BBC VOICES RECORDINGS
http://sounds.bl.uk
Title:
Northampton, Northamptonshire
Shelfmark:
C1190/25/04
Recording date:
22.11.2004
Speakers:
Emmy, b. 1988 Portsmouth; female; student
Loya, b. 1987 Manchester; female; student
Miranda, b. 1988 Northampton; female; student
Robin, b. 1987 Northampton; male; student
Scott, b. 1987 Northampton; male; student
The interviewees are all media students at Northampton College.
ELICITED LEXIS
○
see English Dialect Dictionary (1898-1905)
see Survey of English Dialects Basic Material (1962-1971)
◄
see Dictionary of Yorkshire Dialect, Tradition & Folklore (1994)
∆
see New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (2006)
◊
see Green’s Dictionary of Slang (2010)
♦
see Urban Dictionary (online)
⌂
no previous source (with this sense) identified
*
pleased
tired
unwell
hot
cold
annoyed
happy
tired; knackered
(not discussed)
boiling
freezing
pissed off; annoyed (“I feel well annoyed”)
throw
play truant
sleep
throw; dash (associated with playing dodgeball when younger)
wag it
have a kip; sleep; go sleep; catch some zeds◊ (associated with use of letter ‘Z’ to represent
sleep in cartoons)
play a game play playing
hit hard
bang; punch; smack; whack
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BBC Voices Recordings
clothes
trousers
child’s shoe
garms∆; clothes; threads
trousers; pants (used with family in Ireland)
plimsolls; trainers
mother
mum (to/of own mother); my old dear (used of own mother to friends); mummy (used when
younger); mother (“oi, mother” used jokingly)
gmother
grandma; nanny; nan
m partner
boyfriend; other half; dog♦ (heard used by females locally, also used in rap to mean
‘friend’◊, e.g. “where my dog at?”)
friend
mate; friend
gfather
grandad; pap; poppa
forgot name oi! (to person); whatsit, thingy (of object); what’s-her-name (of person); “I’m looking for
that you know that and then describe it”
kit of tools (not discussed)
trendy
tacky; towny; sket◊; cheap; geezer (positive, of male); pretty cool (positive, of female); rude
girl; wannabe
f partner
girlfriend; bird; your missus (also used of unmarried female partner); the other half
baby
baby; little yout◊ (associated with “black culture”)
rain heavily lashing; chucking it down; pouring; pissing it down; raining cats and dogs
toilet
toilet, loo (“I’m going toilet/loo” used to teachers/parents/friends); bog (to friends); Jimmy1,
going for a slash/piss/widdle (to friends of ‘going to toilet to urinate’); going for a
shit/dump (to friends of ‘going to toilet to defecate’); little boys’ room
walkway
alley; alley-way; jetties○ (suggested by interviewer, not used)
long seat
sofa; couch
run water
(not discussed)
main room lounge; living room; TV room
rain lightly spitting; tippling◄ (“tippling it down”); drizzle; drizzling
rich
loaded; minted
left-handed cack-handed; left-handed
unattractive minging (thought to come from Big Brother2, used nationwide, appears frequently in
media); nasty; dirty (“oh, he’s dirty”); rank; dirt
lack money skint
drunk
steaming∆; mash-up◊; pissed (most common); out of my face; hammered∆; leathered∆;
staggered⌂; wankered
pregnant
preggers; pregnant; up the duff (thought to be more commonly used by males); bun in the
oven; one in the oven
attractive
boom∆, gorgeous, fit, well fit, eye-candy (used by females of males); telly⌂ (i.e. “she could
be on telly ’cause she’s proper fit”, used to male friends of females); fine (“Jean-Claude
Van Damme3 she’s fine”)
insane
mad; a bit crazy; crazy; whacky; crackers; insane
moody
stressy; stressed; moody
SPONTANEOUS LEXIS
1
OED (online edition) records ‘in full, Jimmy Riddle’ as rhyming slang for ‘piddle’.
Reality TV show first broadcast in UK on Channel 4 in 2000.
3
Belgian actor (b.1960) most famous for martial arts action films, presumably idiolectal euphemism for ‘damned’.
2
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bad = great, excellent (0:12:51 (other way if something’s ‘really good’?) that was ‘sick’ [...] that was
‘wicked’ (‘wicked’ I say that) (I say ‘lush’ but then if I’m feeling good I’ll say ‘lushty’ “that was lushty”)
(I just say ‘quality’ “that’s proper quality”) [...] (or ‘bad’) yes, “that was bad” but as in ‘good’)
bare◊ = lots of, loads of (0:04:18 some people said, yeah, when I started I sounded like a like towny
because I I used to say ‘bare’ and stuff but now I don’t say it because I feel stupid; 0:04:48 ‘bare
chocolate’ or (yeah) ‘bare people’ means ‘a lot of people’ (yeah) or ‘a lot of chocolate’)
Billy No-Mates = person regarded as having no friends (0:09:50 yeah, Billy No-Mates)
bling = ostentatious jewellery (0:18:21 like ‘minging’ for example that’s on TV we explained this earlier
and now a l... ’cause a lot of people know what it means like ‘minging’ or ‘blinging’ basically)
click = clique, in-group (0:01:29 people, like, once someone hears it but if they think it’s something
popular to do everyone wants to be in the little click; 0:19:03 and white boys kind of wanna wanna be in
that little click so they, like, they’re now changing how they talk and stuff)
C-word = euphemism for ‘cunt’ (0:13:48 (are there words that you would never want to use?) the C-word
(yeah) that’s, like, the forbidden word, isn’t it? [...] (I hate that word that word, yeah, anyone uses that
word I cringe))
do one’s head in∆ = to emotionally overload, stress (0:24:17 (what words will you use for people who are
very sexually active?) (um) ‘gagging for it’ (or ‘horny’) (‘horny’ yeah) (‘horny’, yeah) well the joke is,
yeah, this is what annoys me and this has probably got nothing to do with it but a g... if a gel has slept
with loads of boys, yeah, she’s a ‘slag’ or a ‘slapper’ (or a ‘sket’) or ‘sket’, yeah, but if a (or a what?) a
‘sket’ but if a boy slept with, like, uh ten girls in a day, “oh well done, yeah” (he’s the best, yeah) he’s the
best thing ever he gets praise for it that’s what does my head in; 0:40:55 if my family’s watching it I have
to leave ’cause it just I think it’s just oh it does my head in (I just laugh at her I don’t mean to))
dog and bone = telephone (0:03:46 when I go to London um ’cause a lot of my family live there I seem to
pick up some of the London accent like ‘dog and bone’ and different things like that)
dread∆ = bad, mean (0:01:21 like one word like say ‘dread’, yeah, someone will say that and then more
people will catch on and then all of sudden everyone’s saying it; 0:43:58 (talk to me about ‘dread’) just
something if someone’s ‘dread’ they’re ‘out of order’)
gagging for it = desperate for sexual intercourse (0:24:17 (what words will you use for people who are
very sexually active?) (um) ‘gagging for it’ (or ‘horny’) (‘horny’ yeah) (‘horny’, yeah) well the joke is,
yeah, this is what annoys me and this has probably got nothing to do with it but a g... if a gel has slept
with loads of boys, yeah, she’s a ‘slag’ or a ‘slapper’ (or a ‘sket’) or ‘sket’, yeah, but if a (or a what?) a
‘sket’ but if a boy slept with, like, uh ten girls in a day, “oh well done, yeah” (he’s the best, yeah) he’s the
best thing ever he gets praise for it that’s what does my head in)
gat = gun (0:19:19 a lot of young people do like R & B and hip-hop and they do use, like, words that are
used by the black culture (like what?) like what like ‘gat’ for ‘gun’)
Geordie = dialect of Newcastle upon Tyne (0:38:52 the worst accent I think is the Scouse accent […] the
accent that gets on my nerves is the Geordie accent)
gel = girl (0:05:18 they go college and they most um the boys do sports and, like, the gels do beauty;
