So the guys who'll take care of the tree got here...

[conuly]

And asked me about my "English" accent.

I do not have an English accent.
I do not have a British accent.
I once cornered a pair of English ladies and asked them.
They said I sound very American.
I grew up in New York.
My dad was Texan.
I DO NOT HAVE A FOREIGN ACCENT WHILE LIVING IN THE US!

So why on earth do people think otherwise?

Comments

[moggymania.livejournal.com]

Autism, maybe? A lot of us pick up accents without any intention/effort, or have a slightly odd "accent" by nature. P grew up in Hawaii, then was trained to have a Nebraskan accent in broadcasting school, yet he sounds faintly British-of-some-kind to people, especially if he pronounces his own name.

[conuly]

That's my fallback, for sure. I mean, I attribute it to my speech classes growing up, but why did I need speech classes (other than my horrendeously crooked teeth)? And why does the school say I still need them now?

It probably doesn't help that I do use some british expressions... but people who've heard me say nothing but "hi, how are you?" shouldn't be able to claim that's why they think I've got an accent.

[ptigga.livejournal.com]

Must be the teeth. That's the English stereotype: bad (by American standards) teeth and a posh London accent.

[conuly]

*shakes head*

I had braces. That's no joke, I honestly couldn't close my mouth the way my teeth were.

[feathered.livejournal.com]

Oh, people are always assuming the same thing about me. I don't sound british at all, but I enunciate words very carefully most of the time, and I think that that makes them think english for some reason. I've had people swear back to front that I am British, when I am so very not. It's always interesting & rather odd.

I can much better understand the people who think I am Canadian. My good friend Tess and her husband Dalain are Canadian, and when I spend a lot of time with them I unconsciously mimic their speech patterns. (I do that with most everyone. Sometimes I even extend it so that I am mimicing their physical movements. I usually notice before other people do, and make myself stop.)

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Many of your countrymen cannot distinguish between Australian and English accents. That they consider your accent English should come as no particular surprise after that.

I wonder what they'd make of South African...

[conuly]

And you can't tell the difference between a Brooklyn and a Queens accent. This is New York, people aren't like that usually.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I doubt they could tell West-Country from Geordie. But then, I wasn't asking them too. I was simply making a joke based on the numerous occasions whilst I have been in the US and people have asked about my Australian accent. I should have included a smiley or something to indicate that I was being light hearted, not serious.

[conuly]

I'm joking too - New Yorkers aren't Americans like the rest of 'em. We're NOT!

[mephron]

I occationally get that, despite having been born in New Jersey, and spent time in Philly, in Oregon, and in Texas.

I asked someone once and he said, "Well, the way you pronounce every word all the way through. And you're so formal when you talk."

So that's mine.

[aquamizuko.livejournal.com]

My sister was in Florida for a while a couple of years ago. She says people asked her if she was British. Thing is she (and I) is Canadian.

[hopefulnebula]

*shrugs* People always think I'm from Canada or Minnesota, and apparently it was worse for my mom (who's from Massachusetts but hides her accent quite well.) People are just weird.

[rainbow-goddess.livejournal.com]

I've had friends who get told they have accents, and it's usually because they pronounce their words very precisely and don't cut them off or run them all together.

Me, I pick up the accent of whoever I happen to be talking to. And I grew up with an English mother. I've been told both that I "talk like an English person" and that I "talk like an English teacher."

[emmyceru.livejournal.com]

Lol, my friend is from Long Island and has a pretty New York type accent and someone told her that her accent sounded British... pretty weird.

I on the other hand have a cross between a Connecticut and a New York accent. So CT people think I sound New Yorkish, and NY people think I sound Connecticutish... lol.

[mizemm.livejournal.com]

People are always telling me I have an accent, and I've never been able to figure out why, since I've never lived outside of Washington state. Mostly, I hear that I sound British, or Australian. Once, someone told me I sounded like I was from the deep south..

[azuresunglasses.livejournal.com]

Lol, too funny. My cousin swears I have a british accent too, but when he imitates me, it sounds more like a... VERY fake scottish accent mixed with better enunciation than he usually has.

[azuresunglasses.livejournal.com]

Btw, Uly, I'm Caitlin, tiger012345. I felt the need to clarify. This is my new account.

[codeman38.livejournal.com]

A few people have told me I sound Canadian... except that I was born and raised in Georgia.

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

Many Americans may not have as much exposure to foreign accents, and kind of jump to conclusions.

I've also been told to have a Canadian accent, which doesn't make much sense since Canada has a billion accents.

Don't mind them. Some people are crazy...

[conuly]

Many Americans may not have as much exposure to foreign accents, and kind of jump to conclusions.

In New York? Home of the tourists, immigrants, and other foreign accents?

