Bill Bailey just saying "Somerset" is the funniest thing I have ever heard on QI. If you are an American, like myself, you might appreciate it more. Over here, you have people say things in a perfect American accent until they say the word "Latino" or say a Spanish-sounding name, then they always use a Spanish accent JUST for those words. Bill Bailey is quite funny.
I'm very familiar to west country accent from Doc Martin TV series...However I've visited Cornwall in last May and nobody was speaking in that accent! I was shocked and disappointed...
@acr08807 Oh no no, that's not what I meant. I meant he sounded like the guy who played Hagrid, who was Robbie Coltrane. Lol I can see my original comment could be misunderstood, hope that clears it up :)
He's doing a Somerset accent. Somerset is a very rural county in the south of England. As with most rural accents in the world, those with somerset accents are thought to be dim-witted (think of the american hillbilly accent).
I could kill the BBC for blocking the full episodes from the US. I watched them years ago and was pissed when they were all blocked now. There are 5 new episodes with Sandy on now. Wonder how long until their blocked.
@acr08807 Bill Bailey couldn't have played Hagrid, his toes weren't long enough for the role. And Robbie was more into lounge rap, though he had jazz and djent influences.
Actually, I was replying off the top of my head; a little research reveals that the term "Pilgrim Fathers" first appeared in eighteenth-century poetry. They simply referred to themselves as pilgrims. Sorry about that. Still, it's only a century later, and still of fairly venerable usage...
There's a Somerset county in Maine (coincidentally where Samoset came from); the locals don't sound all that different, to be honest. I got the joke right away. lol
"Pilgrim Fathers" was the name used by the non-conformists who first left England for the Netherlands, and later went to North America. Their name was shorrtened in the U.S. to "Pilgrims" (I'm not sure why). Where I come from (Boston, Lincolnshire) there's a memorial stone out near the mouth of the estuary of the Avon, called the Pilgrim Fathers Memorial.
spidaminida ....not really, it's just the stereotype was formed because the film 'Treasure Island' used an actor from West Country (South West England, formed of Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall) to play the pirate, and that's how the stereotype was named, West Country was more known for smuggling to be honest really.
spidaminida The pirate accent is Bristolian - seeing tho Bristol was a Pirate town built on plundered wares from privateers. Treasure Island was 1stly set in Bristol for a very good reason. A lot of pirates came from Bristol inc Blackbeard, thereofre moi babber they spoke loike thaat!
suzisueable I'm sure the bristolian accent is a bit of an outlier in the west country...but I think the rest of the west country are smugglers, at least!
spidaminida Well several pirates came from Bristol, including Edward Teak (Blackbeard), and Bristol borders with the county of Somerset. In fact Bristol used to be part of Somerset so it's highly likely there were pirates from Somerset.
"Pilgrim Fathers"? Is this the accepted scholarly term among British historians, or is it just what Brits think we Americans call the Pilgrims? Because if it's the former, that's nice, but if it's the latter, well, it is incorrect and odd.
@@IoEstasCedontaNothing to do with Somerset in the US, they’re talking about the English county, which is why Bill puts on the accent and talks about cider.
