After an elevator ride, my husband remarked that the language a couple of foreigners were speaking while on the elevator really got on his nerves. Although I've never remarked on it before, I would have to say that a number of accents and languages do rub me the wrong way. For example, whenever I hear someone say "me" instead of saying "my" (such as "me car" instead of "my car"), it makes me want to punch the speaker in the face. Without necessarily calling out a specific accent or language, are there ways of speaking which irritate you?

I have to be honest and say I never really thought about it until this post.  I can't think of any one specific accent or language that annoys me.  

Americans annoy me 

Keep saying the word "like " ... like...

Another word being used by this generation annoy me ...constant use of word "bro " 

 

When people (like sports stars but it's spreading) in Australia are being asked a question the first words out of their mouths in response is "yeah nah", gawd but I hate that.

1 hour ago, Olddaddy said:

Americans annoy me 

Keep saying the word "like " ... like...

Another word being used by this generation annoy me ...constant use of word "bro " 

 

you my long lost twin brother

2 hours ago, unicorn said:

 Without necessarily calling out a specific accent or language, are there ways of speaking which irritate you?

 

of course but since I speak with heavy accent which may be annoying to many  I don't feel I'm in position to complain loudly so I suffer in silence instead

27 minutes ago, vinapu said:

you my long lost twin brother

Considering the high number of twin brothers one could assume you descend from a sperm bank

The least language I want to hear on a holiday is my own!

7 hours ago, vinapu said:

of course but since I speak with heavy accent which may be annoying to many  I don't feel I'm in position to complain loudly so I suffer in silence instead

I was thinking more along the lines of how people speak their native language. I never get annoyed (much) by foreigners mispronouncing a language foreign to them. [That being said, when I speak foreign languages, I do make a concerted effort to pronounce the language in a native way, and when abroad, the locals often comment at how well I pronounce their language, even if my knowledge of grammar and vocabulary may be poor. Speaking intelligibly is a matter of effort, rather than one of knowledge, which only time can help.] When I hear someone from northern England say "me" instead of "my," I want to shake them and scream "You grew up in England. Speak friggin' English!"

1 hour ago, unicorn said:

...When I hear someone from northern England say "me" instead of "my," I want to shake them and scream "You grew up in England. Speak friggin' English!"

Ey up, obviously not from Yorkshire, as would have said "us". 

9 hours ago, vinapu said:

you my long lost twin brother

He'll be asking to stay at your place soon, ask Peter, he's kind of demanding with  his requests 😝

11 hours ago, Olddaddy said:

Americans annoy me 

Keep saying the word "like " ... like...

Another word being used by this generation annoy me ...constant use of word "bro " 

 

So my pet hate is people who put an unnecessary "so" at the beginning of an utterance.

1 hour ago, BjornAgain said:

Ey up, obviously not from Yorkshire, as would have said "us". 

Us car instead of my car? I haven't heard that one...

2 hours ago, unicorn said:

I was thinking more along the lines of how people speak their native language [...] When I hear someone from northern England say "me" instead of "my," I want to shake them and scream "You grew up in England. Speak friggin' English!"

Transatlantic prescriptivism, oh dear... The clue is in the phrase "native language". That's the language acquired by a child hearing the speech that surrounds them, starting at birth. It's their native language, not yours, so they get to pronounce it the way they feel is right. Orreight?

(Incidentally, before the Great Vowel Shift everybody pronounced it like that.)

1 hour ago, thaiophilus said:

Transatlantic prescriptivism, oh dear... The clue is in the phrase "native language". That's the language acquired by a child hearing the speech that surrounds them, starting at birth. It's their native language, not yours, so they get to pronounce it the way they feel is right. Orreight?

(Incidentally, before the Great Vowel Shift everybody pronounced it like that.)

Well, I don't believe HRH the King missed the Great Vowel Shift. 

12 hours ago, 10tazione said:

Considering the high number of twin brothers one could assume you descend from a sperm bank

no, stork brough me to my parents

3 hours ago, floridarob said:

He'll be asking to stay at your place soon, ask Peter, he's kind of demanding with  his requests 😝

no problem , we get along great , partially because we never met

2 hours ago, unicorn said:

HRH the King 

Ahem. That would be HM the King. HRHs are mere princes and princesses.

2 hours ago, unicorn said:

 

Deleted - the penny just dropped!

 

5 hours ago, thaiophilus said:

Ahem. That would be HM the King. HRHs are mere princes and princesses.

Thank God you informed me. If I saw Charles III in a crowd, I might have called out "Hey, Royal Highness!" instead of "Hey, Majesty!". Gaffe averted! 🤣

2 hours ago, unicorn said:

Thank God you informed me. If I saw Charles III in a crowd, I might have called out "Hey, Royal Highness!" instead of "Hey, Majesty!". Gaffe averted! 🤣

"Hey, Your Majesty!" is the correct form! But then I have never been in that situation.

I did once meet his mother, the much loved Elizabeth II. I was in a small group of six headed by some member of the aristocracy - a mere Honorable I think, not even a Baron - and it was all rather like a Monty Python sketch. We had been briefed that we only spoke if spoken to by the great lady. The end result is there was silence for about the first minute! Even the Honorable seemed terrified. At least we had drinks in our hands. I spent my time looking at the diamonds around her neck and literally dripping from her ears, wondering how much they'd be worth!

9 hours ago, unicorn said:

Thank God you informed me. If I saw Charles III in a crowd, I might have called out "Hey, Royal Highness!" instead of "Hey, Majesty!". Gaffe averted! 🤣

You can also call him "Sire".

He was known as "Big Ears" at school so I expect that he would still respond to that. How he would respond is another matter!

PS. Big Ears was Noddy's best friend(and they slept in the same bed).

12 hours ago, unicorn said:

Thank God you informed me. If I saw Charles III in a crowd, I might have called out "Hey, Royal Highness!" instead of "Hey, Majesty!". Gaffe averted! 🤣

Don't worry, he would have Not Noticed. The royals are famous for that. Shortly after she became PM, Margaret Thatcher was invited to some royal event. Supposedly, she asked the Palace what the Queen would be wearing, so she could wear something that wouldn't clash. The Palace's reply: "Her Majesty does not notice what other people are wearing".

1 hour ago, thaiophilus said:

Don't worry, he would have Not Noticed. The royals are famous for that. Shortly after she became PM, Margaret Thatcher was invited to some royal event. Supposedly, she asked the Palace what the Queen would be wearing, so she could wear something that wouldn't clash. The Palace's reply: "Her Majesty does not notice what other people are wearing".

There is the famous quote, probably  apocryphal,  about Princess  Margaret  asking a guest at a dinner party, "and what do you do?", to which the answer was, "I'm still the Archbishop of Canterbury ".