0:24:17 (what words will you use for people who are very sexually active?) (um) ‘gagging for it’ (or
‘horny’) (‘horny’ yeah) (‘horny’, yeah) well the joke is, yeah, this is what annoys me and this has
probably got nothing to do with it but a g... if a gel has slept with loads of boys, yeah, she’s a ‘slag’ or a
‘slapper’ (or a ‘sket’) or ‘sket’, yeah, but if a (or a what?) a ‘sket’ but if a boy slept with, like, uh ten girls
in a day, “oh well done, yeah” (he’s the best, yeah) he’s the best thing ever he gets praise for it that’s
what does my head in)
gosh = exclamation expressing surprise or disbelief (0:10:26 (what about swearing do you think that’s a
difference between you and and um your folks?) (yes) (yes) oh my gosh, yeah; 0:38:30 ’cause my mum’s
Scottish and when I go up to see them in Scotland for a family reunion oh my gosh I cannot understand
anyone)
hardcore◊ = extreme, intense (0:22:39 boys are a bit more hardcore, ain’t they, bit more uh, like, you
know, (they wanna get in there) they wanna be a bit more rough and stuff)
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hip-hop = genre of music characterised by rap lyrics and harsh rhythm tracks (0:19:19 a lot of young
people do like R & B and hip-hop and they do use, like, words that are used by the black culture (like
what?) like what like ‘gat’ for ‘gun’)
horny = sexually aroused, lecherous (0:24:17 (what words will you use for people who are very sexually
active?) (um) (‘gagging for it’) or ‘horny’ (‘horny’ yeah) (‘horny’, yeah) (well the joke is, yeah, this is
what annoys me and this has probably got nothing to do with it but a g... if a gel has slept with loads of
boys, yeah, she’s a ‘slag’ or a ‘slapper’) or a ‘sket’ (or ‘sket’, yeah, but if a) (or a what?) (a ‘sket’ but if a
boy slept with, like, uh ten girls in a day, “oh well done, yeah”) he’s the best, yeah (he’s the best thing
ever he gets praise for it that’s what does my head in))
lush = great, excellent (0:12:51 (other way if something’s ‘really good’?) (that was ‘sick’) [...] (that was
‘wicked’) (‘wicked’ I say that) I say ‘lush’ but then if I’m feeling good I’ll say ‘lushty’ “that was lushty” (I
just say ‘quality’ “that’s proper quality”) [...] (or ‘bad’) (yes, “that was bad” but as in ‘good’))
off-key = inappropriate, unsuitable (0:43:09 and then I’ll be like, “mum you’re off-key” ’cause which kind
of means ‘weird’ and she’ll be like, “no, you’re off-key” like, she’ll start using the same words as I use)
proper = very, really (0:11:03 my dad used to be, like, proper, like, hard on it when I was younger to not
to swear; 0:12:51 (other way if something’s ‘really good’?) (that was ‘sick’) [...] (that was ‘wicked’)
(‘wicked’ I say that) (I say ‘lush’ but then if I’m feeling good I’ll say ‘lushty’ “that was lushty”) I just say
‘quality’ “that’s proper quality” [...] (or ‘bad’) (yes, “that was bad” but as in ‘good’); 0:16:49 ’cause,
like, you see, like, all the fit all the fit people on telly, like, and then you say, “oh yeah, she’s telly” ’cause,
like, she could be on telly ’cause she’s proper fit, like)
quality♦ = great, excellent (0:12:51 (other way if something’s ‘really good’?) (that was ‘sick’) [...] (that
was ‘wicked’) (‘wicked’ I say that) (I say ‘lush’ but then if I’m feeling good I’ll say ‘lushty’ “that was
lushty”) I just say ‘quality’ “that’s proper quality” [...] (or ‘bad’) (yes, “that was bad” but as in ‘good’))
R & B = genre of music typically drawing on elements of soul, funk, disco and hip-hop (0:19:19 a lot of
young people do like R & B and hip-hop and they do use, like, words that are used by the black culture
(like what?) like what like ‘gat’ for ‘gun’)
retard = disabled person (0:15:32 (I wouldn’t say anything about disability) […] I use ‘retard’)
safe∆ = expression of approval/greeting/farewell (0:36:27 only in a way that we understand it’s like ‘safe’
‘safe’ would be ‘thank you’ or ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ it could mean three different things like you’d go,
“safe” to someone when you first see them “safe” when you leave or if they give you a cigarette or a
sweet you say, “safe”)
Scouse = dialect of Liverpool (0:38:52 the worst accent I think is the Scouse accent […] the accent that
gets on my nerves is the Geordie accent)
sick = great, excellent (0:12:51 (other way if something’s ‘really good’?) that was ‘sick’ [...] that was
‘wicked’ (‘wicked’ I say that) (I say ‘lush’ but then if I’m feeling good I’ll say ‘lushty’ “that was lushty”)
(I just say ‘quality’ “that’s proper quality”) [...] (or ‘bad’) yes, “that was bad” but as in ‘good’)
spacker◊ = spastic, disabled person (0:15:21 ‘spacker’ (why?) I don’t know I’ve just ’cause all my friends
use it and then I started to and now it’s just normal to me (oh that’s nasty) I wouldn’t say it to their face
though)
well = very, really (0:15:56 (if you really fancy a boy?) (oh) (“he’s boom”) (‘gorgeous’) ‘fit’ probably oh
I’m like, “he’s well fit”, like (yeah, I say that); 0:20:58 I put ‘annoyed’ again because that’s what I say, “I
feel well annoyed” so I don’t really see any other word to use; 0:33:27 (and how do you feel about
Northampton?) (I’m not I’m not exactly ecstatic about it) (no) (no) it’s gone well badly downhill in the
last few years, ain’t it?)
what are you under⌂ = common greeting (0:44:06 or there’s another one ‘what are you under?’ it’s like
‘what you doing?’ ‘what’s happened?’ ‘how’ve you been?’)
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BBC Voices Recordings
PHONOLOGY
[ɪ]
(0:01:29 people, like, once someone hears it but if they think [θɪŋk] it’s something [səmfɪŋ] popular to do
everyone wants to be in the little [lɪʔʊ] click [klɪk]; 0:36:27 only in a way that we understand it’s like
‘safe’ ‘safe’ would be ‘thank you’ or ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ it could mean three different [dɪfɹənʔ] things
[θɪŋz] like you’d go, “safe” to someone when you first see them “safe” when you leave or if they give
[gɪv] you a cigarette [sɪgəɹɛʔ] or a sweet you say, “safe”)
<ex-> (0:14:39 yesterday as a pure example [ɪgzaːmpʊ] right I was with my friend, yeah, and he’s
mixed race right and he had jelly babies and I don’t like the black ones; 0:18:21 like ‘minging’ for
example [ɪgzampʊ] that’s on TV we explained [ɪksplæɪnd] this earlier and now a l... ’cause a lot
of people know what it means like ‘minging’ or ‘blinging’ basically; 0:33:27 (and how do you feel
about Northampton?) I’m not I’m not exactly [ɪgzakli] ecstatic [ɪkstatɪk] about it (no) (no) (it’s
gone well badly downhill in the last few years, ain’t it?); 0:41:37 it’s like there’s, like, a
smoothness to their voice and they just, like, extend [ɛkstɛnd] words just make them last longer)
DRESS
[ɛ]
(0:12:02 no, that’s if we do it as a joke, like, if we’re like, we’re only messing [mɛsɪn] around when [wɛn]
he he’s like but he does it really fast he’s like, “uh fucking fucking fuck fuck”; 0:27:08 depends [dɪpɛndz]
who I’m with, like, parents’d be, “oh I’m going toilet” friends, [fɹɛndz] “oh I’m just going loo” it’s
different; 0:36:43 if I left [lɛft] the dinner table my mum’ll be like, “put your knife and fork together”
[təgɛvə])
TRAP
[a]
(0:03:46 when I go to London um ’cause a lot of my family [famli] live there I seem to pick up some of the
London accent [aksɛnʔ] like ‘dog and bone’ and different things like that; 0:10:17 ‘steaming’ ‘hammered’
[haməd] yeah, all them; 0:33:27 (and how do you feel about Northampton?) I’m not I’m not exactly
[ɪgzakli] ecstatic [ɪkstatɪk] about it (no) (no) (it’s gone well badly [badli] downhill in the last few years,
ain’t it?))
