Accidental Accent

I moved around the east coast a lot as a kid, and so my accent to start off with was a pretty neutral non-regional accent. I've been in London for six years and think my American accent is getting stronger, though no one else seems to agree. Aside from emails to my mom, I only use British English, I think it would be a bit ridiculous if people commented on it now considering how long I've been here. I can hear sometimes that my accent wavers, but I can't hear how much. I've changed many of the words that I use (though I was amused that I say zeb-ra crossing whilst still saying zee-bra), I think that it's better to say certain things to communicate more easily, so oregon-o, holiday, cuppa,  that sort of thing. But I still say loads of American things (that date me horribly) like dude, tool or dudebro. I like amusing myself and my husband by saying bruv, fam and innit, though I'm scared they will actually enter my vocabulary, which is how I ended up with dude. But I think I'll always sound American, never in my life will I say to-mah-to, or choona or anything that drastic. The majority of my words have the soft American inflection, 't's still sound like 'd's, though certain words have become sharper, like twenty. Hopefully no one thinks I'm putting on airs, since to me I sound mostly the same.

My stepson and husband recently had a few fellow train passengers in stitches when he played the "How does Angeeya say..." game. Angeeya is the four year old's name for me.

DH says "How does Angeeya say... to-mah-to?" And SS replies: "Ta-MAY-tah"
Everyone laughs.

DH says "How does Angeeya say... New-CAH-sul?" And SS replies in his sweet little four year old voice "NEW-cassle"
Everyone laughs.

I say "What's the sport we play with your orange ball?"
SS says "BASS-kitball"
DH shakes head; I grin.

Mrs.Randall

Aww what a great thread [I know, I'm reviving it again].  In my defense I fell off the wagon back in July and I'm just now catching up with stuff.

I have some thoughts on this subject and a bit of a logical/fluid dynamic going on with language in our home.  We are a GeorgiaGirl, YorkshireBoy mixed household, and I also have Western/Southwestern American [mostly Native American] influences from my Dad's family.  I try to be very practical about language because I know mine will/has changed, where DHs most likely will not.

I generally go with the word that has fewer syllables, for example:
blinker not indicator,
flat not apartment,
pants not trousers [but then I use 'briefs' instead of the other american 'underwear'],

Then there are words that have the same number of syllables, so I go with what rolls off the tongue easier, like:
buggy not trolly
windshield not windscreen
jumper not sweater
lead not leash
pavement not sidewalk

Then there are a few I just like:
holiday not vacation
zed instead of zee
and you're going to have to pry 'mah frahd gre[a]en toMAters' out of my cold dead hands...

I am a stay at home mother, so I often find myself using more 'Britishisms' when we haven't gone out much, or i haven't ventured outside the 'hood.  We live in a very Korean area, with some Latinos, so we very rarely hear Southern accents on our outings, and the children have mixed accents. My hubby has influenced what we say a lot! When he leaves to go to work on Monday, my accent is already halfway there, lol.  I don't do it on purpose, the WAY I say things, but I do pick in choose which British words I use.

Also, I don't think it's fair the way folks pick on Madonna.  Almost any American you ask would expect a person to lose their 'foreign' accent after living here a while.  Why wouldn't others? She's lived in the UK for a long time, hasn't she?  I've never thought it was funny or tease-worthy that the way she speaks has morphed.

Also, I don't think it's fair the way folks pick on Madonna.  Almost any American you ask would expect a person to lose their 'foreign' accent after living here a while.  Why wouldn't others? She's lived in the UK for a long time, hasn't she?  I've never thought it was funny or tease-worthy that the way she speaks has morphed.

Really?  She was here for about 5 minutes before she started talking with a British accent.  I think that's affected.  She hasn't lived in the UK for about 8 or 10 years and she never lived here full time which made it all the more cringeworthy.

You know I have heard of Madonna that the thick Brooklynesque accent of her early career was part of her assumed persona. She grew up in Michigan. So I don't know...she certainly is known for assuming different guises. 

Yeah, her psuedo-English accent was a complete put on, especially since she said that she got it from being around her maid so much. In the space of less than a year.

Madonna only sounded  'British"  (I know there is no such accent)  in interviews  when she was there  in the UK.. then she will interview  here  in the USA  and she sounds  the same  as she  always did  when I heard her  growing up..   

