Game of Thrones accents

[David Ayers]

So as a Yorkshireman I am delighted at the props given to my county accent in Game of Thrones. But how do non-Brits hear these accents? I am interested to hear, but no plot spoilers please I haven't seen any of series three yet!

[erwbol]

Easy to understand accent.

[JohnJ]

Easy to understand accent.

So not Yorkshire.

[erwbol]

Easy to understand accent.

So not Yorkshire.

Edited May 16, 2013 by erwbol

[jazzbo]

I don't know. . .I watched one episode of that show and decided I did not want to watch more. Accents were no chalenge to me, but then I was in a British-run boarding school in M'Babane three years as a teen and have lived in other countries and have been able to hear through accents for years now.

[erwbol]

The show is too bleak and nasty for me (I read most of the books). After the first season I started using the fast forward button more and more.

Edited May 17, 2013 by erwbol

[kh1958]

The show is great; I love it. No probelms understanding the accents.

[kinuta]

The accents are no problem but I don't like the show at all .

[etherbored]

i think david might be looking for an impression of the accents and what non-brits may think of it vs whether it's understod or not. ?

[Quincy]

I've only seen season 1 but I liked how they kind of grouped the accents to the fictionalized regions (there are some inconsistencies). I grew up in the US Midwest but have a father from the UK and have visited relatives scattered throughout and and don't have a problem understanding any of the actors (there are few relatives that are a different matter). I love the show as it's a change from the "one psychopath trying not to get caught" model of The Sopranos, Dexter, Boardwalk Empire and hell, Mad Men fits that too.

[mikelz777]

Whenever I watch shows with British accents (Doctor Who, Doc Martin, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, etc.) I find that I have to turn up the volume a bit louder and concentrate a bit more to catch what everyone is saying. I don't really have a problem with Game of Thrones and some shows are better than others but I happened to be watching the original Office last night and I really had to concentrate to catch what Ricky Gervais and some of the other characters were saying. I have to engage myself a bit more with British productions. It's interesting just to hear the variety of accents coming from England alone and then you start throwing in the Irish and Scottish accents as well it can sometimes be a challenge to catch everything. I love Game of Thrones but I'm not knowledgeable enough about the various accents to separate them out to what part of the country they came from. The Brits can probably point them out straight away.

[.:.impossible]

Lon, what made you decide not to watch?

[Stefan Wood]

The series has really hit its stride with this third season. I find it really engaging.

[sidewinder]

The Brits can probably point them out straight away.

There are big variations in the Yorkshire accent too. Locals can often pinpoint it to within a few miles of a locality. There are bits of Old Norse slang that can sometimes help to pinpoint it too.

Edited May 17, 2013 by sidewinder

[David Ayers]

i think david might be looking for an impression of the accents and what non-brits may think of it vs whether it's understod or not. ?

Yes I was thinking about the impression they created, not so much about if they are understood.

[Royal Oak]

My wife is from Leigh, Lancashire. Years before I met her, she worked as an au pair in Florida. She became friends with another English woman, from Brighton. My wife said that every local they met couldn't tell the difference in their accents.

[etherbored]

while we all may not be as clueless as that, i'm positive we could do with a primer on sorting out the general regionalization of accents of england proper. you know, just to set us straight.after all, do you understand the distinction between the accent of one from maryland and pennnsylvaina or michigan and illinois? subtle to the ear, but easily as distinct.

[Royal Oak]

while we all may not be as clueless as that, i'm positive we could do with a primer on sorting out the general regionalization of accents of england proper. you know, just to set us straight.after all, do you understand the distinction between the accent of one from maryland and pennnsylvaina or michigan and illinois? subtle to the ear, but easily as distinct.

I wasn't having a pop. While I'd like to think I could distinguish between say New York and Mississippi, I couldn't tell differences in other US accents, as you suggest.

[Stefan Wood]

Or Brooklyn from Queens.

[.:.impossible]

Or Leland and Castle Hayne.

[Blue Train]

It's not the accent that is the issue. Lived in so many places in mutliple continents (some of which they didn't even speak English) you couldn't even place my accent. Anyway, it's having to remember when they use different words that mean the same thing in different areas/countries/whatnot.

It's espacially maddening when I go back and forth. Take example going from the UK to the States. You're used to thinking in one way....and next thing you know....Jetlag is much easier to deal with. Not even going near the whole remebering customs.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Blue Train

[Brad]

This is not an accent thing but I put on subtitles as my hearing slightly deteriorates.

[JSngry]

Cable sex all sounds alike to me, and that's the only part of GOT that gets my attention.