LOT~CLOTH
[ɒ]
(0:01:29 people, like, once someone hears it but if they think it’s something popular [pɒpjələ] to do
everyone wants [wɒnts] to be in the little click; 0:04:48 ‘bare chocolate’ [ʧɒkləʔ] or (yeah) ‘bare people’
means ‘a lot [lɒʔ] of people’ (yeah) or ‘a lot [lɒʔ] of chocolate’ [ʧɒkləʔ]; 0:06:44 they say their words
properly [pɹɒpli] they don’t cut anything off [ɒf] it; 0:41:37 it’s like there’s, like, a smoothness to their
voice and they just, like, extend words just make them last longer [lɒŋgə])
STRUT
[ə > ʌ]
(0:00:01 I’m Miranda and I’m studying [stədiʲɪn] a BTEC4 national diploma in media production [miːdiə
pɹədʌkʃən] (I’m Loya and I’m studying [stədiʲɪn] media); 0:03:46 when I go to London [ləndən] um ’cause
a lot of my family live there I seem to pick up [əp] some [səm] of the London [ləndən] accent like ‘dog and
bone’ and different things like that; 0:06:44 they say their words properly they don’t cut [kəʔ] anything off
it; 00:08:10 like, my mum [məm] doesn’t [dəzənʔ] talk posh whatsoever she says, like, she probably
sounds common to people but [bəʔ] when I say ‘going to’ she’s like, “it’s going to” and, like, she’s, like,
every time she’s, like, she looks at me if I say ‘going to’, like, in a, like, in a nasty way ’cause she hates it
when I say that; 0:22:39 boys are a bit more hardcore, ain’t they, bit more uh, like, you know, (they want
to get in there) they want to be a bit more rough [ɹʌf] and stuff [stʌf])
KIT
4
British vocational educational qualification awarded by the ‘Business and Technology Education Council’.
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BBC Voices Recordings
like one [wɒn] word like say ‘dread’, yeah, someone [sʌmwɒn] will say that and then
more people will catch on and then all of sudden everyone’s [ɛvɹɪwɒnz] saying it; 0:01:29 people,
like, once [wʊns] someone [sʌmwɒn] hears it but if they think it’s something popular to do
everyone wants to be in the little click; 0:07:48 say we’re at the dinner table and I’ll say “nothing”
[nəfɪn] or something like that he goes, “nothing” [nəθɪŋk] I’m going, “no, nothing” [nəfɪn] and
then he’ll get, like, really angry and that, like; 0:13:48 (are there words that you would never want
to use?) the C-word (yeah) (that’s, like, the forbidden word, isn’t it?) [...] I hate that word that
word, yeah, anyone [ɛnɪwən] uses that word I cringe; 0:14:39 yesterday as a pure example
example right I was with my friend, yeah, and he’s mixed race right and he had jelly babies and I
don’t like the black ones [wɐnz]; 0:24:17 (what words will you use for people who are very
sexually active?) (um) ‘gagging for it’ (or ‘horny’) (‘horny’ yeah) (‘horny’, yeah) well the joke is,
yeah, this is what annoys me and this has probably got nothing [nəθɪŋ] to do with it but a g... if a
girl has slept with loads of boys, yeah, she’s a ‘slag’ or a ‘slapper’ (or a ‘sket’) or ‘sket’, yeah, but
if a (or a what?) a ‘sket’ but if a boy slept with, like, uh ten girls in a day, “oh well done, yeah”
(he’s the best, yeah) he’s the best thing ever he gets praise for it that’s what does my head in)
FOOT
[ɵ > ɨ]
(0:08:10 like, my mum doesn’t talk posh whatsoever she says, like, she probably sounds common to people
but when I say ‘going to’ she’s like, “it’s going to” and, like, she’s, like, every time she’s, like, she looks
[lɵks] at me if I say ‘going to’, like, in a, like, in a nasty way ’cause she hates it when I say that; 0:12:51
(other way if something’s ‘really good’?) (that was ‘sick’) [...] (that was ‘wicked’) (‘wicked’ I say that) I
say ‘lush’ but then if I’m feeling good [gɵd] I’ll say ‘lushty’ “that was lushty” (I just say ‘quality’ “that’s
proper quality”) [...] (or ‘bad’) (yes, “that was bad” but as in ‘good’ [gɨd]); 0:31:48 oh well ’cause I
didn’t really understand what to do at first so I didn’t know whether you were allowed to put [pɵʔ] what
you would [wɵd] put [pɵʔ])
BATH
[aː > a ~ ɑː]5
(0:08:10 like, my mum doesn’t talk posh whatsoever she says, like, she probably sounds common to people
but when I say ‘going to’ she’s like, “it’s going to” and, like, she’s, like, every time she’s, like, she looks
at me if I say ‘going to’, like, in a, like, in a nasty [naːsti] way ’cause she hates it when I say that; 0:14:39
yesterday as a pure example [pjɔːɹ ɪgzaːmpʊ] right I was with my friend, yeah, and he’s mixed race right
and he had jelly babies and I don’t like the black ones; 0:18:21 like ‘minging’ for example [ɪgzampʊ]
that’s on TV we explained this earlier and now a l... ’cause a lot of people know what it means like
‘minging’ or ‘blinging’ basically; 0:40:55 (if my family’s watching it I have to leave ’cause it just I think
it’s just oh it does my head in) I just laugh [laːf] at her I don’t mean to; 0:41:37 it’s like there’s, like, a
smoothness to their voice and they just, like, extend words just make them last [lɑːst] longer)
<trans-> (0:38:44 bless my brother he can’t understand a word they’re saying so I’m standing
there translating [tɹanzlæɪʔɪn] everything they’re saying to him)
NURSE
[əː > ɛː]
(0:36:27 only in a way that we understand it’s like ‘safe’ ‘safe’ would be ‘thank you’ or ‘hello’ or
‘goodbye’ it could mean three different things like you’d go, “safe” to someone when you first [fəːst] see
them “safe” when you leave or if they give you a cigarette or a sweet you say, “safe”; 0:38:44 bless my
brother he can’t understand a word [wɛːd] they’re saying so I’m standing there translating everything
they’re saying to him; 0:38:52 the worst [wəːst] accent I think is the Scouse accent […] the accent that
gets on my nerves [nəːvz] is the Geordie accent; 0:41:37 it’s like there’s, like, a smoothness to their voice
and they just, like, extend words [wəːdz] just make them last longer)
ONE (0:01:21
5
One speaker (Robin) consistently uses [ɑː]; the other speakers vary between [aː > a]
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girl (0:05:18 they go college and they most um the boys do sports and, like, the girls [gɛʊz] do
beauty; 0:24:17 (what words will you use for people who are very sexually active?) (um) ‘gagging
for it’ (or ‘horny’) (‘horny’ yeah) (‘horny’, yeah) well the joke is, yeah, this is what annoys me and
this has probably got nothing to do with it but a g... if a girl [gɛʊ] has slept with loads of boys,
yeah, she’s a ‘slag’ or a ‘slapper’ (or a ‘sket’) or ‘sket’, yeah, but if a (or a what?) a ‘sket’ but if a
boy slept with, like, uh ten girls in a day, “oh well done, yeah” (he’s the best, yeah) he’s the best
thing ever he gets praise for it that’s what does my head in; 0:31:33 no, I’ve heard girls [gəːʊz]
say that in town and that)
FLEECE
[iː]
(0:00:01 I’m Miranda and I’m studying a BTEC4 national diploma in media production [miːdiə
pɹədʌkʃən] (I’m Loya and I’m studying media [miːdiɐ]); 0:08:58 so I’ll speak [spiːk] differently I’ll speak
[spiːk] I suppose in a way posh at home but when I’m with my mates I’m completely [kəmpliːʔli] different
and I’ll start using slang and that and it’s just my dad picks picks up on everything I say; 0:36:27 only in a
way that we understand it’s like ‘safe’ ‘safe’ would be ‘thank you’ or ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ it could mean
[miːn] three [θɹiː] different things like you’d go, “safe” to someone when you first see [siː] them “safe”
when you leave [liːv] or if they give you a cigarette or a sweet [swiːʔ] you say, “safe”)
been (0:16:31 I think it’s been, [bɪn] like, processed by the media a lot more as well so people use
it; 0:44:06 or there’s another one ‘what are you under?’ it’s like ‘what you doing?’ ‘what’s
happened?’ ‘how’ve you been?’ [bɪn])
FACE
[æɪ > ɛɪ]
(0:18:21 like ‘minging’ for example that’s on TV we explained [ɪksplæɪnd] this earlier and now a l...