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

That was my best shot at a reason :P
No more ideas {bows}

[conuly]

I think it really is something about how I talk... I just can't figure out what it is. Hm. This calls for another phone post!

[moggymania.livejournal.com]

Autism, maybe? A lot of us pick up accents without any intention/effort, or have a slightly odd "accent" by nature. P grew up in Hawaii, then was trained to have a Nebraskan accent in broadcasting school, yet he sounds faintly British-of-some-kind to people, especially if he pronounces his own name.

[conuly]

That's my fallback, for sure. I mean, I attribute it to my speech classes growing up, but why did I need speech classes (other than my horrendeously crooked teeth)? And why does the school say I still need them now?

It probably doesn't help that I do use some british expressions... but people who've heard me say nothing but "hi, how are you?" shouldn't be able to claim that's why they think I've got an accent.

[ptigga.livejournal.com]

Must be the teeth. That's the English stereotype: bad (by American standards) teeth and a posh London accent.

[conuly]

*shakes head*

I had braces. That's no joke, I honestly couldn't close my mouth the way my teeth were.

[feathered.livejournal.com]

Oh, people are always assuming the same thing about me. I don't sound british at all, but I enunciate words very carefully most of the time, and I think that that makes them think english for some reason. I've had people swear back to front that I am British, when I am so very not. It's always interesting & rather odd.

I can much better understand the people who think I am Canadian. My good friend Tess and her husband Dalain are Canadian, and when I spend a lot of time with them I unconsciously mimic their speech patterns. (I do that with most everyone. Sometimes I even extend it so that I am mimicing their physical movements. I usually notice before other people do, and make myself stop.)

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Many of your countrymen cannot distinguish between Australian and English accents. That they consider your accent English should come as no particular surprise after that.

I wonder what they'd make of South African...

[conuly]

And you can't tell the difference between a Brooklyn and a Queens accent. This is New York, people aren't like that usually.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I doubt they could tell West-Country from Geordie. But then, I wasn't asking them too. I was simply making a joke based on the numerous occasions whilst I have been in the US and people have asked about my Australian accent. I should have included a smiley or something to indicate that I was being light hearted, not serious.

[conuly]

I'm joking too - New Yorkers aren't Americans like the rest of 'em. We're NOT!

[mephron]

I occationally get that, despite having been born in New Jersey, and spent time in Philly, in Oregon, and in Texas.

I asked someone once and he said, "Well, the way you pronounce every word all the way through. And you're so formal when you talk."

So that's mine.

[aquamizuko.livejournal.com]

My sister was in Florida for a while a couple of years ago. She says people asked her if she was British. Thing is she (and I) is Canadian.

[hopefulnebula]

*shrugs* People always think I'm from Canada or Minnesota, and apparently it was worse for my mom (who's from Massachusetts but hides her accent quite well.) People are just weird.

[rainbow-goddess.livejournal.com]

I've had friends who get told they have accents, and it's usually because they pronounce their words very precisely and don't cut them off or run them all together.

Me, I pick up the accent of whoever I happen to be talking to. And I grew up with an English mother. I've been told both that I "talk like an English person" and that I "talk like an English teacher."

[emmyceru.livejournal.com]

Lol, my friend is from Long Island and has a pretty New York type accent and someone told her that her accent sounded British... pretty weird.

I on the other hand have a cross between a Connecticut and a New York accent. So CT people think I sound New Yorkish, and NY people think I sound Connecticutish... lol.

[mizemm.livejournal.com]

People are always telling me I have an accent, and I've never been able to figure out why, since I've never lived outside of Washington state. Mostly, I hear that I sound British, or Australian. Once, someone told me I sounded like I was from the deep south..

[azuresunglasses.livejournal.com]

Lol, too funny. My cousin swears I have a british accent too, but when he imitates me, it sounds more like a... VERY fake scottish accent mixed with better enunciation than he usually has.

[azuresunglasses.livejournal.com]

Btw, Uly, I'm Caitlin, tiger012345. I felt the need to clarify. This is my new account.

[codeman38.livejournal.com]

A few people have told me I sound Canadian... except that I was born and raised in Georgia.

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

Many Americans may not have as much exposure to foreign accents, and kind of jump to conclusions.

I've also been told to have a Canadian accent, which doesn't make much sense since Canada has a billion accents.

Don't mind them. Some people are crazy...

[conuly]

Many Americans may not have as much exposure to foreign accents, and kind of jump to conclusions.

In New York? Home of the tourists, immigrants, and other foreign accents?

[demonkoala.livejournal.com]

That was my best shot at a reason :P
No more ideas {bows}

[conuly]

I think it really is something about how I talk... I just can't figure out what it is. Hm. This calls for another phone post!