A company has launched a new app to help iPhone users that struggle with the Birmingham accent: the iBrummie.
After the success of its iWiganese app, which helped puzzled Southerners understand the Wigan's local lingo, Athernet Web Solutions have brought a Brummie onboard to help design an app decodifying the Midlands’ dialect, since Siri doesn't get it.
Famous Brummies such as Ozzy Osbourne and Jasper Carrot could have voiced the app, which translates the Queen’s English into Brummie and vice versa. However Manchester company Athernet challenged locals to come forward.
Alan Dugmore, 65, a former paramedic got the job after pointing out to the Manchester based company Athernet that they had mixed up Brummie phrases with Black Country lingo: a cardinal sin for any Midlander.
“To people outside the area it all sounds the same,” explained the Birmingham City fan to the Sunday Mercury. “But there is a big difference.”
“They were going to get Brummies saying Black Country phrases and I can tell you that Black Country people would not have been happy.”
Black country is to the north and west of Birmingham so called because of where the coal meets the surface. Brummies call locals to this area “yam-yams” and they are not considered traditional Brummies, but have a separate identity of their own.
A survey in August found that people from Birmingham are considered less intelligent because of their accents. Dugmore told the Sunday Mercury of his experience:
“The accent can be a bit of an anchor in life. I had to change the way I spoke when I was a paramedic simply because people would not be able to understand me.”
“There are lots of people in Birmingham from other countries, and they really struggled with what I was saying.”
“Some people do mock the accent but others have said they love hearing me talk, particularly if I go up north.”
On the ‘Talk Like A Brummie Day’ website words that are said to be particularly melodious in the Birmingham accent are pie, pronounced ‘poi’ by Brummies and microwave, spoken as 'moicrowaive.' In order to speak like a local, Brummie-wannabes are advised to lift their voice at the end of a sentence.
Another comment on the website reads "I have a pal named Jason who met some Americans whilst on holiday. They asked what his name was and then told him 'Gee, that’s a name I never heard before, Jooooooisan' "
Do you understand these Brummie phrases?
"My donnies are cold": My hands are cold
"waggin it'": Playing truant
“Steady past yer granny’s” calm down dear.
"Yow's yampy": You are crazy
"kayliyed": drunk
"Tara a bit me bab" Goodbye
“D’yawontakippatae?” (not strictly 'local lingo' but this phonetically how to ask someone if they fancy a cup of tea in the Midlands)
iBrummie will be available for free download on iPhones and Androids phone on December 19. The iBrummie.com is in development.