’cause a lot of people know what it means like ‘minging’ or ‘blinging’ basically [bæɪsɪkli]; 0:41:37 it’s
like there’s, like, a smoothness to their voice and they just, like, extend words just make [mɛɪk] them last
longer; 0:32:51 (I call them ‘plimsolls’) I call them ‘trainers’ [tɹæɪnəz]; 0:36:43 if I left the dinner table
[tɛɪ ] my mum’ll be like, “put your knife and fork together”; 0:38:44 bless my brother he can’t
understand a word they’re saying [sæɪɪn] so I’m standing there translating [tɹanzlæɪʔɪn] everything
they’re saying [sæɪʲɪn] to him)
ain’t (0:22:39 boys are a bit more hardcore, ain’t [ɛnʔ] they, bit more uh, like, you know, (they
want to get in there) they want to be a bit more rough and stuff; 0:33:27 (and how do you feel
about Northampton?) (I’m not I’m not exactly ecstatic about it) (no) (no) it’s gone well badly
downhill in the last few years, ain’t it? [ɛnɪʔ])
PALM~START
[aː]
(0:02:25 my mum’s from Birmingham and that and, like, she’s she used to live in Birmingham but she’s
not got a Birmingham accent any more but all my auntie [aːnʔi] and my uncle and they still live in
Birmingham st... have all got Birmingham accents; 0:04:18 some people said, yeah, when I started
[staːʔɪd] I sounded like a like towny because I I used to say ‘bare’ and stuff but now I don’t say it because
I feel stupid; 0:11:03 my dad used to be, like, proper, like, hard [haːd] on it when I was younger to not to
swear; 0:31:05 (‘male partner’) (‘boyfriend’) (yeah, ‘boyfriend’) (‘boyfriend’) ‘boyfriend’ or ‘other half’
[ʌðə haːf] (‘boyfriend’ or ‘dog’))
THOUGHT~NORTH~FORCE [ɔː]
(0:05:18 they go college and they most um the boys do sports [spɔːʔs] and, like, the girls do beauty;
0:11:36 I couldn’t swear if I swore [swɔː] in front of my parents that’s it I’d be dead; 0:22:39 boys are a
bit more [mɔː] hardcore, ain’t [haːdkɔːɹ ɛnʔ] they, bit more uh, [mɔːʋ ə] like, you know, (they want to get
in there) they want to be a bit more [mɔː] rough and stuff; 0:32:02 if I’m talking [tɔːkɪn] to my mum I’ll
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call [kɔːɫ] her ‘mum’ but if I’m talking [tɔːkɪn] to my mates I call [kɔːɫ] her ‘my old dear’; 0:37:39 my
dad taught [tɔːʔ] me, like, when I was younger to how to put my knife and fork [fɔːk] together and that)
GOAT
[ɐɤ > əʊ > ɐɪ]
(0:00:01 I’m Miranda and I’m studying a BTEC4 national diploma [dɪpləʊmə] in media production (I’m
Loya and I’m studying media); 0:08:58 so [sɐɪ] I’ll speak differently I’ll speak I suppose [spɐɤz] in a way
posh at home [hɐɤm] but when I’m with my mates I’m completely different and I’ll start using slang and
that and it’s just my dad picks picks up on everything I say; 0:20:04 when you look at it you think they’re
appropriate [əpɹəʊpɹiəʔ] words and then, like, the word there’s most [mɐɤst] of the words that I’ve wrote
[ɹɐɤʔ] they sound a bit stupid; 0:20:58 I put ‘annoyed’ again because that’s what I say, “I feel well
annoyed” so [sɐɤ] I don’t [dɐɤnʔ] really see any other word to use)
don’t (know) (0:34:04 Northampton has a lot of people who are talented but can’t get anywhere
because Northampton isn’t really seen it’s in the middle of I don’t know [dənɐɤ] it’s a big city well
big town and I don’t think it’s recognised for what it should be; 0:35:11 I don’t know [dɐɤnʔ nɐɤ]
what people say I don’t know, [dɐɤnʔ nɐɤ] yeah (I don’t know [dɐɤnʔ nɐɤ] either but it depends))
going to (0:01:39 say, like, if you live in, like, a quite a posh background and that you’re usually
going to [gənə] speak quite posh as well but say if you lived in, like, a town, like, in, like, the town
centre then you’d start talking, like, a bit more rough and, like, use a lot more rough words like I
don’t know; 0:08:10 like, my mum doesn’t talk posh whatsoever she says, like, she probably sounds
common to people but when I say ‘going to’ [gənɐ] she’s like, “it’s going to” [gəʊɪŋ tu] and, like,
she’s, like, every time she’s, like, she looks at me if I say ‘going to’, [gənə] like, in a, like, in a
nasty way ’cause she hates it when I say that; 0:14:31 if I knew it was going to [gənə] offend
someone I wouldn’t)
GOAL
[ɔʊ]
(0:32:02 if I’m talking to my mum I’ll call her ‘mum’ but if I’m talking to my mates I call her ‘my old
[ɔʊɫd] dear’; 0:32:51 I call them ‘plimsolls’ [plɪmsɔʊːz] (I call them ‘trainers’))
GOOSE
[ʉː > uː]
(0:00:31 well a lot of people these days um don’t understand younger people a lot of the older generation
um are hearing a lot more new [njuː] words come about these days; 0:05:18 they go college and they most
um the boys do [duː] sports and, like, the girls do [duː] beauty [bjuːʔi]; 0:13:48 (are there words that you
would never want to use?) (the C-word) (yeah) (that’s, like, the forbidden word, isn’t it?) [...] I hate that
word that word, yeah, anyone uses [jʉːzɪz] that word I cringe; 0:41:37 it’s like there’s, like, a smoothness
[smʉːvnəs] to their voice and they just, like, extend words just make them last longer)
boom (0:15:56 (if you really fancy a boy?) (oh) “he’s boom” [bʊm] (‘gorgeous’) (‘fit’ probably oh
I’m like, “he’s well fit”, like) (yeah, I say that))
PRICE
[ɔɪ > ɑɪ]
(0:00:47 there’s more different, like, [lɔɪk] races that live in this country now like [lɔɪk] the black people
and the Asians that bring over new words and stuff so, like, [lɔɪk] a lot of the um white [wɔɪʔ] people get
too used to using them sort of words; 0:02:42 my mum’s, like, [lɔɪk] from Ireland [ɔɪlənd] so she’s still
slightly [slɔɪʔli] got her Irish [ɔɪɹɪʃ] accent and then it comes out in me sometimes [səmtɔɪmz]’cause I pick
it out; 0:36:43 if I left the dinner table my mum’ll be like, “put your knife [nɑɪf] and fork together”)
my (0:02:25 my [mɑ] mum’s from Birmingham and that and, like, she’s she used to live in
Birmingham but she’s not got a Birmingham accent any more but all my auntie and my uncle and
they still live in Birmingham st... have all got Birmingham accents; 0:03:46 when I go to London
um ’cause a lot of my [mɑ] family live there I seem to pick up some of the London accent like ‘dog
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and bone’ and different things like that; 0:08:24 but, like, with my [mɑ] dad I never ever talk, like,
any, like, slang words in front of my [mɑɪ] dad ever because it he don’t like it)
Ireland, tired (0:02:42 my mum’s, like, from Ireland [ɔɪlənd] so she’s still slightly got her Irish
accent and then it comes out in me sometimes ’cause I pick it out; 0:21:07 (‘tired’ what will you
say if you’re tired?) ‘tired’ [tɔɪəd] (‘knackered’))
CHOICE
[ɔɪ]
(0:20:58 I put ‘annoyed’ [ənɔɪd] again because that’s what I say, “I feel well annoyed” [ənɔɪd] so I don’t
really see any other word to use; 0:22:39 boys [bɔɪz] are a bit more hardcore, ain’t they, bit more uh, like,
you know, (they want to get in there) they want to be a bit more rough and stuff; 0:41:37 it’s like there’s,
like, a smoothness to their voice [vɔɪs] and they just, like, extend words just make them last longer)
MOUTH
[aʊ]
(0:01:39 say, like, if you live in, like, a quite a posh background [bakgɹaʊnd] and that you’re usually
going to speak quite posh as well but say if you lived in, like, a town, [taʊn] like, in, like, the town centre
[taʊnsɛnʔə] then you’d start talking, like, a bit more rough and, like, use a lot more rough words like I
don’t know; 0:04:18 some people said, yeah, when I started I sounded [saʊndɪd] like a, like, towny [taʊni]
because I I used to say ‘bare’ and stuff but now [naʊ] I don’t say it because I feel stupid)
NEAR
[ɪː > ɪə]
(0:01:29 people, like, once someone hears [hɪːz] it but if they think it’s something popular to do everyone
wants to be in the little click; 0:20:58 I put ‘annoyed’ again because that’s what I say, “I feel well
annoyed” so I don’t really [ɹɪːli] see any other word to use; 0:32:02 if I’m talking to my mum I’ll call her
‘mum’ but if I’m talking to my mates I call her ‘my old dear’ [dɪə]; 0:33:27 (and how do you feel about
Northampton?) (I’m not I’m not exactly ecstatic about it) (no) (no) it’s gone well badly downhill in the
last few years, [jɪːz] ain’t it?)
