Tonks accent: Re: Fry's Lupin, Dale's Tonks

[bluesqueak]

Ali wrote:
> I then went and looked. (Hey, it's my lunch break.) The online 
> Dictionary of English Slang and Colloquialism doesn't give a lot 
> of info about regional variations, but it does note that "wotcha" 
> or "wotcher" is "Mainly London use.">>>
> 
> I'm more than ever convinced that either Fry or JKR has made a 
> cock up. It really grates when I hear Tonks speak now! I am 
> pleased though that the slang dictionary had the alternative 
> spelling of "wotcher", as until OoP I had only ever seen "wotcha" 
> written down.

> 
> Ali

Well... [improvising madly]

Suppose Ted Tonks the muggle born is from London, and habitually 
greets people with 'wotcher'. Tonks could have picked up the habit 
from her Dad.

Meanwhile, Ted and Andromeda have had loads of problems from the 
Blacks. Who hated the marriage of a 'pure-blood' Black to a muggle 
born.

So, when this old wizarding house comes up in the North of England, 
they take it. It gets them away from the awful relatives, and into 
the society of the Northern wizards and witches.

So, Tonks, growing up in the North, amongst Northern wizarding 
children, has a Northern accent. However, she has picked up some of 
her Dad's London slang...


Incidentally, Newcastle has the liveliest nightlife in Britain. And 
Manchester has two receiving theatres, three producing theatres, 
several fringe theatres, a major television company, an orchestra, 
at least four universities (I've lost count. Universities are 
multiplying like amoebas here) , several museums, a tram system and 
(last year) the Commonwealth games.

It is possible to acquire that 'quintessentially metropolitan' 
attitude *outside* London, David. [grin]