Whereabouts do 'laff' and 'larf' meet?

Butterfield · October 26th, 2009, 02:51 PM

I'm sure we've talked about this before but I've been wondering again where people stop saying the likes of the more southern 'larf' and 'barth' and start saying the more northern 'laff' and 'bath'. Where is the borderline?

Being from Dudley/Wolverhampton, I like to have a 'laff' but 10 miles away Brummies seem to like to have a 'larf'. Or maybe I'm generalising a bit. I'm wondering if one of the borderlines is somewhere between Sandwell and Birmingham, but I may be wrong. Help me out here!

Which do you say? Vote now!!

Telfordboy · October 26th, 2009, 03:00 PM

I say laff and I say all the other words like it the same way except can't and calf which are carnt and carlve.

I have noticed that some people from Shrewbury and south Shropshire say can't as it is spelled as if they are from the South West.

Sorry I can't help with your original question though

Telfordboy · October 26th, 2009, 03:06 PM

Oh yeah, I forgot harf. Some say haff in Shrewsbury, the filthy bumpkins

Butterfield · October 26th, 2009, 03:07 PM

Yeah, I say 'carnt' and 'harf past', as opposed to 'haff past'. What confusing times we live in.

Erebus555 · October 26th, 2009, 04:40 PM

It becomes a jumbled mess around Sutton Coldfield. Being a Yardley-born and raised boy, I say laff. Crossover into Solihull in some places, and it's larf. Up in Sutton, it's larfs all round with the occasional sprinkle of laff. South Sutton is laff, and north Sutton is larf.

SimonTheSoundMan · October 26th, 2009, 09:07 PM

I’m *somewhere between Dudley and Wolverhampton*, cookie to anyone that guesses.

I say laff, however I’m from Newark-on-Trent so I shouldn’t count.

We should have a poll later, who says tooth as too-f or toff, and random r, wuh or own sounds at the end of words.

Phone become pho-ow-own.

Telfordboy · October 26th, 2009, 09:13 PM

People around her say tuth for tooth. Not me though, I say it properly

Mercurius · October 27th, 2009, 01:19 AM

I say laugh but bath as well?

GrAfiK_248 · October 27th, 2009, 10:10 PM

I've been at uni for a while now, and my vocab saying is all mixed up to what it used to be.

Think i say larf alot more.

SimonTheSoundMan · October 29th, 2009, 06:36 PM

Seems people in Dudley do not say laff or larf, but loff.

Poll needs a third option.

***ill tonkso*** · October 29th, 2009, 06:38 PM

I say Laff and I live on the South Coast :\ Much to the amusement of my friends.

November 9th, 2009, 01:50 AM

Me and my mates/family have had discussions on this before - it's a 50/50 split here in South Birmingham. It's equally a 50/50 split in Redditch & Bromsgrove, but they're full of expat brummies anyway.

In the Black Country & Kingstanding area it all seems to be 'laff'.
I think it's just personal preference - it's really odd thinking about it, no one says Glarss or Darce, laugh is the only word round here that people use the southern A sound for.

smysticed · November 9th, 2009, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakethomas991

it's really odd thinking about it, no one says Glarss or Darce, laugh is the only word round here that people use the southern A sound for.

They do in Solihull...

Cherguevara · November 9th, 2009, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smysticed

They do in Solihull...

That's something that's always puzzled me. Posh Brummies and them thereabouts always sound completely southern with very little of the local accent remaining, whereas posh Mancs, Scousers, Yorkshiremen etc. still sound northern.

Butterfield · November 9th, 2009, 01:50 PM

Perhaps that's because posh people in Birminghamshire are incredibly posh whereas posh people in Manchestershire really aren't anything more than common people with money.

Telfordboy · November 9th, 2009, 06:50 PM

Maybe Butters maybe.

Cherguevara · November 9th, 2009, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butterfield

Perhaps that's because posh people in Birminghamshire are incredibly posh whereas posh people in Manchestershire really aren't anything more than common people with money.

Maybe so. I did used to work with a girl from Solihull who until she told me I would have sworn was from somewhere 'nice' in South West London.

Butterfield · November 9th, 2009, 07:24 PM

Not quite the West Midlands conurbation but not too far away, I have relatives who were brought up and live in Warwick/(Royal) Leamington (Spa) and their accents are so posh that they sound like they could be BBC announcers from the 1950s.

Why has Wendi voted on this thread? Being from Sheffield it's obvious she'd say 'laff'. She's even gone and created a thread on her own forum almost identical to this.

She'll be the death of me.

Gherkin · November 11th, 2009, 11:19 AM

I say "lah-rf" so, somewhere inbetween! I grew up in the south so said larf and barth for a number of years before constantly being questioned about it when I moved to south shropshire, so changed it slightly.

Butterfield · November 11th, 2009, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gherkin

I say "lah-rf" so, somewhere inbetween!

Sounds a bit like the south west way of saying it, hence why Delirium has voted for 'somewhere in between' too.

View Poll Results: Which do you say?
'laff'	13	59.09%
'larf'	7	31.82%
somewhere in between	2	9.09%
Voters: 22. You may not vote on this poll

October 26th, 2009, 02:51 PM	#1
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,542 Likes (Received): 218	Whereabouts do 'laff' and 'larf' meet? I'm sure we've talked about this before but I've been wondering again where people stop saying the likes of the more southern 'larf' and 'barth' and start saying the more northern 'laff' and 'bath'. Where is the borderline? Being from Dudley/Wolverhampton, I like to have a 'laff' but 10 miles away Brummies seem to like to have a 'larf'. Or maybe I'm generalising a bit. I'm wondering if one of the borderlines is somewhere between Sandwell and Birmingham, but I may be wrong. Help me out here! Which do you say? Vote now!! Last edited by Butterfield; October 26th, 2009 at 03:04 PM.