SQUARE
[ɛː]
(0:04:18 some people said, yeah, when I started I sounded like a like towny because I I used to say ‘bare’
and [bɛːɹ ən] stuff but now I don’t say it because I feel stupid; 0:11:36 I couldn’t swear [swɛː] if I swore in
front of my parents [pɛːɹənts] that’s it I’d be dead)
CURE
[ɔː]
(0:14:39 yesterday as a pure example [pjɔːɹ ɪgzaːmpʊ] right I was with my friend, yeah, and he’s mixed
race right and he had jelly babies and I don’t like the black ones)
happY
[i]
(0:01:55 uh I think I talk pretty [pɹɪʔi] laid-back, like, I don’t really [ɹɪːli] I don’t really, [ɹɪːli] like, I’m not
that posh but I’m not that um common either, like, I just talk normal; 0:05:18 they go college and they
most um the boys do sports and, like, the girls do beauty [bjuːʔi]; 0:07:48 say we’re at the dinner table and
I’ll say “nothing” or something like that he goes, “nothing” I’m going, “no, nothing” and then he’ll get,
like, really [ɹɪːli] angry [aŋgɹi] and that, like; 0:33:27 (and how do you feel about Northampton?) I’m not
I’m not exactly [ɪgzakli] ecstatic about it (no) (no) (it’s gone well badly [badli] downhill in the last few
years, ain’t it?))
lettER
[ə > ɐ > a]
(0:08:24 but, like, with my dad I never [nɛvɐ] ever [ɛvə] talk, like, any, like, slang words in front of my dad
ever [ɛvɐ] because it he don’t like it; 0:18:21 like ‘minging’ for example that’s on TV we explained this
earlier [əːlia] and now a l... ’cause a lot of people know what it means like ‘minging’ or ‘blinging’
basically; 0:24:17 (what words will you use for people who are very sexually active?) (um) ‘gagging for
it’ (or ‘horny’) (‘horny’ yeah) (‘horny’, yeah) well the joke is, yeah, this is what annoys me and this has
probably got nothing to do with it but a g... if a girl has slept with loads of boys, yeah, she’s a ‘slag’ or a
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‘slapper’ [slapə] (or a ‘sket’) or ‘sket’, yeah, but if a (or a what?) a ‘sket’ but if a boy slept with, like, uh
ten girls in a day, “oh well done, yeah” (he’s the best, yeah) he’s the best thing ever [ɛvɐ] he gets praise
for it that’s what does my head in; 0:36:43 if I left the dinner [dɪnə] table my mum’ll be like, “put your
knife and fork together” [təgɛvə])
<-shire> (0:36:51 I suppose my dad was, like, he’s from Yorkshire [jɔːkʃɪː] and, like, Yorkshire
[jɔːkʃə] I would describe as proper English people, yeah)
commA
[ə > ɐ]
(0:00:01 I’m Miranda [məɹandə] and I’m studying a BTEC4 national diploma [dɪpləʊmə] in media
production [miːdiə pɹədʌkʃən] (I’m Loya [lɔɪʲə] and I’m studying media [miːdiɐ]))
horsES
[ɪ]
(0:00:47 there’s more different, like, races [ɹæɪsɪz] that live in this country now like the black people and
the Asians that bring over new words and stuff so, like, a lot of the um white people get too used to using
them sort of words; 0:13:48 (are there words that you would never want to use?) (the C-word) (yeah)
(that’s, like, the forbidden word, isn’t it?) [...] I hate that word that word, yeah, anyone uses [jʉːzɪz] that
word I cringe)
startED
[ɪ]
(0:04:18 some people said, yeah, when I started [staːʔɪd] I sounded [saʊndɪd] like a, like, towny because I
I used to say ‘bare’ and stuff but now I don’t say it because I feel stupid; 0:34:04 Northampton has a lot of
people who are talented [taləntɪd] but can’t get anywhere because Northampton isn’t really seen it’s in
the middle of I don’t know it’s a big city well big town and I don’t think it’s recognised for what it should
be)
mornING
[ɪ]
(0:01:29 people, like, once someone hears it but if they think it’s something [səmfɪŋ] popular to do
everyone wants to be in the little click; 0:18:21 like ‘minging’ [mɪŋɪn] for example that’s on TV we
explained this earlier and now a l... ’cause a lot of people know what it means like ‘minging’ [mɪŋɪn] or
‘blinging’ [blɪŋɪn] basically)
ZERO RHOTICITY
PLOSIVES
T
frequent word final T-glottaling (e.g. 0:00:31 well a lot [lɒʔ] of people these days um don’t [dəʊnʔ]
understand younger people a lot [lɒʔ] of the older generation um are hearing a lot [lɒʔ] more new words
come about [əbaʊʔ] these days; 0:04:48 ‘bare chocolate’ [ʧɒkləʔ] or (yeah) ‘bare people’ means ‘a lot
[lɒʔ] of people’ (yeah) or ‘a lot [lɒʔ] of chocolate’ [ʧɒkləʔ]; 0:20:04 when you look at [əʔ] it [ɪʔ] you think
they’re appropriate [əpɹəʊpɹiəʔ] words and then, like, the word there’s most of the words that I’ve wrote
[ɹɐɤʔ] they sound a bit [bɪʔ] stupid; 0:33:27 (and how do you feel about Northampton?) I’m not [nɒʔ] I’m
not [nɒʔ] exactly ecstatic about [əbaʊʔ] it [ɪʔ] (no) (no) (it’s gone well badly downhill in the last few years,
ain’t it? [ɛnɪʔ]); 0:36:27 only in a way that [ðəʔ] we understand it’s like ‘safe’ ‘safe’ would be ‘thank you’
or ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ it [ɪʔ] could mean three different [dɪfɹənʔ] things like you’d go, “safe” to someone
when you first see them “safe” when you leave or if they give you a cigarette [sɪgəɹɛʔ] or a sweet [swiːʔ]
you say, “safe”)
frequent word medial & syllable initial T-glottaling (e.g. 0:01:29 people, like, once someone hears it
but if they think it’s something popular to do everyone wants to be in the little [lɪʔʊ] click; 0:01:55 uh I
think I talk pretty [pɹɪʔi] laid-back, like, I don’t really I don’t really, like, I’m not that posh but I’m not that
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um common either, like, I just talk normal; 0:05:18 they go college and they most um the boys do sports
and, like, the girls do beauty [bjuːʔi]; 0:38:30 ’cause my mum’s Scottish [skɒʔɪʃ] and when I go up to see
them in Scotland [skɒʔlənd] for a family reunion oh my gosh I cannot understand anyone; 0:38:44 bless
my brother he can’t understand a word they’re saying so I’m standing there translating [tɹanzlæɪʔɪn]
everything they’re saying to him)
NASALS
NG
frequent NG-fronting (e.g. 0:00:01 I’m Miranda and I’m studying [stədiʲɪn] a BTEC4 national diploma in
media production (I’m Loya and I’m studying [stədiʲɪn] media); 0:08:58 so I’ll speak differently I’ll speak
I suppose in a way posh at home but when I’m with my mates I’m completely different and I’ll start using
[jʉːzɪn] slang and that and it’s just my dad picks picks up on everything I say; 0:07:48 say we’re at the
dinner table and I’ll say “nothing” [nəfɪn] or something [səmɪn] like that he goes, “nothing” [nəθɪŋk]
I’m going, “no, nothing” [nəfɪn] and then he’ll get, like, really angry and that, like; 0:32:02 if I’m talking
[tɔːkɪn] to my mum I’ll call her ‘mum’ but if I’m talking [tɔːkɪn] to my mates I call her ‘my old dear’)
0:38:44 bless my brother he can’t understand a word they’re saying [sæɪɪn] so I’m standing [standɪn]
there translating [tɹanzlæɪʔɪn] everything [ɛvɹɪfɪn] they’re saying [sæɪʲɪn] to him)
frequent <-ing> with NK (e.g. 0:06:44 they say their words properly they don’t cut anything [ɛnɪθɪŋk] off
it; 0:07:48 say we’re at the dinner table and I’ll say “nothing” or something like that he goes, “nothing”
[nəθɪŋk] I’m going, “no, nothing” and then he’ll get, like, really angry and that, like; 0:08:58 so I’ll speak
differently I’ll speak I suppose in a way posh at home but when I’m with my mates I’m completely different
and I’ll start using slang and that and it’s just my dad picks picks up on everything [ɛvɹɪfɪŋk] I say; 0:43:58
(talk to me about ‘dread’) just something [səmɪŋk] if someone’s ‘dread’ they’re ‘out of order’)
N
syllabic N with epenthetic schwa (0:01:00 so, yeah, I think because of the different cultures that’ve come
over the language has changed a lot since, like, the olden [ɔʊɫdən] days; 0:01:21 like one word like say
