Saturday, January 30, 2010

Birmingham language pledge: Learn German while you drive (into or out of the car park)

German spoken with an English accent is bad enough and I don't like to think what Brum-German might sound like. But according to a report by the BBC, this is exactly what we're going to get - until the good people of Birmingham have sorted out their ticket machines. Which are currently spewing German obscenities at unassuming citizens looking for a place to park their Vauxhalls Opels.

You see, vee haff much moar kanning vays of meking you toalk (Tscherman) than by pleing futbol in bleck shörts.

12 comments:

Francis Sedgemore said...

Zo vat iz Tscherman leik ven spoke mit an Illinoizee akzent?

https://obscenedesserts.blogspot.com/ said...

It involves plenty of odd clicking noises.

JCWood said...

Actually, because of the transmission of German linguistic forms via immigrants to the American Midwest--and its maintenance through the generations--German spoken with an Illinois accent is in fact the most authentic and noble German accent imaginable.

A little-known fact.

But very true.

Francis Sedgemore said...

"German spoken with an Illinois accent is in fact the most authentic and noble German accent imaginable."

Yea, right, just like Swedish spoken with a Minnesota accent. I've seen Fargo, ya!

https://obscenedesserts.blogspot.com/ said...

"German spoken with an Illinois accent is in fact the most authentic and noble German accent imaginable."

But for the clicking noises.

JCWood said...

'But for the clicking noises.'

Which I, like most leading linguists, find to be a linguistic enrichment more than anything.

mikeovswinton, and once of the Saltwells. said...

In an ideal worl, a parking machine in the poshest bit of Munchen or Koln will be speaking English in the cadences of Lower Gornal. "This car park am full. You'm gouin ter hav to gow to Dudloi, Kevin."

mikeovswinton, dreamin' said...

In a really ideal world it would SPEAK in the accent of Lower Gornal.

https://obscenedesserts.blogspot.com/ said...

That would be very cool indeed, Mike.

mikeovswinton said...

No; it would be "bostin".

Frau Mahlzahn said...

What the föck! Das ist ja: Unglaublich!!!

So long,
Corinna

https://obscenedesserts.blogspot.com/ said...

Unglaublich? But not in ze Zeitalter of Google end staff.

A