Day 137/365: Apparently I'm from everywhere

[nanila]

Here is a sampling of amusing exchanges I've had recently with people who have tried and failed to identify where I'm from based on my accent.

Anecdote 1
I'm in a taxi late in the evening, going home. The driver is Brummie. I've told him that I've been in London for the day for work. He asks me how long I've lived in the Midlands. "Almost six years," I reply. "It doesn't feel like that long since I was living in London."

Him: "Yeah, you still sound like a Londoner."
Me: “I do, don’t I.”

I chuckled over this internally for a good hour after I got home.

Anecdote 2
I'm in a taxi, going home after an evening out with some lady friends.

Taxi driver: “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”
Me: “Er, the bad news?”
Him: “You lost Eurovision.”
Me: “...Did we?”
Him: “Yes, I’m afraid Australia finished last in the popular vote.”
Me: “What a shame.”

I never did find out what the good news was.

And the one that takes the cake, my friends:

Anecdote 3
I’m speaking to someone to whom I’ve just been introduced.

Him: “Your president is very handsome.”
Me: “WHAT”
Him: “Justin Trudeau! He’s very handsome.”
Me: “OH THANK GOODNESS”

Comments

[cosmolinguist]

That last would make my heart skip a beat. :)

I've been guessed at being from Wales, Greece (?!), I used to get "a particular bit of southern Ireland" (I was never sure which bit) a lot, as well as Canadian (which seems pretty understandable since adding any amount of English to Minnesotan will make an accent sound Canadian, I think).

[nanila]

Oh, I definitely had a very alarmed expression on my face.

I can see how Minnesotan + English would also give you Welsh.

[cesy]

Lol, brilliant!

[nanila]

I was extremely worried and then very relieved in quite a short space of time with that last one!

[angelofthenorth]

That is amusing. People know I'm British but can never say where I'm from

[nanila]

I would think most people assume "North American" when they hear me, but apparently that is no longer the case!

[cactus_rs]

Him: “Your president is very handsome.”
Me: “WHAT”
Him: “Justin Trudeau! He’s very handsome.”
Me: “OH THANK GOODNESS”


LOLOLOL

[nanila]

I WAS SO SCARED, I'M SURE YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN

[redsixwing]

*lol*

I get occasionally questioned about Where I'm From based on my accent. (I live a few miles from where I grew up.)

Justin Trudeau! Oh I got a shock for a moment there. XD

[nanila]

You must have a very distinctive accent!

Oh yes, it was a very alarming moment.

[redbird]

Definitely amusing. I've had people guess wrong on where I'm from, but it's almost always been within this general area of the US: they may think I'm from Massachusetts rather than New York City, but not Atlanta, let alone London.

I'm fairly sure the person whose first guess was that I was Canadian wasn't sure, but thought that was politer than guessing that I was American.

[cosmolinguist]

Yep, always guess Canadian rather than American if you're not sure about North Americans: better to flatter the Americans if you guess wrong than annoy the Canadians if you guess wrong. ;)

[rmc28]

That is pretty much my approach :-)

[nanila]

I'm fairly sure the person whose first guess was that I was Canadian wasn't sure, but thought that was politer than guessing that I was American.

I always say, "I thought I detected a North American accent there. Am I right?" All the Canadians I've met have appreciated that. :)

[worlds_of_smoke]

That last one makes me crack the fuck up. XDDD

[nanila]

Oh, it was SO ALARMING, I tell you!

[cmcmck]

People have taken me for Australian although I sound nothing like it. Admittedly I do have a rather hybrid Kent/Midlands/Northeastern accent! :)

[nanila]

Now that is an interesting combination, heh!

[silveradept]

We sound a lot like everywhere we've been, I guess.

I do like that Trudeau is still getting a lot of attention for his charmingly handsome looks that cause hearts to flutter.

[chickenfeet]

As opposed to building pipelines across native land and generally sucking up to the energy industry while failing to address any of the important issues related to reconciliation? I would happily dump Crudeau in a tar sands pit.

[silveradept]

Ah, textual communication problem. There was a significant amount of "as if there weren't more substantive things to talk about with Trudeau" in that sentence, but that would have all been conveyed in tone in an audible conversation, and so it wasn't present. I didn't have the specifics in mind, though.

[chickenfeet]

Point taken. I just get so fed up of him getting a free pass on actually doing his job because he's photogenic

[silveradept]

I understand. There are plenty of people these days, in politics and otherwise, that have been essentially getting away with a lot because they're photogenic.

[nanila]

Relevant: Somebody built a pipeline segment near Trafalgar square and plastered it with "Crudeau Oil" stickers:

[nanila]

It makes a change from that being done to women all the time, hey? :/

[silveradept]

Sure. Although I've generally found that the "see how he likes it" plan trends to backfire, since the double standard is alive and well. All that attention probably helps him get his policy objectives done, instead of drowning it what he has to say in favor of drooling over his physique.

[ayebydan]

This post has made my evening.

[nanila]

Haha, I'm glad, although I have to say, until we got the resolution of that last one, I was pretty horrified!

[redbird]

May I post anecdote 3 to metaquotes?

[nanila]

Sure, I'd be flattered! :)

[st_aurafina]

That last one was heartstopping!

I defend our Eurovision act though - Jess is adorable.

[nanila]

I liked Jess' song - that was some good solid anthemic pop. I get the feeling she didn't really "need" Eurovision (and she doesn't, does she, with platinum singles and that!), so maybe that was why the voters didn't react so warmly.

[ironed_orchid]

I love Jess, but I thought the performance needed more backing dancers and pyrotechnics to be proper Eurovision quality.

I thought this about many of the acts this year, and the popular voters seem to agree with me.

[hamsterwoman]

The last exchange is PRICELESS XD

[nanila]

It was MOST ALARMING /o\

[gwendraith]

LOL, very amusing, especially #3 :D

[nanila]

Heh, yes, with hindsight - at the time it was very disturbing (until resolved)!

[tree_and_leaf]

Was the person in anecdote 3 British? Because if so, I am very unimpressed that they don't know Canada doesn't have a president because they have the same bloody head of state as us!

On the other hand, at least they got to North America...

Accent mashups are weird. My f-i-l, who grew up just south of London and emigrated to the US in his early thirties - but has spent most of his life in the lab - has this odd hybrid accent that regularly gets mistaken for Australian. He thinks this is bizarre, but actually I think his vowels have gone quite Aussie, he just doesn't have the same melody/ tendency to uptalk.

[nanila]

No, person in anecdote 3 was neither European nor North American, so can probably be forgiven for not knowing the difference.

[tree_and_leaf]

Ha, yes. And it must have been a relief!

[sassbandit]

I've had "what part of Britain are you from?"

To which I answer: "The criminal classes."

[nanila]

Ohhhh snap! :D

[thekumquat]

When I'm tired, I get Swedish and Liverpool (over-enunciating deafie who got speech therapy from a Geordie and Aberdonian, in Surrey).
Usually I can pass as a Londoner, just the other end of London from the one I'm standing in.

US immigration get as far as accent doesn't match passport and headsploding.

[nanila]

"Liverpudlian Swede" is an exciting moniker!

US immigration seems to rely on accent as an identifying marker to a rather frightening degree. It will be...interesting...to see if Keiki and Humuhumu have any issues as they get older, given their Black Country accents.

[bushwah]

Who are Keiki and Humuhumu?

[ironed_orchid]

As an Australian in London I had people guess my accent/nationality as some other part of Britain, North American, or Swedish.

I put this down to not sounding like someone off Neighbours.

[nanila]

I'm imagining that you sound rather like Cate Blanchett now.