Elocution
Not an Ellie related post in point of fact but musings on the strange phenomenon of the British accent.
Now I would generally argue that I do not actually have an accent; other people do, they have foreign accents and regional accents and trying-desperately-to-sound-cool accents, I, on the other hand, speak simple unadulterated English.
I am aware however that at times the effects of careful elocution in childhood, combined with faint overlays of Harrow and Wales leave me sounding a little like a strange cross of Joanna Lumley and Penelope Keith but to be perfectly honest I don't have a problem with this.
And of course it comes with benefits: anyone who has spent any time in America must know that any kind of British accent is like a strange kind of chocolate coated crack to the average American.
Which is great: it can get you things you want, it can get you into places, it renders you at least thirty percent more attractive and can get you out of all sorts of trouble*
Even when Richard drove into the side of a sports car (out for a test drive at that) he had only to begin a halting baffled apology to have the driver of said vehicle stop him, ask "You English?" and wave away all further comment with a big smile.
It seems the cost of fixing or replacing the flashy car you were only borrowing is as naught compared to the joy of meeting a bemused Brit, at the least I suppose it made a good story: "So I get out of the car and he says, get this "Excuse me" yeah just like that so... yeah I let him off, you know they drive on the wrong side of the road over there?..right, so..."
I am more or less used to this, as I am to the moment's blinking incomprehension when my Father answers "Are you English" With "No, Welsh".
I was not however expecting this trick to work on peopler in this country however.
Just now a man came to the door hoping to sign us up to his electricity company.
He used the standard faux official opening "Nothing to worry about love, I'm just checking you're not paying too much for your consumption".
Then paused to allow me to show an intelligent interest or at least tell him how much we pay for energy.
Instead I responded thus: "Excuse me but were you sent by our electricity provider?"
Now admittedly this sounded rather more Lumleyish than usual but it wasn't really enough to warrant the thirty seconds of open mouthed staring that it apparently provoked.
"No love" quoth he at last.
"Then would you please leave?"
After another thirty seconds' gaping he remarked "Can't argue with that can you?" and shuffled off apparently slain by an unexpected acent and calm (if abrupt) good manners.
'Twas very odd.
*sometimes, of course, it can get you into trouble too.
Now I would generally argue that I do not actually have an accent; other people do, they have foreign accents and regional accents and trying-desperately-to-sound-cool accents, I, on the other hand, speak simple unadulterated English.
I am aware however that at times the effects of careful elocution in childhood, combined with faint overlays of Harrow and Wales leave me sounding a little like a strange cross of Joanna Lumley and Penelope Keith but to be perfectly honest I don't have a problem with this.
And of course it comes with benefits: anyone who has spent any time in America must know that any kind of British accent is like a strange kind of chocolate coated crack to the average American.
Which is great: it can get you things you want, it can get you into places, it renders you at least thirty percent more attractive and can get you out of all sorts of trouble*
Even when Richard drove into the side of a sports car (out for a test drive at that) he had only to begin a halting baffled apology to have the driver of said vehicle stop him, ask "You English?" and wave away all further comment with a big smile.
It seems the cost of fixing or replacing the flashy car you were only borrowing is as naught compared to the joy of meeting a bemused Brit, at the least I suppose it made a good story: "So I get out of the car and he says, get this "Excuse me" yeah just like that so... yeah I let him off, you know they drive on the wrong side of the road over there?..right, so..."
I am more or less used to this, as I am to the moment's blinking incomprehension when my Father answers "Are you English" With "No, Welsh".
I was not however expecting this trick to work on peopler in this country however.
Just now a man came to the door hoping to sign us up to his electricity company.
He used the standard faux official opening "Nothing to worry about love, I'm just checking you're not paying too much for your consumption".
Then paused to allow me to show an intelligent interest or at least tell him how much we pay for energy.
Instead I responded thus: "Excuse me but were you sent by our electricity provider?"
Now admittedly this sounded rather more Lumleyish than usual but it wasn't really enough to warrant the thirty seconds of open mouthed staring that it apparently provoked.
"No love" quoth he at last.
"Then would you please leave?"
After another thirty seconds' gaping he remarked "Can't argue with that can you?" and shuffled off apparently slain by an unexpected acent and calm (if abrupt) good manners.
'Twas very odd.
*sometimes, of course, it can get you into trouble too.