Triaxiansilk.com

Aquarius wrote:When I went to England everyone kept assuming my ex and I were from Canada. Granted Windsor is just across the river from Detroit so I guess there's bound to be similarities, but to me it's the Yoopers who really sound Canadian, not those of us in the mitten.

By Yoopers you mean Upper Peninsula?

I have a friend who's originally from Michigan, and when I first heard her talk, I thought she was from Canada too.

Yeah, a Yooper is someone from the U.P. For a uniquely Michigan experience, rent Escanaba in the Moonlight.

I saw Star Wars for the first time in Traverse City...

I think the Brits often assume that if you're American but not obnoxious and not drawling some obvious regional American accent, you might be Canadian.

Yeah, we sort of figured it might be something like that.

Alelou wrote:I saw Star Wars for the first time in Traverse City...

I think the Brits often assume that if you're American but not obnoxious and not drawling some obvious regional American accent, you might be Canadian.

LOL!

That's actually happened to me a couple of times. I'm a native-born Brit, but I hardly have an accent anymore. (jT, you've met me. )

It's not just English speakers who do that. When I was in France 25 years ago everyone kept assuming I was Belgian because I spoke French with an accent that was slightly "different" to the French ear. It didn't sound American or Quebecois to them. Once the cashier at the Louvre even asked me for my "carte d'identite", the identity card carried by French citizens. It was like it was impossible for them to believe that an American could possibly speak French without an identifiable American accent so I had to be from somewhere else.

I'm often taken for an Englishman when I'm abroad, also by Americans. I seem to speak the Queen's English like I've been to Oxford or something.

And contrary to what my nom de cyber might imply, I cannot speak with an Irish accent.

Distracted wrote:It's not just English speakers who do that. When I was in France 25 years ago everyone kept assuming I was Belgian because I spoke French with an accent that was slightly "different" to the French ear. It didn't sound American or Quebecois to them. Once the cashier at the Louvre even asked me for my "carte d'identite", the identity card carried by French citizens. It was like it was impossible for them to believe that an American could possibly speak French without an identifiable American accent so I had to be from somewhere else.

Have you ever thought of a career in... espionage?

As to the original topic, his accent, to me, kept shifting. Sometimes it was stronger or weaker and it moved regionally. Sort of like Connor either got bored and was playing with accents or he would call up a relative or friend down south, talk to them and then that would be the new version of the accent. Also, sometimes his expressions and phrasing were wrong for the accent. Lot better than most though.

Navigator wrote:Have you ever thought of a career in... espionage?

No, but I seriously considered becoming an interpreter. Then I fell in love with an Ob/Gyn in training and realized that I'd be stuck in one city 15 minutes from a hospital if I married him, so I changed my mind and went to medical school instead.

I could never identify Connor's accent. At first I thought maybe he was a transplanted Texan who'd picked up a bit of West Coast accent. I was sure it wasn't Florida, though. If they have any southern accent in Florida at all it's in northern Florida, and they drawl like Georgians. I felt better once I realized it was all made up. I'm usually pretty good at identifying regional accents.

Accents can be very difficult to identify. I used to attend meeting for all Student Activities staff members at colleges in Illinois and we used to be amazed at the variety of accents just from our State. Northern Illinoisans either have a generic midwestern or "Chicago" accent. Folks from Central Illinois have a slight drawl and speak rather slowly and Southern Illinoisans have a very pronounced accent.

Then you've got so many different types of "ears" My dad thinks almost everyone with a slight accent sounds like him. But me I pick on the tinest nuance in a person's speech. It's so subjective in certain ways...

My friends, I find this discussion about Trip's accent VERY, VERY, VERY, interesting.
That, not because I would draw some inspiration from all that (Never I will be capable of doing such a difficult thing), but because this notifies me of the subtle nuances of differences Americans have even in their pronunciation. It's good to touch with a living hand how much extended your country is. Sometimes, here, in Europe (and signally in Italy, which is a very small country), we tend to perceive Americans simply as Americans, forgetting the great quantity of differences that they can have.

Dis, it caught my attention when you mentioned thinking Connor might be a displaced Texan. I have two friends in Dallas, natives, who lived in Michigan for part of the 70s and 80s before moving back, and a lot of times Trip's dialogue reminds me of how they speak.

I'm glad I wasn't just imagining things. Trip sounds like someone who used to live down south but has mostly lost his accent.

No, you're not imagining it. To me, the similarities to the transplanted Texan thing really ring when my friend Skye says "sonofabitch."