image from peteashton
Jon Bounds – the man behind BiNS, the chap who put this site together and the bloke I worked with (he did it mostly) on upyerbrum, continue his one man online campaign to show the true strength of this fabulous city.
He has declared July 20th 2007 Talk Like a Brummie Day.
Orlroit bab!
How often do we hear or read this on a slow news day? “The Brummie accent has been named the least intelligent” “least trustworthy” “least friendly” “most dishonest”? When the media needs a quick stupid stereotype what sort of voice do they pick?Well us moaning isn’t going to change anything – let’s face it we’re bloody good at whinging and it hasn’t worked yet – so we should celebrate our accent and dialect and encourage everyone to ‘Talk Like a Brummie’ for one day. Come on everyone, don’t gerra cobb on, we ain’t yampy.
We’ll be celebrating, no matter how dark it gets over Bill’s mothers.
Of course this has to be a global collaboration – fluent speakers can add to the brummie dictionary, whilst anyone can vote for this on upyerbum, add the date to their diary, pop this countdown to the day on their site, practice from the dictionary and remember that July 20th is a day of solidarity – a day to talk like a brummie. of course their more besides – perhaps someone fancies doing a youtube guide – and maybe I should get round to a podcast.
Hear hear! I came to Birmingham in 1973 not planning to stay. I did. I married and my children are grown up and this city is my home. Some years back their grandfather (on the posh side) said to their grandmother that the children ‘could always have elocution lessons’. They got to hear of his suggestion and humoured their grandpa by talking his way. They can do Queen’s English to a T, but they’re proud to be from Birmingham. Simon