‘dread’, yeah, someone will say that and then more people will catch on and then all of sudden [sʌdən]
everyone’s saying it; 0:13:48 (are there words that you would never want to use?) the C-word (yeah)
that’s, like, the forbidden [fəbɪdən] word, isn’t it? [...] (I hate that word that word, yeah, anyone uses that
word I cringe); 0:14:31 if I knew it was going to offend someone I wouldn’t [wɵdənʔ]; 0:43:22 (my dad,
like, works in a school and that so he hears it every day and he’ll come home and he’ll just, like, be
talking and then all of a sudden [sədən] he’ll just go into, like, say, like words like ‘innit’ and stuff)
FRICATIVES
H
H-dropping
(0:33:27 (and how do you feel about Northampton?) (I’m not I’m not exactly ecstatic about it)
(no) (no) it’s gone well badly downhill [daʊnɪɫ] in the last few years, ain’t it?; 0:43:22 (my dad, like, works
in a school and that so he hears it every day and he’ll come home [əʊm] and he’ll just, like, be talking and
then all of a sudden he’ll just go into, like, say, like words like ‘innit’ and stuff; 0:45:11 and, like, with
football you get, like, the clubhouse [kləbaʊs] and you go down the pub and stuff)
TH
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(0:27:57 ‘little youth’ [jʉːʔ] (a ‘youth’) yeah, like a youth [jʉːf] but that’s, like, that’s picked
up I think by uh the black culture I think ’cause they call young people ‘youths’ [jʉːfs] so ‘youth’ [jʉːʔ] be
a ‘young person’)
frequent TH-fronting (e.g. 0:01:29 people, like, once someone hears it but if they think it’s something
[səmfɪŋ] popular to do everyone wants to be in the little click; 0:04:36 the people that I hang around with
[wɪv] outside, like, college are, like, people call them ‘townies’, yeah; 0:07:48 say we’re at the dinner
table and I’ll say “nothing” [nəfɪn] or something like that he goes, “nothing” [nəθɪŋk] I’m going, “no,
nothing” [nəfɪn] and then he’ll get, like, really angry and that, like; 0:27:57 ‘little youth’ (a ‘youth’) yeah,
like a youth [jʉːf] but that’s, like, that’s picked up I think [fɪŋk] by uh the black culture I think [fɪŋk]
’cause they call young people ‘youths’ [jʉːfs] so ‘youth’ [jʉːʔ] be a ‘young person’; 0:36:27 only in a way
that we understand it’s like ‘safe’ ‘safe’ would be ‘thank you’ [faŋkjʉː] or ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ it could
mean three [θɹiː] different things [θɪŋz] like you’d go, “safe” to someone when you first see them “safe”
when you leave or if they give you a cigarette or a sweet you say, “safe”; 0:36:43 if I left the dinner table
my mum’ll be like, “put your knife and fork together” [təgɛvə]; 0:41:37 it’s like there’s, like, a smoothness
[smʉːvnəs] to their voice and they just, like, extend words just make them last longer)
TH-stopping
LIQUIDS
R
approximant R (0:00:01 I’m Miranda [məɹandə] and I’m studying a BTEC4 national diploma in media
production [miːdiə pɹədʌkʃən] (I’m Loya and I’m studying media); 0:27:08 depends who I’m with, like,
parents’d [pɛːɹənts əd] be, “oh I’m going toilet” friends, [fɹɛndz] “oh I’m just going loo” it’s different
[dɪfɹənʔ]; 0:36:27 only in a way that we understand it’s like ‘safe’ ‘safe’ would be ‘thank you’ or ‘hello’
or ‘goodbye’ it could mean three [θɹiː] different [dɪfɹənʔ] things like you’d go, “safe” to someone when
you first see them “safe” when you leave or if they give you a cigarette [sɪgəɹɛʔ] or a sweet you say,
“safe”)
L
clear onset L (0:18:21 like [lɔɪk] ‘minging’ for example that’s on TV we explained [ɪksplæɪnd] this earlier
[əːlia] and now a l... ’cause a lot [lɒʔ] of people know what it means like [lɔɪk] ‘minging’ or ‘blinging’
[blɪŋɪn] basically [bæɪsɪkli]; 0:31:48 oh well ’cause I didn’t really [ɹɪːli] understand what to do at first so
I didn’t know whether you were allowed [əlaʊd] to put what you would put; 0:34:22 Northampton is still
only a town, isn’t it, it’s not a city; 0:45:11 and, like, [lɔɪk] with football you get, like, [lɔɪk] the clubhouse
[kləbaʊs] and you go down the pub and stuff so you drink quite a lot [lɒʔ] and that)
dark coda L (0:18:21 like ‘minging’ for example that’s on TV we explained this earlier and now a l...
’cause a lot of people [
] know what it means like ‘minging’ or ‘blinging’ basically; 0:32:02 if I’m
talking to my mum I’ll call [kɔːɫ] her ‘mum’ but if I’m talking to my mates I call [kɔːɫ] her ‘my old [ɔʊɫd]
dear’; 0:36:43 if I left the dinner table [
] my mum’ll [
] be like, “put your knife and fork
together”)
frequent L-vocalisation (e.g. 0:01:29 people, [piːpʊ] like, once someone hears it but if they think it’s
something popular to do everyone wants to be in the little [lɪʔʊ] click; 0:09:52 it’s the weird ’cause um the
Welsh [wɛʊʃ] people [piːpʊ] say ‘steaming’ and stuff (‘steaming’ I use ‘steaming’ for ‘drunk’); 0:18:21
like ‘minging’ for example [ɪgzampʊ] that’s on TV we explained this earlier and now a l... ’cause a lot of
people know what it means like ‘minging’ or ‘blinging’ basically)
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syllabic L with lateral release (0:34:04 Northampton has a lot of people who are talented but can’t get
anywhere because Northampton isn’t really seen it’s in the middle [mɪd ] of I don’t know it’s a big city
well big town and I don’t think it’s recognised for what it should be)
GLIDES
J
yod dropping with N (0:42:11 I love hearing new [nuː] words that people hear, like, talk and say and
stuff)
yod coalescence (0:04:18 some people said, yeah, [sɛʤjɛː] when I started I sounded like a, like, towny
because I I used to say ‘bare’ and stuff but now I don’t say it because I feel stupid [sʧuːpɪd]; 0:13:48 (are
there words that you would never want to use?) the C-word (yeah) (that’s, like, the forbidden word, isn’t
it?) [...] I hate that word that word, yeah, [wəːʤjɛː] anyone uses that word I cringe; 0:20:04 when you
look at it you think they’re appropriate words and then, like, the word there’s most of the words that I’ve
wrote they sound a bit stupid [sʧʉːpɪd])
ELISION
prepositions
of reduction (0:00:47 there’s more different, like, races that live in this country now like the black people
and the Asians that bring over new words and stuff so, like, a lot of [ə] the um white people get too used to
using them sort of [ə] words; 0:00:31 well a lot of [ə] people these days um don’t understand younger
people a lot of the older generation um are hearing a lot more new words come about these days; 0:08:24
but, like, with my dad I never ever talk, like, any, like, slang words in front of [ə] my dad ever because it
he don’t like it; 0:37:23 we eat in the living room most of [ə] the time (yeah) we ’cause, like, my mum just,
like, we got a new dining room table and mum don’t want it to get scratched)
with reduction (0:08:24 but, like, with [wə] my dad I never ever talk, like, any, like, slang words in front
of my dad ever because it he don’t like it)
negation
secondary contraction (0:11:36 I couldn’t [kɵnʔ] swear if I swore in front of my parents that’s it I’d be
dead; 0:13:48 (are there words that you would never want to use?) the C-word (yeah) that’s, like, the
forbidden word, isn’t it? [ɪnɪʔ] [...] (I hate that word that word, yeah, anyone uses that word I cringe);
0:15:32 I wouldn’t [wɵnʔ] say anything about disability […] (I use ‘retard’); 0:31:48 oh well ’cause I
didn’t [dɪnʔ] really understand what to do at first so I didn’t [dɪnʔ] know whether you were allowed to put
what you would put; 0:34:22 Northampton is still only a town, isn’t it, [ɪnɪʔ] it’s not a city)
simplification
word final consonant cluster reduction (0:13:48 (are there words that you would never want to use?)