I think what happens  more than  an accent is  we pick up the words  to get by  or because  we hear them  so much and  we sound different..like we have  gained  an  'accent" when we  speak to our yankee  friends..  I am in the US  now  and  my children pick up  words  from their dad.. they get  looks in the  grocery  store  like they are 'putting it on"..   but in reality  they sound  American  using  funny words and expressions... If you hear  Gwyneth Paltrow on an interview..she sounds  exactly like that.. an American using  words and expression  that  sound  "british"  but she doesn't have the  full accent  so she  sounds  'fake"  to US ears  but  I get it...  If I didn't know better  I'd  think the same.. Now it makes me laugh  when my  English  DH says  very  'American"  expressions in his  English accent..  turnabout  is fair play  etc.. 

Years ago one of our art history faculty members had an extremely "British" accent and swanned around in tweeds and silk ascots -- but we all knew he grew up in a less salubrious part of Boston.  We all assumed he'd studied at Oxbridge for eons and picked up the accent there.  But come to find out he'd been stationed in Britain during WWII.  He admitted himself that his accent was pure affectation.

Madonna only sounded  'British"  (I know there is no such accent)  in interviews  when she was there  in the UK.. then she will interview  here  in the USA  and she sounds  the same  as she  always did  when I heard her  growing up..   

I think what happens  more than  an accent is  we pick up the words  to get by  or because  we hear them  so much and  we sound different..like we have  gained  an  'accent" when we  speak to our yankee  friends..  I am in the US  now  and  my children pick up  words  from their dad.. they get  looks in the  grocery  store  like they are 'putting it on"..   but in reality  they sound  American  using  funny words and expressions... If you hear  Gwyneth Paltrow on an interview..she sounds  exactly like that.. an American using  words and expression  that  sound  "british"  but she doesn't have the  full accent  so she  sounds  'fake"  to US ears  but  I get it...  If I didn't know better  I'd  think the same.. Now it makes me laugh  when my  English  DH says  very  'American"  expressions in his  English accent..  turnabout  is fair play  etc.. 

^^^^THIS^^^^ As I said before, my accent will become more 'British' in the space of a weekend where my husband and I stay home. So will my my kids', even though we currently live in Atlanta.  They also come home from my Mama's house with SERIOUS southern drawls. I think the flexibility of one's drawl is a very individual thing and I stand by my defense of Madonna. She was married to Brit for a decade, so regardless of where she lived, I can see how the way she speaks/spoke could change from year to year or even from day to day.  You must also remember she's a musician.  It's in her very nature to pay attention to sound and to be influenced by it.  Perhaps that's why my accent shifts so much?  I am also a musician, and I'm best at those instruments where your ear is most essential [my main instrument is Trombone], and I also sing.  I get how it might be hard to believe that it's genuine, if you haven't had the experience yourself, but I also don't think it's fair to judge  someone you don't know at all, over something so silly. 

Years ago one of our art history faculty members had an extremely "British" accent and swanned around in tweeds and silk ascots -- but we all knew he grew up in a less salubrious part of Boston.  We all assumed he'd studied at Oxbridge for eons and picked up the accent there.  But come to find out he'd been stationed in Britain during WWII.  He admitted himself that his accent was pure affectation.

lol I guess even if it's affected, that's your business, isn't it? Own it! lol
Although I have to say that even though I am usually a little aware when I'm doing it, I don't every truly do it on purpose, except for words I've chosen to use with my children.

I'm not sure I buy the musician theory Wren. I myself play trombone several times a week and I also sing a couple times a week as well. I have lived in Scotland over 6 years. I am very American sounding still. Scottish words are littered all over my speech, but a highland accent? Nope!

I myself play trombone several times a week

But do you glissando into your speech?

But do you glissando into your speech?

Alwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaays 

Although I have to say that even though I am usually a little aware when I'm doing it, I don't every truly do it on purpose, except for words I've chosen to use with my children.

This is a point.  But I decided when my kids were small not to try to adopt things like "pavement" because I knew in a moment of panic I would shout "Get back on the sidewalk!!"

This is a point.  But I decided when my kids were small not to try to adopt things like "pavement" because I knew in a moment of panic I would shout "Get back on the sidewalk!!"

lol. I guess I use both of those words pretty evenly, and my husband always says pavement of course.  We walk a LOT, so we talk about the different words we use as we stroll along. I also say boot TO my husband, but trunk around my family because they make fun of me I will probably chuck off the work 'trunk' altogether, along with 'closet', 'cabinet', and 'rainboots' after we get moved over. But I think I'll stick with 'hood' over 'bonnet'. Fewer syllables, plus I'M the one who does car maintenance

Alwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaays 

Then of course: