My accent

Yes. A return ticket from York to London and back costs a fortune, and it's only a 2 hour ride.

If train fares were more along the lines of US prices, I'd be taking the train *all over*!  Coaches are the other option, but they take so long....

I get it as well. At work mostly, sometimes from the stepchildren. Mosttimes I let it roll off and tell them they have the accent, not me. Sometimes though it does get to me. On those occasions it hits pretty hard, too.

I sat next to a new employee yesterday from Scotland and I relentlessly imitated her accent..only because I think it's so cool and I do like to try accents.. Finally a mate told me to stop and the Scottish gal said "I thought you were from Scotland! I didnt realise you were really Irish." 

I sat next to a new employee yesterday from Scotland and I relentlessly imitated her accent..only because I think it's so cool and I do like to try accents.. Finally a mate told me to stop and the Scottish gal said "I thought you were from Scotland! I didnt realise you were really Irish." 

LOL.

So I just told my boss I was planning for doing some telesales and he says "So you are just gonna ring them up with your American accent?" Uh, no, I'm gonna put on my canny Geordie accent, like.  I did point out to him that often people in the South would rather speak to me than have to endure the infamous Geordie accent - as I have been told many times by many Southerners. 

I work on the frontline in a public library and people ask me every single day, several times a day where I'm from and what I'm doing here. But it's always in a nice way, and I always get complimented on my accent, fortunately. It's so funny, really, because I'm from Arkansas, and most people ask, 'Are you Canadian?' They know it doesn't sound like broadcast standard, so therefore it must not be American, I guess! The funniest was this drunk guy on a train who told me I sounded Swedish. Ha!

I hate to agree on this one, but people suck all over.

I used to work in a telcom call center here in the States. I'm from the States. I grew up in Illinois, been here most of my life, and if you're not familiar, we're right on the edge of the Great Plains...so the limit of our accent is to stress the second syllable of Chi-caaaaaaah-go.

I'd been asked several times where I was from, by people in my own country...and it's gone so far as to have disgruntled customers from the South decide that even though they don't know where I actually am from, the fact that I have a "Northern" accent, I must be some kind of anti-Confederate...*rolls eyes*

I also agree that the first few times it might be mildly irritating....but after the billionth time, you just want to ask the person if they honestly think it's your first day with the accent, or if they're the first person to give you guff about it. Part of the reason my next job must deal with people as little as possible...I've found that for some folks, if it's not an accent, it's what you're wearing, the look on your face, the selection of product on offer, etc....it's always going to be *something*, and I'm sick of dealing with "the customer is always right"....cause they're not! 

Sorry....my post seems to have morphed into a vent.

On a lighter note, I only got a little ribbing regarding my American accent the whole two weeks I was in England, and most of it was favorable. I enjoyed explaining to people where I was from, etc....it was funny and nice, being the "odd one out"!

I've lived in the UK for 8 years now, and I still have to listen to people doing american accent impressions after I have spoken... I don't think they do it to offend, but as we all have suggested, it does get very old.  I have even tried to develop an English accent to fit in better, but it makes no difference, they will still pick out words you have said, trying to repeat it w/ our accent.  I think you just have to rise above it and just be yourself. 

On a lighter note, I only got a little ribbing regarding my American accent the whole two weeks I was in England, and most of it was favorable. I enjoyed explaining to people where I was from, etc....it was funny and nice, being the "odd one out"!

I think the attitude on this changes SO much when you actually live here.  I used to think the comments about my accent were cute and funny and got me some extra attention and now I agree with most that is really starts to grate on you when you are trying to be fit in rather than being the "odd one out".   Hopefully you can maintain that sense of humour b/c I find myself wanting to smack people on a daily basis whey they make fun of or mimic my accent!

I think the attitude on this changes SO much when you actually live here.  I used to think the comments about my accent were cute and funny and got me some extra attention and now I agree with most that is really starts to grate on you when you are trying to be fit in rather than being the "odd one out".   Hopefully you can maintain that sense of humour b/c I find myself wanting to smack people on a daily basis whey they make fun of or mimic my accent!

It's funny how you forget you are different or have an accent after you have been here a while, until someone reminds you. I would have to say that people don't mimic my accent very often at all, which is great, I think most everyone who knows me is used to it now. I don't struggle too often with other people's accents anymore, but once in a while, I still get tripped up. This Scot came in the other day and kept saying his name was Webber, but all I heard was "..ebba" and he was saying it really fast, so I couldn't understand exactly what he was saying. Finally my work colleague walked past and said "WebbbbeeeeRRR" with a very pronounced R sound so I could understand him! Kind of embarrassing, but I later apologized to the guy about not understanding him and he said "I'm Scottish, so most people don't understand me. It doesn't have anything to do with you being American." LOL.

It's funny how you forget you are different or have an accent after you have been here a while, until someone reminds you. I would have to say that people don't mimic my accent very often at all, which is great, I think most everyone who knows me is used to it now. I don't struggle too often with other people's accents anymore, but once in a while, I still get tripped up. This Scot came in the other day and kept saying his name was Webber, but all I heard was "..ebba" and he was saying it really fast, so I couldn't understand exactly what he was saying. Finally my work colleague walked past and said "WebbbbeeeeRRR" with a very pronounced R sound so I could understand him! Kind of embarrassing, but I later apologized to the guy about not understanding him and he said "I'm Scottish, so most people don't understand me. It doesn't have anything to do with you being American." LOL.

DB is from Yorkshire originally, and has been in and around Leicester for at least a decade, if not longer....so I get to listen to that Yorkshire/West Midlands mix, and I definitely get that "let me say it as slowly as I can, with fierce enunciation" reaction once in a while! It kind of reminds me of when I try to correct my 3 year old nephew's mispronounciations...LOL But I don't mind!

People don't mimic my accent, but I have changed the pronunciation of some words to limit that, namely "water" and "can't". Those are the two that people really used to laugh at.

It is funny though how some people can't place my accent and others, when told how long I've been here, say, "you haven't lost your accent at all!". LOL


I totally get the "do you think you're the first person to point that out?" remark. I once told my husband that sometimes I feel like printing out an FAQ to hand out to people because, when you've been asked the same question 100 times, it's hard to feign interest in responding, though I do try.

How long have you been here?
Where are you from?
Why on earth would you leave LA to live here?
My sister in law lives there, do you know her?
etc.

I don't think he quite believed me but after the fourth or so time, he finally got it. He told me that I still manage to sound convincing and interested in the conversation, so I must be doing something right LOL

He's only been privy to "American slamming" once or twice and he's so protective, I think it bugs him more than me, bless him.

The worst I ever got was, on answering a question about the UK political system, a woman said, "My word! That was such an intelligent response!". Everyone stared at her blankly, so she said, "well, I think we'd all agree that Americans are fundamentally braindead".

The worst I ever got was, on answering a question about the UK political system, a woman said, "My word! That was such an intelligent response!". Everyone stared at her blankly, so she said, "well, I think we'd all agree that Americans are fundamentally braindead".

..and so the evening got off to a fine start of deep, intellectual conversation 

I actually managed to not lose my temper, which is surprising for me. Fortunately, everyone else tore a strip off her so I didn't have to. Silly bint

For some reason, I find the easiest way to start a verbal fight is to begin your statement with, "I thought we agreed with..." or "you always do this..."

Being in London, I think that might be why I haven't gotten into any qualms about my accent. I have been finding that I have been growing quite proud of my accent lately...