On becoming British.
There’s something important you should know. I’m turning British.
It was bound to happen eventually, you know. A girl can only go so many months listening to her British fiancé whisper sweet nothings like “I scheduled the immunizations I need for the visa” in her ear before starting to pick up the accent. Of course, Paul won’t admit that I’m turning British, probably because he’s a little jealous of how quickly I’ve picked up the accent of his motherland. Whenever I drop a few British phrases into our conversation with the slightest hint of an English accent, he likes to reply with “Lovely Irish imitation you’re doing!” or “I didn’t know you had become Australian.” Oh, he is so green with envy.
My first step in becoming British occurred when some friends told me about an episode of House Hunters International where the husband was British and the wife was from the southern United States. I haven’t been able to actually find this episode online but, apparently, the woman’s southern US accent had slowly gained a British lilt while her husband’s accent had remained stalwart. This inspired hope in me that I too could mix the best of both worlds together while keeping Paul from picking up any, ahem, southerness.
Before you think me ungrateful for my heritage, let me explain something: Paul does an imitation of my accent that is horrid. I love southern accents — I LOVE THEM — but there is something terribly wrong about a British man trying to imitate a southern woman’s speech. It’s awful. I’m already trying to devise a plan to isolate Paul from southerners once he moves here to make sure he doesn’t start picking up the accent. So far, my entire plan consists of keeping him out of Wal-Mart since we all know that’s the best place to pick up venereal diseases southern accents, but I’ll continue developing the plan in the remaining months before his arrival.
My second step in becoming British occurred when I discovered the show Downton Abbey. I think it’s pretty common knowledge that I’m not a big television viewer, mainly since the last ten years of my life have consisted of going to college, running a ministry, working part-time jobs to get through school, getting a master’s degree, taking care of the fabulous five, working a full-time job, starting a photography company and fostering. As you can imagine, it left very little time for crashing in front of the tv.
But now, with no kidlets running around my house, a fiancé who is 5,000 miles away and very few friends left living in my town, I have come to see the tv — Netflix, in particular — as my new best friend. I started watching Downton Abbey on Netflix after hearing several friends talk about it and I’m now completely addicted, which may have something to do with the fact that the show features a British man and his American wife. I think I’ve seen the first season three times over now and I’m up-to-date with season two that is being broadcast on PBS right now. I also may or may not occasionally do Google searches for terms like “behind the scenes info on Dowton Abbey” and “Why is Mr. Bates so wonderful?”
Of course, with Paul moving to America instead of me moving to the UK, I won’t get the pleasure of actually becoming legally British. But you better believe that, from the moment Paul puts his British feet on US soil, he’s going to have a girl on his arm saying things like “Oh, would you like a spot of tea?” approximately every 7.2 seconds while she adjusts the fascinator sitting on top of her head.
It’s the least I can do to help him keep from missing his homeland too much.
He IS Jealous of your accent!
Please check out the Downtown Abbey paper dolls that I posted a link to on your facebook page. As soon as I saw them, I thought of you!
Although my husband is not british, I think any cross-culture marriage may have this discussion going on in their home! I can completely relate, and I’m sure I do a much better job at immitating him! (although he has gotten better since living in the states!!)
Ahh, what a lucky guy! I’m overly-”talented” at picking up accents as well. I, however, find it kind of embarrassing. Do you remember the episode of Friends where Monica’s friend comes home from living in England and annoys them all by calling their apartment their “flat” and her cell phone her “mobile?”
Let’s get one thing straight here. My Southern accent is sweet.
Your attempts at a British accent swerves between Australian, New Zaelander, South African and Irish with every passing day.
Therefore I win. Sorry.
Ah, I remember that episode of House Hunters. No offense, but that woman sounded ridiculous. I spent the whole episode laughing whenever she talked. I do think a blend of Southern and British could sound just fine, but her accent was just SO affected and, well, weird. It was like she was consciously trying to talk with a British accent but her Southernness kept showing through in spite of itself.
Then again, I pick up accents SO BAD. I grew up in the south and developed a slight drawl even though I was raised by parents from the midwest and most of my friends were transplants from the midwest or northeast — basically, I knew no one with a southern accent and don’t know where I picked mine up. Then I moved to Minneapolis and I picked up the worst Minnesota accent ever. People never believe me when I say I’m not a native because I “talk so Minnesotan!” But when I get excited about something (or angry), my southern accent comes back in full force. Basically, I am weird. Uffda, y’all.
Oh I’ve seen that episode! And funny thing – she used to have a blog called London Southern Belle and she’s friends with a friend of mine. Small world!
oh my gawh. i am dying about the walmart venereal diseases. lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ps. i think paul should do a vlog the next time he’s here and say Y’all or is it Ya’ll ?
You are adorkable.
When I was living across the pond with my British husband, I didn’t take on an accent, at least I didn’t think I did. I still sounded Southern to my own ears, but, as time passed I kept getting mistaken for Irish. This utterly cornfuzzled me. My husband and in-laws explained the phenomenon of the Southern accent that as it “softens” it takes on an Irish lilt. Of course, being back state-side now for 4+years I’m as Southern as ever, y’all.
You also need to drop in the occasional, “Oh, you know. I’m an American. I don’t share your English hatred of comfort.”
I am just a few generations removed from Ireland; we still have family near Belfast that visits us and we visit somewhat regularly. (And by we, I mean the people without young children, naturally.) I still remember a family reunion, many years ago, when I was a teenager. Three generations of Irish men came to our gathering in NE Kansas. The grandfather’s brogue was so thick, we could hardly understand him. The father’s was less pronounced, but you still had to listen carefully. His son, who was roughly my age, had almost no accent at all.
I will always remember his answer when I asked him why he didn’t speak with a lilt. “Oh! I’m using my American accent to make it easier for you to understand me.”
The pin going around on Pinterest, “If I had a British accent, I’d never shut up” completely applies to me! I am, however, as southern as they come so I’m sure I really just sound absolutely absurd when I’m trying to imitate any accent other than the one I was so blessed with. My boyfriend, though from the south and living in Alabama most of his life, has no accent whatsoever. It is particularly amusing to hear him imitate my accent… Though I try to pretend he over exaggerates, he really does nail the fact that I can’t properly pronounce anything with an “i”, as it comes out more as an “ah” from my southern belle mouth.
I may also be a little jealous of your’s and your boyfriend’s British accents.
my OB with my second daughter was British – but had lived in KY for many years. He had a British/Kentucky accent. AWESOME. Oh, and for those of us who can’t be there for the big day all wear fascinators on that day in your honor? And then post pics on your FB wall of us wearing them??? I just love this. All of this!
Heard my British accent and didn’t realise I sounded so upper class LOL I really am just normal English working class. I guess my Mother just taught me to speak well.
And for those of you who actually KNOW Amy Beth’s vocal tones, her Southern accent really is softening…I put it down to watching too many episodes of “Downton Abbey” and trying to imitate the British upper class voices heard in the show!
I’ve seen that episode and the woman totally picked up the accent. It was awesome.