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politicat

(9,808 posts)

14. I have a chameleon accent that I have to squash.

Mon May 19, 2014, 12:23 AM

May 2014

I lived in the UK and in India in my early years, and in Kiev in my twenties, and all over the damn place in between. My accent is whatever is being spoken around me (though I cannot mimic the pacing and the flat /a/'s of the Midwest, nor the intrusive /r/ of Northern England and the Yorkshire descendants in Appalachia). If I'm around someone with a commonwealth or Slavic accent, mine shifts towards it. It's unconscious if I don't actively control it.

I can see why the adoption of one would appeal to certain people -- it gives an element of intrigue and control, while allowing for reinvention and setting up all people to be held at a distance.

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Weird Q Did you ever know anyone who faked an accent in real life? [View all] bettyellen May 2014 OP

Darn, bettyellen, you rang a bell, elleng May 2014 #1

It'll come to you, probably in the middle of Game of Thrones or something.... bettyellen May 2014 #2

MIGHT do, elleng May 2014 #3

I was born in Baltimore Mr.Bill May 2014 #7

Seems that its a natural thing, elleng May 2014 #8

Many years ago I knew a girl who spoke with a British accent. Jenoch May 2014 #4

Speaking of North Dakota... Art_from_Ark May 2014 #35

The part of North Dakotazhe was from were all German Jenoch May 2014 #36

Fascinating Art_from_Ark May 2014 #49

My girlfriend's dad has a slight accent geardaddy May 2014 #51

Not unless they were drunk... MrMickeysMom May 2014 #5

Wow, a self admitted accent faker! But you were just being weird, so that is cool. bettyellen May 2014 #6

I can do a good English accent, and keep it up for some time Skittles May 2014 #9

Leave that mickey alone! *cries* But imagine doing it day in day out? HTF do people keep a bettyellen May 2014 #12

It's easier to list the people who had a real accent and a faked life. Kaleva May 2014 #10

Oooh, any interesting fake life livers you could tell me about? I was wondering if you had to be a bettyellen May 2014 #11

I heard somebody deliver a paper at a conference once in an obviously phony British accent struggle4progress May 2014 #13

I have a chameleon accent that I have to squash. politicat May 2014 #14

Intrigue and control, interesting thoughts. bettyellen May 2014 #20

I used to work Jamaal510 May 2014 #15

As a heads up, only southern men truly "drawl". Laffy Kat May 2014 #16

I can't say I know a whole lot of high-pitched speakers. JoeyT May 2014 #56

Faked? Not really for an extended period, no NewJeffCT May 2014 #17

I hsve two accents, Australian and Glaswegian. SwissTony May 2014 #18

good point NewJeffCT May 2014 #19

I ran into this guy from Ireland, and within two minutes we had discovered his grand uncle had been bettyellen May 2014 #33

I knew somebody in college who used to fake an English accent all the time. raccoon May 2014 #21

Blimey, if I ran into a bloke like that i'd kick him in the arse. rug May 2014 #22

Ha ha, it was a young woman from out of town, trying to get her first job. I guess she felt she bettyellen May 2014 #23

When I was 18~19 OriginalGeek May 2014 #24

Wow, thanks- that is hilarious! I would have probably been wooed by a whole lot of Monty Python bettyellen May 2014 #27

To me, I sound like frogmarch May 2014 #25

I love those accents, Iowa, Nebraska I almost here a buzz in them compared to East coast bettyellen May 2014 #39

My accent sometimes changes depending on how tired I am and who I'm talking to or listening to. haele May 2014 #26

Yes, I did it on a Canadian VIA trip when I didn't want anybody to think sinkingfeeling May 2014 #28

Interesting so many people have done it short term! bettyellen May 2014 #29

My mom, my wife, and one of our kids simply absorb the accent of whatever environment they are in. hunter May 2014 #30

seems to be an either/ or thing with people- absorbing the accents. bettyellen May 2014 #32

This one conservative wingnut at work Populist_Prole May 2014 #31

There's a former president who did that... hunter May 2014 #34

I seem to recalll Hillary doing that when campaigning in the South in 2008. Jenoch May 2014 #37

I have faked a slight southern accent before fizzgig May 2014 #38

A customer of mine assumed an Irish accent after spending two weeks Codeine May 2014 #40

LOL, talk about getting your money's worth out of a vacation! Two years. bettyellen May 2014 #41

Every time she walked into the store there was a chorus of employees Codeine May 2014 #42

LOL, we enlisted every Brit we could to call the fake Brit receptionist, then moved on to faking it bettyellen May 2014 #43

Happens to me everytime I come back from there. mackerel May 2014 #48

You hit a nerve with this topic. UTUSN May 2014 #44

Well, you expect actors and public speakers to get voice coaching. People to pretend they are from bettyellen May 2014 #46

I knew this guy who faked being Irish. Not just the accent. mackerel May 2014 #45

Oh god, what an asshole. Fake Irish and looking for babes with drinking problems to boot. bettyellen May 2014 #47

A long time ago, a friend of mine was friends with this Europhile woman Rob H. May 2014 #50

I know a woman like that! She lives with my cousin. The strangest thing is we all know mackerel May 2014 #54

15 YEARS?! Rob H. May 2014 #57

Whoa! That takes the prize, lol. bettyellen May 2014 #59

Yes, she has convinced herself and my cousin is an alcoholic so it's easy for him to ignore it. mackerel May 2014 #60

Oh wow. The missing stair no one talks about, ha ha. At least it sounds harmless, LOL. bettyellen May 2014 #61

I've done it on occasion geardaddy May 2014 #52

Yup, when I was a kid to stop getting beaten up intaglio May 2014 #53

I know a woman that can fake just about every accent. Neoma May 2014 #55

People with Real Accents Can Usually Tell a Fake One Wolf Frankula May 2014 #58

a professor hopemountain May 2014 #62

Sort of. madamesilverspurs May 2014 #63

one of my friends has spoken with a southern england type british accent for over 40 years pitohui May 2014 #64

If ya do it in Ireland they'll call you a plastic paddy. LOL mackerel May 2014 #65