Wee smirk

Man, I’m a sucker for accents. Totally and completely smitten with people who take sounding charming-as-fuck to the next level by putting a special layer of awesome on every word they speak.

It’s probably a remnant from my youth-trauma, growing up as ‘a Limburger‘. Limburg, for the Non-Dutch out there…is a province round here in the south of the country. And the people that live there…well…they have heavy accents. A soft G that they’re ridiculed about. And a practically semi-German pronunciation of a lot of things. It’s not like Frysian (which is its official own-language-within-a-country) but most Dutch people will confirm that ‘Limburgers’ practically speak their own language and are not understandable for anyone that isn’t from round there (hell, the people from one town to the next almost have entirely different accents altogether, even).

And. Honestly. Most people would also agree that that particular ‘Limburgse’ accent…isn’t particularly attractive. Pretty horrid, actually. Plus – it’s been proven that people instantly think that people with this accent are a lot less intelligent as well. Which, for someone who leans on their IQ quite a bit – is stupendous.

Anyway – that’s my accent-trauma, I suppose. Even though these days I can manage to pass for someone not-from-Limburg on my good days, I’ve been told. It’s slowly fading (about time, after 15 years of not-living-in-Limburg). But wherever I go in the Netherlands, people instantly know where I stem from, without question. ‘You’re from below the rivers, aren’t you?‘. Le sigh. Yes. Yes. I am. -wipe tear-

So, people that DO have attractive accents get me all hyped. Especially Australian. That’s instantly drool-inspiring. But I like a lot of ’em, to be fair. English, any way it’s spoken, just gets me every time. Hell, I watched Outlander pretty much only for the gorgeous Scottish (men) and pretty phrasings (and Frasers). Peaky Blinders for the Birmingham yumminess (and Cillian Murphy, obviously). Call the Midwife and Land Girls for…well…everything. And don’t get me started about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie movie. Generally, period pieces in pretty accents are totally my thing.

And when I came across Derry Girls yesterday, I instantly rejoiced. Irish accents – praise be the Lord! I wasn’t disappointed. It’s awesome. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that this accent would fall in the ‘attractive’ category (it doesn’t) but it’s a feast for the ears none the less. But the words they have. It’s epic. They make me happy. The ‘wee’ everything they manage to slip in everywhere. YUM.

Aka – I was sat on me couch fer the entire night. Havin’ a wee smirk at all the goings on in 90’s Ireland. And for a moment I could forget my horrible roots and accompanying accent thanks to these wains and their madness!