Saunders-Roe SR.53 in German Service

[ChernayaAkula]

Nice model!  I think it really is a might-have-been, right?

.....and was taught by some one who spoke with a Berlin accent)   

Really? What a co-incidence.

My German lecturer at the Goethe Institute in Berlin when I lived there commented that my teacher at school must have come from Berlin as I already had the correct accent.

I have NO idea what differs between a Berlin accent or a normal German one though, perhaps one of our German colleagues here could explain?

The one thing I do know about it is that Berliners (if it's OK to say that...) tend to say 'ney' rather than 'nein' apparently.

It's not actually easy to say what differentiates Berlinerisch from standard German. Some phonetic things, but also lots of different words for things.
Gs at beginning or in the middle of a word are swapped for a J. A Gewitter (thunderstorm) becomes a Jewitter (the J being pronounced like the y in yell). Actually a Jewittah, as the "er" at the end is shortened to an "ah"-sound.
Diphthongs are contracted to a single, drawn-out letter (although not necessarily one of the original letters). Auch (also) becomes ooch. O as in force or North, but drawn-out.
Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner". His pronunciation of Ich as Ick was wrong for High German, but absolutely on point for Berlinerisch. His ein, on the other hand, was correct for High German, but should have been an een (with an e as in dress, but long, drawn-out) in Berlinerisch. Well, everyone got what he was trying to say.   

As for the different terms for things, here's a funny and true story. I live smack in the centre of Germany. Lived in southern Lower Saxony (20 km as the crow flies from my current residence) for quite some time. That's apparently the region that speaks the dialect closest to actual High German. A friend from way down in south-western Germany was visiting me. At a bakery, she asked for a sandwich with a Fleischküchle. The cashier, a student from Berlin, didn't know what she was talking about. In Berlin it would be a Bullette. Here in central Germany it's called a Frikadelle. All this about a pan-fried meatball, but neither as squashed as a Hamburger patty nor as round as a meatball. The terms for the sandwich bread could've been as difficult. Brötchen ("little bread") here in central Germany, Weckle in my friend's region, Schrippe in the Berlin.
Remember that website where they asked your different names for things and the website could pinpoint more or less exactly where in Britain you grew up? Same thing here.

Then there's the famous Berliner Schnauze. The Berlin gob. It's slightly rude (although not necessarily mean-spirited), on-the-nose, somewhat mocking way of talking. And maybe also an outlook on life in general.

Ey! Zum Alexanderplatz? - Können Sie nicht etwas freundlicher fragen? - Nö. Lieber verloof ick mir!
(yells): Ey! To Alexanderplatz? - Can't you ask a little more politely?  - Nah. I'd rather be lost. 

Q: What's the fastest way to Brandenburg Gate?
Berliner's  A: Loofen!  (Running!)

Sign: Uffzuch jeht nich. Musste loofen, wa!  Proper German: Aufzug geht nicht (ist defekt/kaputt). Nun musst du wohl laufen, oder?
Sign: Lift broken. Gotta take the stairs now, wontcha?

[PR19_Kit]

Wonderful stuff Moritz, thanks so much. 

Reading your post bought back great memories of 1978 when I was living in Berlin, and I recognised many of the differently accented words you mentioned. And do I ever remember Bulletten and Schrippen. 

Plus my fave dessert of the time, Rote Gruetze. 

[NARSES2]

One of the major differences you get with regional variations of language is the speed at which people speak. It can be almost as confusing to some as local accents and slang. I've had more problems caused by the speed of my speech than by my South London accent whilst traveling within the UK. Mind you it can be useful at times as you can get a second chance when you have one of those "oops I shouldn't have said that" moments 

[royabulgaf]

Interesting-In South Africa, the Boers had something pronounced Frickadell, something in the nature of a Polish pierogi, Italian ravioli, Cantonese dim sum, Potawattomi surprise pie, etc.  Leftovers wrapped in a dough shell.