# Is it rude to guess where someone's from based on their accent? How rude? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935 "2012-08-28T15:31:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/61 "2012-08-29T18:03:24Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > That is _amazing_. Wait, maybe we’re on to something. Maybe Canadians don’t exist. It’s a fact that if anyone says they’re dating a Canadian\*, that means that their SO is fictitious. Maybe Canada is completely populated by agents from other countries, à la _The Man Who Was Thursday_. \*e.g. “What did you do for summer break?” “Oh I spent time with my girlfriend, who lives in Canada.” > [@DMark](#): > > Whenever I hear someone with an obvious southern accent (from Alabama or wherever), I always ask if they are from New York City…the response and facial expressions are priceless. Some think I am being serious. I would really love to witness that. Except if they really sound like a New Yorker, you should change it to New Jersey. It also reminds me of [these classic commercials](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSxnieYctVM). NEW YORK CITY!? ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/62 "2012-08-30T04:51:26Z")
It seems to me British people more than any others get a bug up their ass (arse?) over being asked where they are from. Personally, when I was living abroad, I enjoyed fielding questions about America and California, even when I was asked for the hundredth time what movie stars I knew personally. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/63 "2012-08-30T05:19:31Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > It seems to me British people more than any others get a bug up their ass (arse?) over being asked where they are from. Personally, when I was living abroad, I enjoyed fielding questions about America and California, even when I was asked for the hundredth time what movie stars I knew personally. Being asked where you’re from is one thing. Being wrong-guessed or asked to perform is a different one (no, damnit, I do not dance flamenco - the only flamenco move I know is el gusanito! - and even if I did I wouldn’t do it in the middle of the office because some asshole wants to see a free show). ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/64 "2012-08-30T05:54:11Z")
I’ve gotten the “but you don’t sound like you’re from XXXX” I mean WTF is the answer for that? Sorry reality doesn’t match your imagination? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/65 "2012-08-30T08:20:46Z")
> [@sachertorte](#): > > Based on the story, it seems that the guy doesn’t like Australians. I imagine something like guessing a Manhattanite is from Jersey. > [@sandra\_nz](#): > > It gets tiring and it is difficult to have the same conversation over and over and still sound interested. > > For me it goes like this: > > “Are you from Australia?” > “No, I’m from New Zealand.” > > Option 1: “New Zealand is such a lovely country, my [random related person] went there in [random year] and loved it. They went [list of places in New Zealand]. They did [random list of touristy things to do in New Zealand]” > > Option 2: “I’ve never been, but always wanted to go.” Sometimes followed up with: “We’ve been to Australia but didn’t make it to New Zealand.” > > Option 3: “Why would you come to this shit hole of a country? New Zealand is so much nicer than Britain!” > My response: “Oh? How long did you live in New Zealand?” > Their usual response: “Oh, I’ve never actually been there.” > Me: “…” Here is your answer: a kiwi. –pats all their offended little heads– There, there, yes you are so DIFFERENT from those nasty australians, and you really sound nothing like em. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/66 "2012-08-30T08:47:39Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I will say that traveling in Europe was enlightening when I would overhear someone ask Canadians if they were American. Wow - they would vehemently declare they were Canadian and then go off on an anti-American tangent. Most of the time they got really pissy about it and I had no idea how much they hated being identified as an American. Ouch. > > . Which is pretty much what I’ve heard. One Aussie told me that even if they’re pretty sure the person in question is American, they’d still guess Canadian - the Americans don’t get offended, because “You Seppos don’t worry about it - you’re sure you’re better than everyone else .” There’s probably some truth in that… ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/67 "2012-08-30T09:27:43Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > Here is your answer: a kiwi. > > –pats all their offended little heads– > There, there, yes you are so DIFFERENT from those nasty australians, and you really sound nothing like em. 😕 I’m not sure where you think I’m offended. My point wasn’t that I am offended, I’m just really bored of having the same conversations over and over. