Pet Peeve: You Sound Funny!

I live in a suburb of Boston. My mom was raised in Dorchester and my father in Brockton. They were raised in working class, Irish-American families. This comes with its own version of the Boston accent. I have that accent and I get "you sound funny" whenever I'm 30 miles outside of Boston. It made me really self conscious, so now when I'm home I speak the way I was brought up, but when I'm traveling, I try to be as neutral as possible.

It's not really that I'm ashamed of my natural accent, but the Boston accent is so distinct, that it's the first thing people pick up on when I'm away and then suddenly it becomes my only feature. I'm not PlainPearl, I'm the girl with the Boston accent. Then whenever I talk, the person from elsewhere will constantly say "haha, that was so Boston" or "haha, that's such a weird way of saying that" or "haha, you sound like you're from the Departed." 

Even BF doesn't hear my natural way of speaking too often, but I am curious if I will get the same reaction in England.

I live in a suburb of Boston. My mom was raised in Dorchester and my father in Brockton. They were raised in working class, Irish-American families. This comes with its own version of the Boston accent. I have that accent and I get "you sound funny" whenever I'm 30 miles outside of Boston. It made me really self conscious, so now when I'm home I speak the way I was brought up, but when I'm traveling, I try to be as neutral as possible.

It's not really that I'm ashamed of my natural accent, but the Boston accent is so distinct, that it's the first thing people pick up on when I'm away and then suddenly it becomes my only feature. I'm not PlainPearl, I'm the girl with the Boston accent. Then whenever I talk, the person from elsewhere will constantly say "haha, that was so Boston" or "haha, that's such a weird way of saying that" or "haha, you sound like you're from the Departed." 

Even BF doesn't hear my natural way of speaking too often, but I am curious if I will get the same reaction in England.

I'm with you.  Over the years, I've toned it down especially when I'm not around friends, family or in Boston, so mine's become pretty soft.  When I lived in LA, one of my co-workers used to point out certain words I'd say as "sounding SO Bostonian" or ask me to repeat certain words she'd hear...used to drive me nuts.

When I've been in England, I've not really been told anything of the way I speak, but my nephew's girlfriend loves it when I say something that only Americans would say, but then again, I learn some "Hull-isms" from her.   

Nothing wrong with a Boston accent 

I have to say that I was concerned about how I would sound when I went and stayed with my fiance this summer.  I'm from Wisconsin.  I'm from a small farming community that can sound a little red neckish lol.  I had gotten a little to comfortable around his parents.  One day when we were all out for a drive a young kid on a bike almost drove in to the car.  The kid looked at my fiance and called him a wanker.  i couldn't stop my self I stuck my head out the window and called him a jerk (some thing I had picked up from my farmer step dad).  I was mortified .   His mother, in her late 70's, just smiled and said "my I haven't heard that one before".  I have to say that I didn't feel as out of place as I thought I would.  It is kinda cute that some of my sayings have rubbed off on those that were around me.

 
I'm from Wisconsin. 

Me too!  I grew up in La Crosse.  Where are you?

historyenne- Elroy just by Mauston I go shopping in La Crosse from time to time LOL.

There are a million and one people from Texas, California, or someplace on the East Coast on this board, but you can count on one hand the number who come from or live(d) in Wisconsin, much less western WI.  It's a precious thing, so I'm going to be nosy.  Where in the UK are you hoping to move?

P.S. Sorry for the thread hijack, folks 

I have to say that I was concerned about how I would sound when I went and stayed with my fiance this summer.  I'm from Wisconsin.  I'm from a small farming community that can sound a little red neckish lol.

In 1995, my then boyfriend worked for Custom Coasters, and we were in the Dells for a few months while they were building Cyclops (at what is now Mount Olympus and was then Big Chief). I fell in love with the Wisconsin accent while we were there. I did have to laugh though, because at least 70 people asked me during our time there 'What part of the south are you from?' Um... southern Indiana...  His next job took us to Gulf Shores, AL, to work on the Cannonball Run, and I couldn't understand a single soul without having them repeat what they were saying. 

historyenne- I will be in  Corffe Mullen the east coast by Pool and Wimborn.  The great thing is that aspire to make people smile every day so the fun part of the way I talk is that I can bring a smile to a lot of people in the UK LOL.

historyenne- I will be in  Corffe Mullen the east coast by Pool and Wimborn.  The great thing is that aspire to make people smile every day so the fun part of the way I talk is that I can bring a smile to a lot of people in the UK LOL.

