I went to a summer camp a few weeks ago and acquired a British accent. Unfortunately, I’ve never even been to Great Britain, so my family doesn’t let me speak with an accent. I’m going back to school in a few days, and I’m not sure whether to subdue my accent or to let them know that I have one. What should I do?
How does one acquire a British accent at summer camp? I mean, syphillus, sure – who hasn’t? But a British accent?
Regardless, you should absolutely suppress the accent. People are going to think you’re either completely pretentious or completely insane if you suddenly start talking like Tony Blair all of a sudden.
Right-o.
I can see how one could acquire a habit of faking a British accent. By all means, break the habit. What Giraffe said, about sounding pretentious, etc.
CONGRATULATIONS!
It is now bestowed upon you, of course, to insist that the way you now speak is the only correct form of English, and train firstly your family, then your relations, then your friends to speak in such a manner. You have six months to convert the whole of DC to speaking English in the way it should be spoken. Given 2 to 3 years I do not see why all America should not be converted, at which time you should run for the Presidency! Remember you heard it here first!
dude, you’re gettin’ a wedgie,
as does anyone who speaks with that pretentious accent.
the good news:
if you picked it up at camp, you are either 1) rich enough to be at camp for at least a month and probably go to a private school with kids that aren’t that rough, or 2) you pick up the accents of people around you really quickly and will be like normal people soon.
They don’t let you speak with an accent? WTF?
Do you really want to be like Madonna and suddenly have an accent?
Best way to drop it is to get a friend to pick out a few words that you are “mispronouncing” and make you keep repeating it until you get it “right.” YMMV.
“if you picked it up at camp, you are either 1) rich enough to be at camp for at least a month and probably go to a private school with kids that aren’t that rough, or 2) you pick up the accents of people around you really quickly and will be like normal people soon.”
Unfortunately, both are wrong, and the first one is even misconceived.
I do not go to a private school, and in any case that would be no assurance of their kindness.
I have never picked up an accent before, so I obviously do not pick up accents quickly, except for this case.
Thirdly, how do you define “normal people” and “soon”?
I am extremely sorry if this sounds curt, for I am simply explaining the facts. I do not mean to snap or be mean in any way, shape, or form.
I’ve tried googling for the correct British version of “wigger”, but have had no success thus far. Could anyone help me locate the correct judgemental insult to hurl at dwalin?
Thanks in advance.
anglophile?
Translation: “They think I’m acting like an affected twit and tease me unmercifully or hurl things at me until I stop it or go away.”
Just be glad you don’t attend my alma mater. That new accent would be all the reason some people would have needed to beat the crap out of you until you started talking normally again.
I wouldn’t be inclinded to beat the crap out of you. I would, however, think that you were a hopelessly lame affected turd. Just like the college sophopmore who speaks in an accent after spending six weeks in Europe over the summer and talks about “going to the loo.” If you can “pick it up” (whatever the hell that means) you can just as easily lose it.
Haj
Brummie?
Geordie?
Scouse?
Cockney?
Black Country?
Which British accent did you aquire while at summer camp?
(I know, I know, it’s a dialect before anyone pulls me up over it…)
…and I know acquire has a ‘c’ in it…
I for one sympathise with the OP. I went shopping this afternoon and somehow acquired a Romanian accent, something explicitly prohibited by my employers. I now have two days to shake this thing or I’m out of a job. Proŝecki nočirestu!
As a God-fearing Amercan, we of course know thar’s only one English accent!
BTW, you prolly think color has a “u” in it! :rolleyes:
Reminds me of the episode on Rosanne where Joan Collins guest stars as Rosanne’s friend from High School. I think it was set in Indiana. Anyway, at one point Rosanne says – and where did you get that hoity toity accent? As if to say, stop being such a phoney!
Imho, you should drop the British accent like a hot potato(e).
When I was a silly, pretentious kid in high school, I would affect a really broad Cockney (think cheap community theatre Eliza Doolittle) to peeve “me mum.” She got so sick of it that one day she said “Talk right or don’t talk to me!” So I didn’t talk to her for about a week. Then I wanted to borrow a pair of her earrings, and I snapped out of it.
I’m not sure why I shared that.
Uh, anyway, drop the accent. If you want to grow up and move to England and pretend that you’re Madonna or Tina Turner, fine. For now, it’s just going to irritate people and make you look stupid. Don’t do that to yourself.
Oh, and the equivalent, in this case, to wigger can’t be “anglophile” as that merely defines one who loves all things English. I’m an anglophile, but since my Eliza days I haven’t affected a phony accent. I think the proper term would do best to borrow from the anime world. Hence, I give you:
“Angloataku”
Angloataku? anglophile?
Keep it simple. How about a Phonibrit.
It sounds good, rolls off the tongue, and works on so many levels.
I’m normaly a non-violent guy, but fake British accents make me want to kick people.
There is? It’s a good thing you Americans are here to educate me. lol