Yes, perhaps even more so.

One of my high school teachers was from Northern Ireland. He claimed he could usually tell where someone else came from within the six counties to within about three miles.

Because for a country the size of a mid-level U.S. state, the accents seem to vary for more extremely than in the U.S.

Well, yeah. Country = old+small. When north america was still a wilderness, most of the population of Britain was required by law to live where they lived and stay there. The USA is by definition a country of people who moved around.

Yes, perhaps even more so.

Definitely.

One of my high school teachers was from Northern Ireland. He claimed he could usually tell where someone else came from within the six counties to within about three miles.

This isn't that unusual in Britain. Remember the My Fair Lady bit about identifying what neighbourhood in London someone was from, by their accent? Not hyperbole. My father, not an educated, or linguistically-oriented man, can say fairly accurately where someone is from in Britain from a brief conversation, and he hasn't lived there for 30 years.

The film hobbits having such differing accents, particularly Billy, Dom and the two americans was a source of amusement that I had to file under suspension of disbelief.

The film hobbits having such differing accents, particularly Billy, Dom and the two americans was a source of amusement that I had to file under suspension of disbelief

But Frodo and Sam are different classes, and Frodo isn't from, um, is the town Bag End or is that the name of the house? Anyway, he's from somewhere else. As is, I think, Pippin. Or is it Merry? Or is it both of them?

Oh my memory is so very bad. But they aren't all from the same little corner of the Shire, ultimately, I don't think.

But Frodo and Sam are different classes, and Frodo isn't from, um, is the town Bag End or is that the name of the house?

I read in Sean Astin's autobiography that he had to learn a slightly different accent than Elijah. I can't remember the name, but it's less proper but not Cockney.

I remember hearing something about how they were going for something like a Somerset accent.

Oh my memory is so very bad. But they aren't all from the same little corner of the Shire, ultimately, I don't think.

Sam and Frodo sounding different across the class divide makes sense to me, since Tolkien writes it that way. Frodo, Merry and Pippin sounding as different as [Elijah-English-attempt], Mancunian and Glaswegian is jarring to my ear. The (small) part of the shire that they are all from is like an english county (shire) and their accents would be related, at worst, in my view (ear).

Plus, aren't Merry and Frodo cousins? Or Pippin and Frodo? My cousins grew up several states away from me, and our accents are still pretty similar.

Sam and Frodo sounding different across the class divide makes sense to me

Also the fact that Frodo was not born at Bag End. He only moved in with Bilbo after Frodo's parents died. Merry & Pippin's accents should have been closer together because they grew up together.

Actually, Merry and Frodo both grew up in Brandy Hall, but Frodo was adopted by Bilbo at around 20, IIRC. Pippin grew up on the other end of the Shire in Tuckborough. Sam was the only one to spend his entire life in Hobbitton.

Thank you Kathy!

It really sucks to be away from my Tolkein references when I can't remember stuff. Which is to say, all the time.