the C-word (yeah) that’s, like, the forbidden word, isn’t it? [ɪnɪʔ] [...] (I hate that word that word, yeah,
anyone uses that word I cringe); 0:19:03 and white boys kind of want to [wɒnə] want to [wɒnə] be in that
little click so they, like, they’re now changing how they talk and stuff; 0:22:39 boys are a bit more
hardcore, ain’t they, bit more uh, like, you know, (they want to [wɒnə] get in there) they want to [wɒnə] be
a bit more rough and stuff; 0:33:27 (and how do you feel about Northampton?) (I’m not I’m not exactly
ecstatic about it) (no) (no) it’s gone well badly downhill in the last few years, ain’t it? [ɛnɪʔ]; 0:34:04
Northampton has a lot of people who are talented but can’t get anywhere because Northampton isn’t
really seen it’s in the middle of I don’t know [dənɐɤ] it’s a big city well big town and I don’t think it’s
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recognised for what it should be; 0:34:22 Northampton is still only a town, isn’t it, [ɪnɪʔ] it’s not a city;
0:37:23 we eat in the living room most of the time (yeah) we ’cause, like, my mum just, like, we got a new
dining room table and mum don’t want [wɒn] it to get scratched; 0:38:44 bless my brother he can’t [kaːn]
understand a word they’re saying so I’m standing there translating everything they’re saying to him;
0:40:41 it’s just so far-fetched now, isn’t it? [
])
word medial consonant cluster reduction (0:07:48 say we’re at the dinner table and I’ll say “nothing”
or something [səmɪn] like that he goes, “nothing” I’m going, “no, nothing” and then he’ll get, like, really
angry and that, like; 0:10:17 ‘steaming’ ‘hammered’ [haməd] yeah, all them; 0:33:27 (and how do you
feel about Northampton?) I’m not I’m not exactly [ɪgzakli] ecstatic about it (no) (no) (it’s gone well badly
downhill in the last few years, ain’t it?); 0:34:04 Northampton has a lot of people who are talented but
can’t get anywhere because Northampton isn’t really seen it’s in the middle of I don’t know it’s a big city
well big town and I don’t think it’s recognised [ɹɛkənɔɪzd] for what it should be; 0:43:58 (talk to me about
‘dread’) just something [səmɪŋk] if someone’s ‘dread’ they’re ‘out of order’)
word initial syllable reduction (0:06:22 with el… especially, [spɛʃli] like, I’m round my grandparents or
I don’t know older people than me they don’t like the language that I speak in)
syllable deletion (0:03:46 when I go to London um ’cause a lot of my family [famli] live there I seem to
pick up some of the London accent like ‘dog and bone’ and different things like that; 0:06:44 they say their
words properly [pɹɒpli] they don’t cut anything off it; 0:08:10 like, my mum doesn’t talk posh whatsoever
she says, like, she probably [pɹɒbli] sounds common to people but when I say ‘going to’ she’s like, “it’s
going to” and, like, she’s, like, every time she’s, like, she looks at me if I say ‘going to’, like, in a, like, in a
nasty way ’cause she hates it when I say that; 0:08:58 so I’ll speak differently I’ll speak I suppose [spɐɤz]
in a way posh at home but when I’m with my mates I’m completely different and I’ll start using slang and
that and it’s just my dad picks picks up on everything I say)
TH-deletion
with them (0:04:36 the people that I hang around with outside, like, college are, like, people
call them [əm] ‘townies’, yeah; 0:32:51 (I call them [əm] ‘plimsolls’) I call them [əm] ‘trainers’; 0:36:27
only in a way that we understand it’s like ‘safe’ ‘safe’ would be ‘thank you’ or ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ it
could mean three different things like you’d go, “safe” to someone when you first see them [əm] “safe”
when you leave or if they give you a cigarette or a sweet you say, “safe”)
V-deletion with have (0:44:06 or there’s another one ‘what are you under?’ it’s like ‘what you doing?’
‘what’s happened?’ ‘how’ve [haʊə] you been?’)
W-deletion (0:27:08 depends who I’m with, like, parents’d [pɛːɹənts əd] be, “oh I’m going toilet” friends,
“oh I’m just going loo” it’s different; 0:36:43 if I left the dinner table my mum’ll [
] be like, “put
your knife and fork together”)
LIAISON
frequent linking-R (e.g. 0:04:18 some people said, yeah, when I started I sounded like a, like, towny
because I I used to say ‘bare’ and [bɛːɹ ən] stuff but now I don’t say it because I feel stupid; 0:22:39 boys
are a [əɹ ə] bit more hardcore, [haːdkɔːɹ ɛnʔ] ain’t they, bit more uh, [mɔːʋ ə] like, you know, (they want
to get in there) they want to be a bit more rough and stuff; 0:14:39 yesterday as a pure example [pjɔːɹ
ɪgzaːmpʊ] right I was with my friend, yeah, and he’s mixed race right and he had jelly babies and I don’t
like the black ones; 0:20:04 when you look at it you think they’re appropriate [ðɛːɹ əpɹəʊpɹiəʔ] words and
then, like, the word there’s most of the words that I’ve wrote they sound a bit stupid)
zero linking-R (0:06:32 I suppose it’s posh and proper English [pɹɒpə ɪŋglɪʃ]; 0:36:27 only in a way that
we understand it’s like ‘safe’ ‘safe’ would be ‘thank you’ or ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ it could mean three
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different things like you’d go, “safe” to someone when you first see them “safe” when you leave or if [ɔː
ɪf] they give you a cigarette or a [ɔː ə] sweet you say, “safe”)
intrusive-R (0:39:47 yeah, it [jɛːɹ ɪʔ] does help people um if not consciously then subconsciously accept
other people)
SUBSTITUTION
Z
to D with negative (0:40:41 it’s just so far-fetched now, isn’t it? [
])
+/- VOICE
youths (0:27:57 ‘little youth’ (a ‘youth’) yeah, like a youth but that’s, like, that’s picked up I think by uh
the black culture I think ’cause they call young people ‘youths’ [jʉːfs] so ‘youth’ be a ‘young person’)
PROSODY
intonation
uptalk (0:00:31 well a lot of people these days um don’t understand younger people a lot of the older
generation um are hearing a lot more new words come about these days; 0:39:47 yeah, it does help people
um if not consciously then subconsciously accept other people)
LEXICALLY SPECIFIC VARIATION
again (0:20:58 I put ‘annoyed’ again [əgɛn] because that’s what I say, “I feel well annoyed” so I don’t
really see any other word to use)
Asian (0:00:47 there’s more different, like, races that live in this country now like the black people and
the Asians [æɪʒənz] that bring over new words and stuff so, like, a lot of the um white people get too used
to using them sort of words)
(be)cause (0:04:18 some people said, yeah, when I started I sounded like a, like, towny because [bɪkəz] I I
used to say ‘bare’ and stuff but now I don’t say it because [bɪkəz] I feel stupid; 0:37:23 we eat in the
living room most of the time (yeah) we ’cause, [kəz] like, my mum just, like, we got a new dining room
table and mum don’t want it to get scratched)
either (0:01:55 uh I think I talk pretty laid-back, like, I don’t really I don’t really, like, I’m not that posh
but I’m not that um common either, [ɑɪðə] like, I just talk normal; 0:35:11 (I don’t know what people say I
don’t know, yeah) I don’t know either [iːðə] but it depends)
etcetera (0:27:25 when you’re with your friends it’s like, “oh, going for a piss?” (yeah) yeah, or etcetera
[ɛksɛtɹə])
says (0:08:10 like, my mum doesn’t talk posh whatsoever she says, [sɛz] like, she probably sounds
common to people but when I say ‘going to’ she’s like, “it’s going to” and, like, she’s, like, every time
she’s, like, she looks at me if I say ‘going to’, like, in a, like, in a nasty way ’cause she hates it when I say
that)
GRAMMAR
DETERMINERS
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demonstrative them (0:00:47 there’s more different, like, races that live in this country now like the black
people and the Asians that bring over new words and stuff so, like, a lot of the um white people get too
used to using them sort of words; 0:10:17 ‘steaming’ ‘hammered’, yeah, all them)
PRONOUNS
relative that (0:04:36 the people that I hang around with outside, like, college are, like, people call them
‘townies’, yeah)
VERBS
past
generalisation of simple past (0:20:04 when you look at it you think they’re appropriate words and then,
like, the word there’s most of the words that I’ve wrote they sound a bit stupid)
compounds
zero auxiliary be (0:44:06 or there’s another one ‘what are you under?’ it’s like ‘what _ you doing?’
