this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2025
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okmatewanker
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No foul language - i.e. French ๐คฎ
Obviously satire, dozy wankers
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Do Brits use "pal"? It sounds wrong with a British accent in my head.
Yes, but its meaning depends on where exactly in the country you are.
The phrase "You alright, pal?" Might mean "Are you okay there, friend?" or it might mean "If you take one step further, me and me mates are going to absolutely smash your wee bastard face in".
Normally you can hear the threat in the tone, so you won't often get them confused.
Sounds Canadian to me, buddy.
sounds more like australian to me, friend.
Id say it's more kiwi, guy.
What's wrong with pal, mate?
Yes we do. Not everyone speaks 'Estuary English'
For those like me who never heard the term:
Estuary English is an English accent, continuum of accents, or continuum of accent features[4] associated with the area along the River Thames and its estuary, including London, since the late 20th century. In 2000, the phonetician John C. Wells proposed a definition of Estuary English as "Standard English spoken with the accent of the southeast of England".[5] He views Estuary English as an emerging standard accent of England, while also acknowledging that it is a social construct rather than a technically well-defined linguistic phenomenon.[5] He describes it as "intermediate" between the 20th-century higher-class non-regional standard accent, Received Pronunciation (RP), and the 20th-century lower-class local London accent, Cockney. There is much debate among linguists as to where Cockney and RP end and where Estuary English begins, or whether Estuary English is even a single cohesive accent.[5][6][7][8]
Which British accent do you have in your head?
British accents vary wildly. You'd definitely hear pal more in the Midlands and the North, and maybe even in Scotland.
It probably still doesn't sound like you think it sounds, though.