# Personal problem **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 21, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791 "2003-08-21T22:56:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Stage\_Manager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stage_manager/32/7267_2.png) [@Stage\_Manager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stage_Manager)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/21 "2003-08-23T16:14:43Z")
I _love_ this board. That is all. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/22 "2003-08-23T16:47:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by if6was9 \* > \*\*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: > > 😃 \*\* God’s English. So don’t take the piss… ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/23 "2003-08-23T16:51:52Z")
You somehow sat on a toilet right after Madonna finished using it didn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/24 "2003-08-23T20:00:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mascaroni \* > \*\*God’s English. > So don’t take the piss… \*\* What? You just hold it in? Ouch! ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/25 "2003-08-23T20:23:26Z")
I hate to break it to you, but most of the time if someone won’t “let you” speak with an accent you’ve “picked up” it’s because it’s _really really bad_. As in fake-sounding, inaccurate, and irritating. If you’ve picked up individual words, it’s not a crime to use those – Gods know I say “innit”, “thar” and “aight” a lot, none of which are from the dialect I grew up with – but drop the accent. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/26 "2003-08-23T20:29:39Z")
For those of who who said I should drop the accent: A. It’s not that easy. B. I was suggesting subduing it, not dropping it entirely. Eventually I hope to be able to do that, but for now, I can’t do it. Thank you, **Usram** ; it’s good to know that at least one person can identify with my situation. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/27 "2003-08-23T21:26:36Z")
What? Has this accent taken over your mind? “English Accents Of Doom!” Well, you may sound like a twit. Let’s just hope you don’t start liking soccer and craving organs in pie form. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/28 "2003-08-23T21:51:54Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by **GMRyujin** _ > What? Has this accent taken over your mind? “English Accents Of Doom!” That’s not what I meant and you know it. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by **GMRyujin** _ > Let’s just hope you don’t start liking soccer and craving organs in pie form. I have liked playing soccer for years. And with the exception of pot pies, which have muscle, not organ, I don’t like meat pies at all. In any case, I have a British accent, nothing more. I certainly do not have (stereotypical) British cultural or dietary habits. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/29 "2003-08-23T21:55:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GMRyujin \* > \*\*Let’s just hope you don’t start liking soccer and craving organs in pie form. \*\* Soccer is rubbish. So keep your stereotypes to yourself. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/30 "2003-08-23T22:04:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dwalin \* > \*\*For those of who who said I should drop the accent: > A. It’s not that easy. > B. I was suggesting subduing it, not dropping it entirely. Eventually I hope to be able to do that, but for now, I can’t do it. > > Thank you, **Usram** ; it’s good to know that at least one person can identify with my situation. \*\* I sympathise with you as much as **Usram** does. I just need to have watched an episode of 'Allo 'Allo and people start thinking I’m French. It has its upsides, though; the women here love the accent! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/31 "2003-08-23T22:30:49Z")
I tried to do a english accent to impress my best friend who was going to marry an english guy. She didn’t mind. But one time I found this program that converts english to jive, so I wrote something & put it in the jive translator & sent her the result. She got pretty upset & said that I was making fun of her friend’s english accent. I had to explain how it was a jive thing. It didn’t make sense to me but jive sounds kinda funny. ---
**Author:** ![skeptic\_ev](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@skeptic\_ev](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skeptic_ev)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/32 "2003-08-24T13:19:47Z")
I can empathize, **dwalin** , because my favorite 10th grade teacher was from Texas, so throughout my sophomore year I had a faint, not-on-purpose Texan accent. That being said, a fake British accent is one that could get you mocked or pounded. I’d suppress it. Soon it will go away on its own. How’d you happen to pick this up, BTW? Have a Brit roomie? And for all you Brits (and others) being catty about Madonna, try to show a little understanding. It’s very difficult for some people to not adopt the accent of the people they’re around. (I, for instance, sound like my little sis for a few hours after getting off the phone with her. Or so my husband says.) Just because it _sounds_ affected does not mean that it _is_ affected. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/33 "2003-08-24T14:40:02Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Giraffe \* How does one acquire a British accent at summer camp? I mean, syphillus, sure – who hasn’t? But a _British accent_? [QUOTE] Haha! I haven’t had a ‘laugh out loud’ moment on the boards in a while. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/34 "2003-08-24T14:41:19Z")
Er, and I also haven’t had a coding problem like that on the boards in a while. Well, they say good things come in threes… ---
**Author:** ![cromulent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b4bc9f/32.png) [@cromulent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cromulent)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/35 "2003-08-24T17:18:16Z")
I’m sorry, I have no advice to add, but I really am curious – _how_ did you acquire a permanent British accent?? Was the summer camp full of British expat kids and counselors? I have a habit of unconsciously slipping into the accent of whomever I’m talking to at the moment, which can be annoying, especially when people assume you’re making fun of them. But it always goes away after the conversation ends… Anyway, if you really can’t help pronouncing things with a British accent, my advice is not to worry or think about it at all. I can’t see how you could permanently acquire an accent this late in life, from such a short period of exposure. I bet a few more weeks of hanging around at home and it will go away on its own. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/36 "2003-08-24T17:39:28Z")
Is there some Brit who’s getting a toaster now? Sorry, **dwalin** , couldn’t help it. It sounds like you have a real ‘ear’ for languages. Maybe you can use your powers for good? ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/37 "2003-08-24T17:40:41Z")
Actually, something more useful: maybe you can rent some video’s with a heavy American accent and repeat the lines? ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/38 "2003-08-24T17:41:10Z")
Once I spent a whole lot of time in another country with a bunch of mixed Europeans, Australians, New Zealanders, and various other folks. I heard almost no English spoken that didn’t have a (to me) foreign accent. I did start to sound different–didn’t ‘pick up an accent,’ but didn’t sound quite so Californian, either. It went away. Suppress it. Do your absolute best to talk normally. People will think you’re a pretentious jerk. It will go away soon enough, unless you try to hang on to it, which is a Bad Idea. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/39 "2003-08-24T17:58:29Z")
When I go to places on holiday sometimes I find myself talking a bit like the locals, but when I return it seems to vanish. ---
**Author:** ![Thinks2Much](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Thinks2Much](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinks2Much)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791/40 "2003-08-24T18:12:01Z")
As far as the term for this - I think it should be wimey. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-problem/196791.md?page=3)