October 26th, 2009, 03:00 PM	#2
Telfordboy Fus-Ro-Dah! Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Yo' mama! Posts: 10,593 Likes (Received): 6	I say laff and I say all the other words like it the same way except can't and calf which are carnt and carlve. I have noticed that some people from Shrewbury and south Shropshire say can't as it is spelled as if they are from the South West. Sorry I can't help with your original question though __________________ You may be able to contact me at the Hall of the Wendigo should you really feel the need. http://hallofthewendigo.informe.com/forum/

October 26th, 2009, 03:06 PM	#3
Telfordboy Fus-Ro-Dah! Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Yo' mama! Posts: 10,593 Likes (Received): 6	Oh yeah, I forgot harf. Some say haff in Shrewsbury, the filthy bumpkins __________________ You may be able to contact me at the Hall of the Wendigo should you really feel the need. http://hallofthewendigo.informe.com/forum/

October 26th, 2009, 04:40 PM	#5
Erebus555 It's Sting. So What? Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bristol Posts: 31,246 Likes (Received): 4	It becomes a jumbled mess around Sutton Coldfield. Being a Yardley-born and raised boy, I say laff. Crossover into Solihull in some places, and it's larf. Up in Sutton, it's larfs all round with the occasional sprinkle of laff. South Sutton is laff, and north Sutton is larf. __________________ The UK Housing Wiki - Attempting to document every tower block, council estate, private estate, housing association, tower block construction/ demolition method, tower block architect, tower block construction company... etc etc, in the UK. Everything to do with postwar residences! - Please join and help! EREBUS - OFFICIAL MOD CANDIDATE 2011 - BRITISH MODS FOR BRITISH PEOPLE!

October 26th, 2009, 03:07 PM	#4
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,542 Likes (Received): 218	Yeah, I say 'carnt' and 'harf past', as opposed to 'haff past'. What confusing times we live in.

October 26th, 2009, 09:07 PM	#6
SimonTheSoundMan Unregistered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7,440 Likes (Received): 128	I’m somewhere between Dudley and Wolverhampton, cookie to anyone that guesses. I say laff, however I’m from Newark-on-Trent so I shouldn’t count. We should have a poll later, who says tooth as too-f or toff, and random r, wuh or own sounds at the end of words. Phone become pho-ow-own. __________________ . Last edited by SimonTheSoundMan; October 26th, 2009 at 09:13 PM.

October 26th, 2009, 09:13 PM	#7
Telfordboy Fus-Ro-Dah! Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Yo' mama! Posts: 10,593 Likes (Received): 6	People around her say tuth for tooth. Not me though, I say it properly __________________ You may be able to contact me at the Hall of the Wendigo should you really feel the need. http://hallofthewendigo.informe.com/forum/

October 27th, 2009, 01:19 AM	#8
Mercurius Hmmmmmm Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Birmingham/Manchester Posts: 2,382 Likes (Received): 3	I say laugh but bath as well?

October 27th, 2009, 10:10 PM	#9
GrAfiK_248 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Birmingham Posts: 3,145 Likes (Received): 13	I've been at uni for a while now, and my vocab saying is all mixed up to what it used to be. Think i say larf alot more.

October 29th, 2009, 06:36 PM	#10
SimonTheSoundMan Unregistered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7,440 Likes (Received): 128	Seems people in Dudley do not say laff or larf, but loff. Poll needs a third option. __________________ .

October 29th, 2009, 06:38 PM	#11
*ill tonkso* Portsmouths Finest, Maybe Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Portsmouth Posts: 14,115 Likes (Received): 217	I say Laff and I live on the South Coast :\ Much to the amusement of my friends. __________________ Official Skyscrapercity 'Support the Shard at London Bridge' Facebook Group! Ill-Tonkso.co.uk - My Portfolio Website

November 9th, 2009, 01:50 AM	#12
jakethomas991 Guest Posts: n/a Likes (Received):	Me and my mates/family have had discussions on this before - it's a 50/50 split here in South Birmingham. It's equally a 50/50 split in Redditch & Bromsgrove, but they're full of expat brummies anyway. In the Black Country & Kingstanding area it all seems to be 'laff'. I think it's just personal preference - it's really odd thinking about it, no one says Glarss or Darce, laugh is the only word round here that people use the southern A sound for.

November 9th, 2009, 01:50 PM	#15
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,542 Likes (Received): 218	Perhaps that's because posh people in Birminghamshire are incredibly posh whereas posh people in Manchestershire really aren't anything more than common people with money.

November 9th, 2009, 06:50 PM	#16
Telfordboy Fus-Ro-Dah! Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Yo' mama! Posts: 10,593 Likes (Received): 6	Maybe Butters maybe. __________________ You may be able to contact me at the Hall of the Wendigo should you really feel the need. http://hallofthewendigo.informe.com/forum/

November 9th, 2009, 07:24 PM	#18
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,542 Likes (Received): 218	Not quite the West Midlands conurbation but not too far away, I have relatives who were brought up and live in Warwick/(Royal) Leamington (Spa) and their accents are so posh that they sound like they could be BBC announcers from the 1950s. Why has Wendi voted on this thread? Being from Sheffield it's obvious she'd say 'laff'. She's even gone and created a thread on her own forum almost identical to this. She'll be the death of me.

November 11th, 2009, 11:19 AM	#19
Gherkin actual gherkin Join Date: May 2005 Location: Leeds Posts: 13,730 Likes (Received): 160	I say "lah-rf" so, somewhere inbetween! I grew up in the south so said larf and barth for a number of years before constantly being questioned about it when I moved to south shropshire, so changed it slightly.

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