Hi. Let me introduce myself. I'm a sponge. No, not in the I'll-scoff-anything kind of way (well that as well actually). No, in the I'll-pick-up-any-accent kind of way. Rather shamefully I've started picking up a rather unattractive accent recently. Actually, if I'm not careful, it's more of a mix.
I've always been like this you see. Having spent a few years living in the States when I was kid and having American teachers at school, I ended up with a proper American accent. Nice and heavy, not thick and southern , but somehow, a friend's dad reckoned I'd kept an inkling of Texan twang. Nice. Then I moved to the UK to start uni and the inevitable happened. Over the course of two years, I totally morphed and started to sound resoundingly British. Home Counties if you don't mind. Well you didn't think I'd morphed into a scouser surely?!
Well recently, I've started mutating again. That mix I mentioned earlier? Think Hollyoaks having a right old dance off with EastEnders. Yeah, that sounds about right. You get the old "somefink" mixed in with the rather unattractive "grass", with the "a" pronounced like in "mass". Honestly, someone stop me. It gets worse when I'm tired too.
It happens even in French. If I spend any amount of time in the south or even just in the company of someone with a southern accent, I start to pick it up. Only difference is, I think that's rather funny, or even cute. Southern French people sound more like they're singing, the way they talk is just so much more animated and fun. Yes, fun. So I don't mind. But this horrible habit of mine to forgo the occasional "th" to be replaced by "ff" is utterly disgusting. But you know what? It's such a lazy way of speaking. That's probably why I've picked it up. That and the fact that I obviously spend way too much time watching soaps. Crisps and shit TV? Count me in, I'm your gal.
7 comments:
My daughter comes home from her summer in the USA every year with an American accent...it takes months to fade away again but only weeks for her to pick it up when she's out there!
Em xx
I am entirely influenced by other people's accents; my sister gasped when she heard me say "Int' house" with a Yorkshire drawl.
My mum nearly needed sedation the other day when she realised that her imminent grandchild is going to Yorkshire through and through.
I never had one! My dad's English...
I chuckled through that entire post :) When we lived in England, I went to a British school and had a perfect British accent within weeks. Everybody thought it was so strange that my parents were American when I was so clearly British :)
Haha - I loved this post. I am constantly amazed by all of the different accents in England and how different judgments are attached to each one. My husband is from a town about 40 min. North of Birmingham, but I am always making him try to do other accents or teach me other accents. It is fascinating!
Hey. I say grass like mass! Don't be elongating your as young lady!!
I'm terrible for this too - I came back from uni with a southern twang despite the fact that I was in Manchester because all my friends were Southern and I came back with an Irish accent after a summer working in Belfast. People thought I was being a complete pretentious jerk but I swear I couldn't help it!
Never realised you lived in the states as a kid - just like me! How cool! What age were you? I found it really shaped me...and yes, I had a US accent too...and I know what you mean about mimicking! xxx
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