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/68 "2012-08-30T11:03:49Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > Which is pretty much what I’ve heard. One Aussie told me that even if they’re pretty sure the person in question is American, they’d still guess Canadian - the Americans don’t get offended, because “You Seppos don’t worry about it - you’re sure you’re better than everyone else .” > There’s probably some truth in that… That’s a great idea! I’m a US citizen, but I’d be flattered to be mistaken for a Canadian. (Or anything, really. The whole idea of being insulted is crazy to me…it’s the flipside of the silliness of patriotic pride – “I’m so proud of myself for actively working to make sure my mother happened to be on one side of some arbitrary boundary when I was born! It took me nine months of embryonic time to tirelessly arrange for this occurrence!”). But I guess I have the luxury of pointing out how silly it all is, from my comfortable perch atop the (historically fleeting) cultural-military\* global hegemonic power center. (\*I’d add “economic,” but that’s getting to be debatable in recent years.) ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/69 "2012-08-30T12:11:46Z")
I can’t understand why anybody would be offended at being asked where they are from, even if the guess is wrong (and I have to admit, as a Briton, very mild Australian accents _do_ sound a lot like milder English accents, so it’s an easy mistake to make). Being asked to “perform”, or say some word that has a particular pronunciation in you accent over and over again, is tedious though. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/70 "2012-08-30T13:10:23Z")
In DC almost every cocktail party includes at least one blowhard who prides himself on being able to pinpoint a person’s origin and education based upon a few sentences of speech. People who are sick of these guys always steer them over to me. (There are also some who do this well, and do it politely, those are fine.) My Mother is from Georgia (USA) my Father is from New Hampshire (USA) and I grew up in between. Every now and again I say something so stereotypically Irish that it throws folks off completely. The narratives these people develop to try and explain me are abso-frickin-lutely hilarious, and I greatly enjoy listening to them. The dull suburban reality of the real answer is always so anti-climacttic though. :: sigh :: There are also some types I call the self-appointed social FBI. They are always looking for “posers” people who pretend to be more wordly than they are, and feel the need to suss out and expose anyone who may be “putting on” an accent. These people are occasionally rude to me as well. Project Runway fans got a taste of just how widespread this is last year, when it seemed like half the country was attacking one shy kid over the way he talked. Craziness. Between the diplomats, the military and the politicians, “Where are you from?” is almost the first thing out of one’s mouth when we greet a new aquaintance. Accent-guessing, as long as it’s not the arrogant kind is fun and interesting. Not only does it give me an insight into how I come across, but it gives clues as to the other person’s experience and background as well. (i.e. if they guess Ireland that’s one thing, if they guess “Down” we probably have a lot in common.) So, in my limited experience, I’d guess that either you came across as one of the first two, or he had recently been accosted by one of them. It can leave one feeling a bit raw the first few times. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/71 "2012-08-30T13:30:30Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > I can’t understand why anybody would be offended at being asked where they are from, even if the guess is wrong (and I have to admit, as a Briton, very mild Australian accents _do_ sound a lot like milder English accents, so it’s an easy mistake to make). Being asked to “perform”, or say some word that has a particular pronunciation in you accent over and over again, is tedious though. Being asked, repeatedly, to say “Ah cannae change the laws ay physics, captain!” is annoying 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/72 "2012-08-30T13:37:16Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > I don’t mind. If they’re right it’s cool, and if they’re wrong I get to feel superior. 🙂 > > I’ve suppressed my Southern drawl a lot, so not many people get it right. I get Texas a lot. But I met a professor once who studied regional Southern (especially Kentucky) accents who pinpointed mine _down to the county_. > > What’s rude–and what happens to me with surprising regularity, including once this past weekend–is to find out someone is from, say, Kentucky and immediately start telling a story about some horrible act of racism that your friend encountered there. A geography prof I had was good at that too. Pinpointed a NE’ern accent coming from my mouth but I was from the South. Then he asked where were my parents from (the NE) He nailed it! I had no idea i carried a accent however slight. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/73 "2012-08-30T13:50:26Z")
