Latest news with #Englified
The Guardian
01-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Is my Scottish accent really the problem – or is it just your English ears?
The worst job I had was in a bank in Sydney, dealing with a life insurance policy called Lite Life Direct. It was tedious, repetitive and oddly stressful, and involved a lot of time on the phone. What made the situation particularly frustrating was that almost no one could understand my Scottish accent. 'Lite Life Direct,' I would say, three, sometimes four times down the line to no avail. Then I would cave: 'Loight Loif Direct.' With my faux-Australian pronunciation, suddenly me and the caller would be simpatico. This was all the more enraging because I am Australian. I was born in Sydney and spent the early part of my childhood there. My mother and I emigrated from Sydney to Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire. As a child, living in a strange country and desperate to fit in with new schoolmates, I changed my accent unwittingly. But when I returned to my home town as an adult, my adopted accent made me a stranger. Accents are curious and fascinating things. To the listener, they say everything about us and yet absolutely nothing; change some vowel sounds and you can masquerade as an entirely different person. So I feel some sympathy for Gary Caldwell, manager of Exeter City FC, who was sent from the dugout for his behaviour towards the fourth official. The referee found him to be aggressive and showed him a red card. Caldwell, a former Scotland defender and Celtic captain, was not known for such pugnacity when playing north of the border. He puts his newfound rough reputation down to one thing: his Scottish accent. 'I didn't swear, I didn't run, in my opinion I wasn't aggressive,' he told the BBC. 'My accent and my Scottishness is aggressive.' However, Caldwell suggests his disciplinary record will improve if he endeavours to sound a little bit more 'Englified'. I'd like to know what Caldwell means, exactly, by 'Englified'. Soft, seems to be the assertion. Relatable, maybe. To a fellow Scot, Caldwell's excuse is a nonsense. He's from douce Stirling. It's hardly the cut-throat razor tones of a Glasgow East End accent or a guttural Lanarkshire growl, in which a sincere 'I love you' sounds more threat than declaration. But it is true that English-to-Scottish accent bias is a problem. Edinburgh University is shortly to hold a conference on 'linguistic discrimination' to tackle anti-Scottish accent prejudice on campus. The majority of Edinburgh undergraduates – more than 70% – either come from England, the rest of the UK or overseas, while those who went to private school make up 40% of the intake from UK institutions. Scots students report routine snobbery and ridicule from classmates. Perceived aggression may be Caldwell's concern, but it is only one trope. A study last year found that Scots are used in television adverts to depict working-class characters or those tight with money. Though it could be worse. 'If you want somebody to be a little bit thick, West Country accents,' one advertising exec told researchers. 'If you want to signify dirty-handed working class, stick a Brummie in it.' This anti-Scots bias in England extends to the arts. One of the all-time great case studies is that of Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd. The Dundee college students had designs on becoming hip-hop stars but found their fledgling musical career stymied by their Scottish accents. The lads, mocked by London record company executives, decided to pretend to be from California and restyled themselves as hip-hop duo Silibil N' Brains. The quick death of their Scottish accents resulted in a £100,000 record deal, an MTV appearance and a support slot for Eminem. Sadly, the ruse went awry when Bain and Boyd found keeping up their California twang too onerous and they returned to their Dundonian speech patterns. The English arts scene is, according to many a Scottish creative, a generally hostile space for our accents. Actor Alan Cumming complained of 'insidious and subliminal racism' faced by Scots who work in London, particularly in comparison to the warm welcome afforded in the US. Similarly, the Scottish director Lynne Ramsay reflected: 'I always feel as soon as [the English] hear a Scottish accent, they're backing away.' Caldwell has not done the situation any favours. It's one thing for others to claim his Scottish accent is perceived as aggressive, but the football manager has gone two steps further by saying his accent is aggressive. Maybe he's internalised the negative perceptions the English feel against a Scots brogue, but he should set an example and refuse to modify his speech. It's self-defeating to tackle prejudice by removing the target for discrimination. A Scottish accent's melody and charm is a beautiful thing. It's not incumbent on us to change our tongue; it's on English ears to change the way they listen. Catriona Stewart is a Glasgow-based journalist and broadcaster specialising in politics and home affairs
The Guardian
27-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘It comes across aggressive': red cards may lead Exeter's Caldwell to alter accent
The Exeter manager, Gary Caldwell, has suggested he needs to become more 'Englified' after he blamed his Scottish accent for being sent off for the second time this season. The 42-year-old former Celtic and Hibernian captain was dismissed towards the end of Exeter's goalless League One draw against Lincoln last Saturday. The Football Association charged Caldwell with misconduct on Thursday. Caldwell was sent off for his reaction after a late potentially winning goal was disallowed for handball. The former defender, who won 55 caps for Scotland, defended his behaviour in the aftermath of the decision. He believes his passion is being mistaken for aggression. 'I think we're getting a reputation for being ill-disciplined when I just think we're passionate and want the very best for our football club,' Caldwell said. 'I don't think we're getting that and ultimately I'm paying the price and I do have to probably look at it, have to change, and probably try and change my accent and be a little bit more 'Englified'. 'I can't obviously speak in my own accent because it comes across very aggressive, so I'm going to need to look at it because I do accept that it can't keep happening. But this time I genuinely feel like it was very, very harsh – a yellow card would have been more than enough.' Caldwell, who was also sent off against Wycombe in January, said even his wife, Jen, has misunderstood his accent for aggression. 'Jen complains all the time how aggressive I am to her, to the kids, to the dog – I think it's the Scottish accent,' said Caldwell, addressing the situation on Thursday because his red card prevented him from doing so after last week's game. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'It comes across very aggressive, but I didn't swear, I didn't run, in my opinion I wasn't aggressive. My accent and my Scottishness is aggressive, but yeah, I got sent off for that.'
BBC News
27-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Caldwell blames red card on his Scottish accent
Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell believes his Scottish accent is the reason he was sent off at Lincoln City last Grecians boss was sent from the dugout for his reaction to the fourth official after a late winning goal was disallowed for a handball in the 0-0 Caldwell says he did not use bad language or run towards the fourth official at Sincil Bank. The former Celtic captain and Scotland defender addressed the issue for the first time on Thursday as his red card meant he was not allowed to conduct post-match interviews after Saturday's game."I obviously went over to the fourth official, who is 20 yards away because that's where the fourth official is at that stadium," Caldwell explained to BBC Radio Devon."So there is no way to communicate with the fourth official unless you leave your technical area. I didn't run, he said I was aggressive, people who know me, I've got a Scottish accent."Jen (Caldwell's wife) complains all the time how aggressive I am to her, to the kids, to the dog - I think it's the Scottish accent."It comes across very aggressive, but I didn't swear, I didn't run, in my opinion I wasn't aggressive."My accent and my Scottishness is aggressive, but yeah, I got sent off for that." Caldwell has received a letter from the football authorities regarding his red card, which is his second this 42-year-old was given a two-match ban and fined £2,750 after being sent from the dugout in the 2-1 loss at Wycombe Wanderers in January. But Caldwell feels his passion is being mistaken for aggression."I think we're getting a reputation for being ill-disciplined when I just think we're passionate and want the very best for our football club," he added."I don't think we're getting that and ultimately I'm paying the price and I do have to probably look at it have to change, and probably try and change my accent and be a little bit more 'Englified'."I can't obviously speak in my own accent because it comes across very aggressive, so I'm going to need to look at it because I do accept that it can't keep happening."But this time I genuinely feel like it was very, very harsh - a yellow card would have been more than enough."