‘what’s happened?’ ‘how’ve you been?’)
zero auxiliary have (0:37:23 we eat in the living room most of the time (yeah) we ’cause, like, my mum
just, like, we _ got a new dining room table and mum don’t want it to get scratched)
invariant there is (0:00:47 there’s more different, like, races that live in this country now like the black
people and the Asians that bring over new words and stuff so, like, a lot of the um white people get too
used to using them sort of words)
bare infinitive (0:21:021 (‘have a kip’) (I’ve just put ‘sleep’) ‘go _ sleep’ (‘sleep’) (‘catch some zeds’))
NEGATION
alternative negator (0:40:41 it’s just so far-fetched now, idn* it?)
be – ain’t for negative be (0:22:39 boys are a bit more hardcore, ain’t they, bit more uh, like, you know,
(they wanna get in there) they wanna be a bit more rough and stuff)
have – ain’t for negative have (0:33:27 (and how do you feel about Northampton?) (I’m not I’m not
exactly ecstatic about it) (no) (no) it’s gone well badly downhill in the last few years, ain’t it?)
invariant don’t (0:08:24 but, like, with my dad I never ever talk, like, any, like, slang words in front of my
dad ever because it he don’t like it; 0:37:23 we eat in the living room most of the time (yeah) we ’cause,
like, my mum just, like, we got a new dining room table and mum don’t want it to get scratched)
PREPOSITIONS
deletion
zero habitual to (0:05:18 they go _ college and they most um the boys do sports and, like, the gels do
beauty; 0:14:14 you say you go _ London a lot so I do you do you use it a lot?; 0:27:08 depends who I’m
with, like, parents’d be, “oh I’m going _ toilet” friends, “oh I’m just going _ loo” it’s different)
preposition deletion – other (0:06:22 with el… especially, like, I’m round _ my grandparents or I don’t
know older people than me they don’t like the language that I speak in; 0:45:11 and, like, with football you
get, like, the clubhouse and you go down _ the pub and stuff)
ADVERBS
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unmarked manner adverb (0:01:55 uh I think I talk pretty laid-back, like, I don’t really I don’t really,
like, I’m not that posh but I’m not that um common either, like, I just talk normal)
DISCOURSE
frequent utterance final and that (e.g. 0:01:39 say, like, if you live in, like, a quite a posh background
and that you’re usually going to speak quite posh as well but say if you lived in, like, a town, like, in, like,
the town centre then you’d start talking, like, a bit more rough and, like, use a lot more rough words like I
don’t know; 0:02:25 my mum’s from Birmingham and that and, like, she’s she used to live in Birmingham
but she’s not got a Birmingham accent any more but all my auntie and my uncle and they still live in
Birmingham st... have all got Birmingham accents; 0:07:48 say we’re at the dinner table and I’ll say
“nothing” or something like that he goes, “nothing” I’m going, “no, nothing” and then he’ll get, like,
really angry and that, like; 0:08:58 so I’ll speak differently I’ll speak I suppose in a way posh at home but
when I’m with my mates I’m completely different and I’ll start using slang and that and it’s just my dad
picks picks up on everything I say; 0:31:33 no, I’ve heard girls say that in town and that; 0:37:39 my dad
taught me, like, when I was younger to how to put my knife and fork together and that; 0:43:22 (my dad,
like, works in a school and that so he hears it every day and he’ll come home and he’ll just, like, be
talking and then all of a sudden he’ll just go into, like, say, like words like ‘innit’ and stuff)
utterance final like (0:01:55 uh I think I talk pretty laid-back, like, I don’t really I don’t really, like, I’m
not that posh but I’m not that um common either, like, I just talk normal; 0:15:56 (if you really fancy a
boy?) (oh) (“he’s boom”) (‘gorgeous’) ‘fit’ probably oh I’m like, “he’s well fit”, like (yeah, I say that);
0:16:49 ’cause, like, you see, like, all the fit all the fit people on telly, like, and then you say, “oh yeah,
she’s telly” ’cause, like, she could be on telly ’cause she’s proper fit, like)
frequent utterance internal like (e.g. 0:00:47 there’s more different, like, races that live in this country
now like the black people and the Asians that bring over new words and stuff so, like, a lot of the um white
people get too used to using them sort of words; 0:01:29 people, like, once someone hears it but if they
think it’s something popular to do everyone wants to be in the little click; 0:04:36 people that I hang
around with outside, like, college are like… people call them ‘townies’, yeah; 0:05:18 they go college and
they most um the boys do sports and, like, the gels do beauty; 0:07:48 say we’re at the dinner table and I’ll
say “nothing” or something like that he goes, “nothing” I’m going, “no, nothing” and then he’ll get, like,
really angry and that, like; 0:08:10 like, my mum doesn’t talk posh whatsoever she says, like, she probably
sounds common to people but when I say ‘gonna’ she’s like, “it’s going to” and, like, she’s, like, every
time she’s, like, she looks at me if I say ‘gonna’, like, in a, like, in a nasty way ’cause she hates it when I
say that; 0:11:03 my dad used to be, like, proper, like, hard on it when I was younger to not to swear;
0:13:48 (are there words that you would never want to use?) the C-word (yeah) that’s, like, the forbidden
word, isn’t it? [...] (I hate that word that word, yeah, anyone uses that word I cringe); 0:16:49 ’cause, like,
you see, like, all the fit all the fit people on telly, like, and then you say, “oh yeah, she’s telly” ’cause, like,
she could be on telly ’cause she’s proper fit, like; 0:22:39 boys are a bit more hardcore, ain’t they, bit
more uh, like, you know, (they wanna get in there) they wanna be a bit more rough and stuff; 0:36:51 I
suppose my dad was, like, he’s from Yorkshire and, like, Yorkshire I would describe as proper English
people, yeah; 0:41:37 it’s like there’s, like, a smoothness to their voice and they just, like, extend words
just make them last longer; 0:43:22 (my dad, like, works in a school and that so he hears it every day and
he’ll come home and he’ll just, like, be talking and then all of a sudden he’ll just go into, like, say, like
words like ‘innit’ and stuff; 0:45:11 and, like, with football you get, like, the clubhouse and you go down
the pub and stuff)
intensifier proper (0:11:03 my dad used to be, like, proper, like, hard on it when I was younger to not to
swear; 0:12:51 (other way if something’s ‘really good’?) (that was ‘sick’) [...] (that was ‘wicked’)
(‘wicked’ I say that) (I say ‘lush’ but then if I’m feeling good I’ll say ‘lushty’ “that was lushty”) I just say
‘quality’ “that’s proper quality” [...] (or ‘bad’) (yes, “that was bad” but as in ‘good’); 0:16:49 ’cause,
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like, you see, like, all the fit all the fit people on telly, like, and then you say, “oh yeah, she’s telly” ’cause,
like, she could be on telly ’cause she’s proper fit, like)
intensifier well (0:15:56 (if you really fancy a boy?) (oh) (“he’s boom”) (‘gorgeous’) ‘fit’ probably oh
I’m like, “he’s well fit”, like (yeah, I say that); 0:20:58 I put ‘annoyed’ again because that’s what I say, “I
feel well annoyed” so I don’t really see any other word to use; 0:33:27 (and how do you feel about
Northampton?) (I’m not I’m not exactly ecstatic about it) (no) (no) it’s gone well badly downhill in the
last few years, ain’t it?)
frequent quotative like (e.g. 0:08:10 like, my mum doesn’t talk posh whatsoever she says, like, she
probably sounds common to people but when I say ‘gonna’ she’s like, “it’s going to” and, like, she’s, like,
every time she’s, like, she looks at me if I say ‘gonna’, like, in a, like, in a nasty way ’cause she hates it
when I say that; 0:11:51 if we’ve had a really boring lesson we’re like, “fucking hell that was shit”;
0:15:56 (if you really fancy a boy?) (oh) (“he’s boom”) (‘gorgeous’) ‘fit’ probably oh I’m like, “he’s well
fit”, like (yeah, I say that); 0:27:25 when you’re with your friends it’s like, “oh, going for a piss?” (yeah)
yeah, or etcetera; 0:36:43 if I left the dinner table my mum’ll be like, “put your knife and fork together”)
quotative go (0:07:48 say we’re at the dinner table and I’ll say “nothing” or something like that he goes,
“nothing” I’m going, “no, nothing” and then he’ll get, like, really angry and that, like; 0:36:27 only in a
way that we understand it’s like ‘safe’ ‘safe’ would be ‘thank you’ or ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ it could mean
three different things like you’d go, “safe” to someone when you first see them “safe” when you leave or
if they give you a cigarette or a sweet you say, “safe”)
© Robinson, Herring, Gilbert
Voices of the UK, 2009-2012
A British Library project funded by The Leverhulme Trust
http://sounds.bl.uk
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