I think the funniest thing about the OP is that, had the guy been an Aussie he would have found it funny that you were constantly insinuating that he was an Aussie although he wasn’t one. It’s what an Aussie would have done. What a weird cosmic joke. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/74 "2012-08-30T13:54:02Z")
**Johnny Bravo** ’s patented “piss off your new kiwi friend conversation template.” JB: Neat accent! Are you from Australia? Person: No, I’m from New Zealand. JB: Same difference, amiright? At this point I begin evasive actions. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/75 "2012-08-30T14:51:22Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > **Johnny Bravo** ’s patented “piss off your new kiwi friend conversation template.” > > JB: Neat accent! Are you from Australia? > Person: No, I’m from New Zealand. > JB: Same difference, amiright? > > At this point I begin evasive actions. Cheeky bugger! I get a fair bit of that here in the UK, so I always follow with ‘So, where in France are you from?’ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/76 "2012-08-30T17:38:14Z")
I had a client whose secretary was Scottish, so I thought I’d have some fun. Over some time, I had him find out everything about her - street she grew up on, schools, weather, - just all kinds of facts unique to her town. One day while delivering something, I mentioned I loved her accent. Aberdeen, if I’m not mistaken. Sec: Why yes, you’re right! Duc: I’m thinking northern though - not from town. Sec: Wow, you’re right. We had a farm. Duc: Farm, eh? Sounds like Main street, past Aberdeen girls school (or whatever he told me) Sec: That’s unbelievable! Bob - did you her that? Bob: Aye, I heard he’s good with accents.😉 Sec: Have you been there, then? Duc: Oh, not for a long time. I was hiking and hurt my knee, and some kind woman with two daughters took me in for a couple of days. I led her on a bit more with my acting, then we let her in on it, and luckily she found it funny and charming that I would go to so much trouble to chat her up just to ask her out! Good times. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/77 "2012-08-30T18:05:29Z")
I’m job hunting and got a call from a recruiter today. On the voice mail I thought she might be British, but once on the phone I was thinking Aussie. But based on this thread I didn’t ask. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/78 "2012-08-31T01:30:56Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > I had a client whose secretary was Scottish, so I thought I’d have some fun. Over some time, I had him find out everything about her - street she grew up on, schools, weather, - just all kinds of facts unique to her town. > > One day while delivering something, I mentioned I loved her accent. Aberdeen, if I’m not mistaken. > Sec: Why yes, you’re right! > Duc: I’m thinking northern though - not from town. > Sec: Wow, you’re right. We had a farm. > Duc: Farm, eh? Sounds like Main street, past Aberdeen girls school (or whatever he told me) > Sec: That’s unbelievable! Bob - did you her that? > Bob: Aye, I heard he’s good with accents.😉 > Sec: Have you been there, then? > Duc: Oh, not for a long time. I was hiking and hurt my knee, and some kind woman with two daughters took me in for a couple of days. > > I led her on a bit more with my acting, then we let her in on it, and luckily she found it funny and charming that I would go to so much trouble to chat her up just to ask her out! > > Good times. I get a Groundhog Day vibe from this story. In a nice kinda way - it’s cute. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/79 "2012-09-01T08:54:01Z")
I don’t think it’s rude… I’ve asked people this before and never gotten a negative response. But then, I don’t have a non-American accent. I can see how it \*could \*be taken as rude, depending on the situation and the tone in which the question was asked. Some people are just more sensitive about this stuff than others, and even that can vary based on their general annoyance level and how many other people already asked the same question today. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935/80 "2012-09-01T11:46:12Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > . . .My Mother is from Georgia (USA) my Father is from New Hampshire (USA) and I grew up in between. Every now and again I say something so stereotypically Irish that it throws folks off completely. . . . > > There are also some types I call the self-appointed social FBI. They are always looking for “posers” people who pretend to be more wordly than they are, and feel the need to suss out and expose anyone who may be “putting on” an accent. These people are occasionally rude to me as well. Project Runway fans got a taste of just how widespread this is last year, when it seemed like half the country was attacking one shy kid over the way he talked. Craziness. I was talking to a friend about this yesterday. She said “Well, you know, it’s like someone with no fixed address - no fixed accent. It’s suspicious. It makes you want to check their back story.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-rude-to-guess-where-someones-from-based-on-their-accent-how-rude/632935.md?page=5)