)

Clearly
it's just an ear thing, I just happen to have quite a good ear. The more people I meet from different places the more I can tell their accents apart and name them, hence the American accent thing - I just happen to have met quite a few Americans. Introduce me to more Australians and I'm sure I'll get there!

Nothing against people who can't hear the differences, I just thought it might be a giggle on occasion :)
(Petite chien is going to do science to it, Sat 14 Aug 2010, 10:30, closed)

Absolutely
Use your power well.
(Captain Skippy pooed in a bag and left it on your doorstep, Sat 14 Aug 2010, 14:17, closed)

DO IT
Seeing as I was born in Cornwall (haven't lived there fer aboot 5 years) This seems highly amusing. Switch Welsh and Scottish, too!

Although I'm terrible with accents myself.

*First day of school in Bristol*
Me:" Hi, I'm DerpyDoo, I just moved 'ere from Cornwall" (Intensity of accent unknown, you never notice your own, do you?)
Random Chav: "Oh. My. Gawd. Yoo Sownds jest loik a farmer!

Me: *Look of disgust*
( Trogdos The Raging Cuntmuffin, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 22:33, closed)