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In reply to the discussion: Weird Q Did you ever know anyone who faked an accent in real life? [View all]SwissTony
(2,560 posts)I left Glasgow in 1961 (10 Pound Pom - that's what it cost to emigrate to Australia in those days). Once in Australia, I found that nobody understood a word I said so I quickly developed an Australian accent. But at home we still talked Glaswegian.
A friend once accused me of faking it. I pointed out that she in no way found it strange that (say) Italian immigrants reverted to Italian when speaking to their parents and she would not for a second suggest they were "faking" it. She saw the point of my argument. No, we're not faking it.
I've been back to Glasgow many times. I've actually been complimented on retaining my accent by some of the natives when I tell them I left in 1961. There are a few giveaways. I use the word "cawr" ("aw" as in "awe" for "car" which was current then. Modern usage is "motor". But other than that...
My aunt was a keen Scottish country dancer and she once to visit some fellow-dancer friends who had emigrated to Canada. The friends made some cassettes with messages for my mother who they also knew. When we heard them, we said "They sound so Canadian". My aunt said "They thought I sounded Australian".