No way!  I live in Dorchester, about half an hour away from there!  I work in Bournemouth so go through Poole every day. 

I find that it's really common to say 'Hiya' when picking up the phone, or... Has anyone noticed that the Brits say bye 3 or 4 times in a higher pitched voice? It makes me laugh so much, like, 'Byye, bye! Bye! Byye!'  Maybe it's a regional thing? Does get on my nerves a bit though, I feel like I'm singing a song.
......
And why are there always two taps (faucets)? Like I'm going to fill up the sink to get lukewarm water when I'm in a bar. Should I just splash it together? Ha, I told some British friends that my solution was to run my hands really fast back and forth.
them?

So true!!

I think one advantage of being in London is that there are so many accents, most people don't really ask/notice I'm American. I did get a few questions last week when I was over there, though. My pet peeve is that once people comment on my accent, they think it's an invitation to have a "discussion" about American politics.  Every criticism they have about the US in general must be my fault and I should answer for the whole of the States for them. Ugh.

I did just have an odd moment today where I was speaking to my (American) sister and used the word "hire" to mean "rent" (as in renting a space for the reception.) I didn't even realize I'd said it until she "corrected" me, saying you rent things and hire people. Now I'm not even sure- can you ever say "hire" for "rent" here?

I think one advantage of being in London is that there are so many accents, most people don't really ask/notice I'm American. I did get a few questions last week when I was over there, though. My pet peeve is that once people comment on my accent, they think it's an invitation to have a "discussion" about American politics.  Every criticism they have about the US in general must be my fault and I should answer for the whole of the States for them. Ugh.

I did just have an odd moment today where I was speaking to my (American) sister and used the word "hire" to mean "rent" (as in renting a space for the reception.) I didn't even realize I'd said it until she "corrected" me, saying you rent things and hire people. Now I'm not even sure- can you ever say "hire" for "rent" here?

I got tired of the 'invitation to discuss American politics and the US in general and everything being my fault' and the endless ramblings of how 'Americans do/don't do whatever it is and that is why they are wrong' long ago. I started pointing out that the average American has as much say in politics as the average Brit does, and it is as unfair to blame Americans for what the President and Congress do as it is to blame the average Brit for what the Prime Minister and Parliament do. For the other one, I started asking if the person actually knows any Americans or if they are basing their knowledge of Americans on what they see in movies and on tv. Usually they will have to admit it was something they saw in a movie. Others will base it on one or two people they met while on holiday at Disney or Vegas or somewhere. People on holiday don't always act the way they they would in normal, everyday life. (I worked at an amusement park two summers when I was younger, so I feel like a bit of an expert on the fact that people on holiday lose their little minds because they are away from home.)

I used to worry people would see me as rude, but then I decided if they were rude enough to blame me for things I have no control over, I was going to point it out. It is always in a polite, conversational tone, so how they take it is entirely up to them.

I've only heard 'hire' used for 'rent' over here, never in the States. I'm not sure what they answer to that would be.

I did just have an odd moment today where I was speaking to my (American) sister and used the word "hire" to mean "rent" (as in renting a space for the reception.) I didn't even realize I'd said it until she "corrected" me, saying you rent things and hire people. Now I'm not even sure- can you ever say "hire" for "rent" here?

If by "here" you mean the USA, I think that "hire" has a main meaning of "recruit as an employee" and a secondary meaning, not so often used, that corresponds with "rent". It is so rarely used there that some people think it is "wrong".

The use of "hire" in American English sticks more closely to the older meaning of "hire". Americans mainly hire people, not things. In British English the word has diverged so that you can hire machinery or a car, to name a couple of examples. That sort of activity is always referred to as "renting" in AmE.

I did just have an odd moment today where I was speaking to my (American) sister and used the word "hire" to mean "rent" (as in renting a space for the reception.) I didn't even realize I'd said it until she "corrected" me, saying you rent things and hire people. Now I'm not even sure- can you ever say "hire" for "rent" here?

I say "hire" here (in the States) all the time and sometimes I catch myself, but only after I've said it.  If I catch it, then I'll follow it with a "rent" instead.