Why do people feel the need to make fun of my accent?

[spoonyriffic]

It's not even that funny! *boggles*

*begins totally pointless mini-rant*

Today I was talking with a friend, and we somehow got onto the subject of oranges. Now, I say "orange" like "are-ange." She pointed it out, and was like "since when did you hail from Boston?"

...erm, that's how I've always said it. Not my fault you're not observant enough to have picked up on it before. That's how I've always said it. That's how I always WILL say it. Pointing it out and laughing at me won't change a damn thing.

My accent is a mixture of Boston, New York, and Southern. Different bits come out in different words. Words like "orange" and "car" are Bostonian in nature. Yes, I can do the whole "pahk ya cahr in Hahvud yahd" schtick. And people ask me to do it all the time, so don't ask me to do it. *SNORFLE* Words like "water" and "ball" come from New York. And I say "ya'll" and "fixin'" a lot. When I get really emotional, certain parts come out really strong. When I get angry, my voice turns southern. When I'm happy, it tends to go a little New Yorkish. When I'm sad, Boston mixes in. *shrug* I blame my grandparents - one set is very northern, and one set is very southern, so I got influenced by both of them.

Because my accent is all over the place, people often think I'm trying to imitate various accents to seem "cool." Uh, no - that's just how I talk. Deal with it.

/end pointless mini-rant

Comments

[collegeanna19.livejournal.com]

When I was just a wee little Anna, we moved from Maine to Pennsylvania. I was 1 1/2 and had just started learning to talk. So I had a Maine accent, but was eventually forced to assimilate by the asswads at my elementary school via speech therapy.

Now, I sound like a combination of Maine and Pennsylvania. I only go full-on Maine when I'm sleepy, drunk, or not thinking about what I'm saying. I get picked on by my friends for how I say "uncomfortable." (It comes out "un-comf-tuh-ble" XD)

[sinfulslasher]

LOL! I think it's cute. Besides, the whole potato / potahto thing is just ridiculous. I love different dialects and accents!

Wanna hear something funny? I tend to turn into a bit of a chameleon wherever I am. When I'm in Canada, rest assured I'll end every other sentence with "eh?" after two days. When I visit my best friend down in Tennessee, I'll start drawling with the best of 'em. When I'm in England, I sound like Patrick Stewart after a while. When I talk to my Australian friend for long enough, my "today" will sound like "to die" and everyone will ask me who got killed. LOL! It's...weird.

Personally, I prefer my soft Californian slang. But that means I have to actually be in California! LOL!

[milanthruil.livejournal.com]

I've always said "orange" as "orng". Who needs all those extra vowels anyway? lol My mom calls them "Orinches"... but sshe's from the country part of the Northwest... where the call it "Worshington."

Accents make me happy, though! (I especially love foreign accents is general) I will unconsciously assimilate my 'accent' like crazy in the course of a conversation sometimes. Like, I went to California, and stared talking like people down there in the first couple minutes.

I can put on fairly good Scottish and Irish accents given a few lines to shape them in my mouth.

[cookiemom6067.livejournal.com]

I was raised in Kansas, but Dad was from Oklahoma and Mom hailed from Louisiana (which is pronounced LOOSIana, not LOUISEiana, thank you very much). They also spent 10 years in Chicago (no idea what part of my accent owes its origin to that part of the country). It always took awhile for our accents and idioms to inch back up above the Mason-Dixon after a week or two at Grandma's.

My mom always said AREange, too - and she was definitely not from Boston.

It's a lot more interesting than everyone sounding like they came from Nowheresville, anyway.