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jwirr

(39,215 posts)

19. Yes, mine came from Germany and today my family is primarily Native American and black. None of us

Reply to frogmarch (Reply #15)

Fri Jan 24, 2014, 11:22 PM

Jan 2014

had English as our first language.

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When Did Americans Lose Their British Accents? [View all] frogmarch Jan 2014 OP

Related question: 1000words Jan 2014 #1

Yes, why do they? frogmarch Jan 2014 #3

Just a guess, but it may be from trying to imitate the voices NoGOPZone Jan 2014 #38

Why did Jim Nabors not sound like a hillbilly when he sang? n/t Fumesucker Jan 2014 #10

So, it's not an Anglo-Saxon speech pathology ... 1000words Jan 2014 #18

His natural voice was not hillbilly. former9thward Jan 2014 #21

Or Mel Tillis doesn't stutter when he sings madokie Jan 2014 #23

Tillis didn't stammer when he sang because he knew the words ahead of time. House of Roberts Jan 2014 #28

Some of them don't Art_from_Ark Jan 2014 #29

Billy Bragg! 1000words Jan 2014 #33

I lived in Britain and it was always 50/50 OwnedByCats Jan 2014 #85

I'll have to admit that I was surprised to find out that Art_from_Ark Jan 2014 #87

Yeah sometimes they OwnedByCats Jan 2014 #88

They sure fooled me! Art_from_Ark Jan 2014 #89

I don't think they do unless they're trying to sound American starroute Jan 2014 #31

They don't. Codeine Jan 2014 #69

And now, some of 'em are starting to sound like US.... MADem Jan 2014 #2

And they do a great job, frogmarch Jan 2014 #5

That's because British actors usually have a background in theatre Spider Jerusalem Jan 2014 #11

Interesting! frogmarch Jan 2014 #22

Having lived in the UK, I saw people like OwnedByCats Jan 2014 #86

"Dags. D'ya like dags?" Codeine Jan 2014 #70

I was married to a Brit... Ino Jan 2014 #74

Mel Gibson used to do a decent Austrailian accent. Jenoch Jan 2014 #82

Only because he acquired it naturally (he still has faint traces of it). Spider Jerusalem Jan 2014 #84

The problem with Americans is that they don't realize that the way the Queen speaks is MADem Jan 2014 #17

I can hear the regional frogmarch Jan 2014 #25

I'm pretty good with accents--I can bullshit in several languages for brief periods, anyway. MADem Jan 2014 #61

I'm reminded of this: nyquil_man Jan 2014 #77

That is PRICELESS and thank you for posting it-I'd never seen it and it is a must-see!!! nt MADem Jan 2014 #80

I HATE it when those sneaky Brits trick me!!!! Hassin Bin Sober Jan 2014 #27

The southern accent didn't exist until after the Civil War. JaneyVee Jan 2014 #4

Really? Wow! frogmarch Jan 2014 #7

I read about it a few years back. Not sure of its accuracy though. JaneyVee Jan 2014 #12

Long before the Civil War. former9thward Jan 2014 #26

Southern English was non-rhotic early on. Igel Jan 2014 #34

Fascinating. As someone who speaks 4 languages I'm always interested in JaneyVee Jan 2014 #37

Southern English as in Southern US or the South of England, though? Spider Jerusalem Jan 2014 #54

Very interesting! Thanks for the info. JaneyVee Jan 2014 #35

But you posted it like it was a fact. GeorgeGist Jan 2014 #67

I don't usually have an accent but when high, I get a bit of a Basten accent Ohio Joe Jan 2014 #6

haha, well, do you frogmarch Jan 2014 #9

Ovuh heah deah - foah moah foaks. DamnYankeeInHouston Jan 2014 #49

Then there's people like me... Scootaloo Jan 2014 #53

Soon as we moved to Brooklyn!!! elleng Jan 2014 #8

Now, that is a frogmarch Jan 2014 #16

... ReRe Jan 2014 #51

Some of us never had a british accent. jwirr Jan 2014 #13

How very true! frogmarch Jan 2014 #15

Yes, mine came from Germany and today my family is primarily Native American and black. None of us jwirr Jan 2014 #19

Interesting article etherealtruth Jan 2014 #14

Actually, some researchers think it was the British accent that diverged in the 19th C markpkessinger Jan 2014 #20

The British "r" has always frogmarch Jan 2014 #32

Non-rhotic "r" is a feature that originated in London speech Spider Jerusalem Jan 2014 #48

old english r was trilled (rolled) tiny elvis Jan 2014 #57

It also makes sense because the Irish and spooky3 Jan 2014 #46

American accents sound like lazy english... HipChick Jan 2014 #24

Don't know how true this is, but... pipi_k Jan 2014 #30

That's because non-natives usually do it pretty shitty. hughee99 Jan 2014 #43

Yeah, I've noticed pipi_k Jan 2014 #65

True I lived on Worcester for half a year in the early 1970s LiberalEsto Jan 2014 #66

I agree. hughee99 Jan 2014 #73

I understand that certain American accents are far more like SheilaT Jan 2014 #36

I have heard . . . Brigid Jan 2014 #40

How I wish frogmarch Jan 2014 #41

Among the things I would do if I had a time machine SheilaT Jan 2014 #68

I like a British accent in movies, films... fadedrose Jan 2014 #39

I like some of the British accents I hear, frogmarch Jan 2014 #42

Same here fadedrose Jan 2014 #44

You can find that with english accents too. I worked in Ireland for a brief period of time hughee99 Jan 2014 #45

Well, in Bahstin, we still pronounce word in a similiar fashion fascisthunter Jan 2014 #47

Sort of how the exaggerated upperclass accent in the UK . . . MrModerate Jan 2014 #50

The only hint of British accent we have left is in... ReRe Jan 2014 #52

Just off the top of my head, it seems the British changed from mixing with other language, like us. freshwest Jan 2014 #55

I can do both accents Skittles Jan 2014 #56

OK, translate this... defacto7 Jan 2014 #60

swell pet of brushes? tiny elvis Jan 2014 #62

Literraly a "Swell pair of brushes you have here" dickthegrouch Jan 2014 #75

Yep... that's it. defacto7 Jan 2014 #78

sorry, I can do a fair English accent but not Cockney Skittles Jan 2014 #83

Not enough bangers n' mash? flamingdem Jan 2014 #58

Just remember what Sarah Palin says.... defacto7 Jan 2014 #59

Ha! I saw the parody thread of this. joshcryer Jan 2014 #63

The second generation after the ancestor got here. Shrike47 Jan 2014 #64

Not entirely. There are differences in British and American MineralMan Jan 2014 #72

Maybe the Brits lost their accent and we speak English correctly. B Calm Jan 2014 #71

How do you explain the Texas accent????? northoftheborder Jan 2014 #76

Profane but talented video at link: Loudly Jan 2014 #79

I've always been fascinated with the Mid-Atlantic accent, nyquil_man Jan 2014 #81