Author Topic: What do you think about people who only use an accent for certain words?  (Read 3403 times)

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Offline noisyturtle

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I find it incredibly condescending and annoying, unless you are speaking the entire sentence in that language.
No one but Americans do it. Not like someone from Japan or Mexico will be speaking about American food, then totally drop their native accent to say "hamburger and french fries" with a flat White guy accent. It's stupid.

Chefs especially are guilty of doing this constantly, as if naming the ingredient with an inflection makes it more respectful of the ingredient or something.

Offline smarmar

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Re: What do you think about people who only use an accent for certain words?
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 09 November 2025, 19:58:41 »
Humans are just plain weird.
Not sure if this fits the thread, but I have an acquaintance who speaks in a general American accent but will use a British accent on a seemingly-random word. Like, when saying "can't" he'll pronounce the "a" as the "o" in "hot". He's in his early-mid twenties, so maybe he's still acclimating to his vocal chords.  :p
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Offline tp4tissue

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Re: What do you think about people who only use an accent for certain words?
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 10 November 2025, 06:21:23 »
It might be tourettes.

But autism spectrum in general is becoming extremely prevalent due to environmental pollution.  We've got all sorts of Weirdos like Tp4.

Offline iri

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Re: What do you think about people who only use an accent for certain words?
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 19 November 2025, 16:22:53 »
Humans are just plain weird.
Not sure if this fits the thread, but I have an acquaintance who speaks in a general American accent but will use a British accent on a seemingly-random word. Like, when saying "can't" he'll pronounce the "a" as the "o" in "hot". He's in his early-mid twenties, so maybe he's still acclimating to his vocal chords.  :p
this has nothing to do with British English
(...)Whereas back then I wrote about the tyranny of the majority, today I'd combine that with the tyranny of the minorities. These days, you have to be careful of both. They both want to control you. The first group, by making you do the same thing over and over again. The second group is indicated by the letters I get from the Vassar girls who want me to put more women's lib in The Martian Chronicles, or from blacks who want more black people in Dandelion Wine.
I say to both bunches, Whether you're a majority or minority, bug off! To hell with anybody who wants to tell me what to write. Their society breaks down into subsections of minorities who then, in effect, burn books by banning them. All this political correctness that's rampant on campuses is b.s.

-Ray Bradbury

Offline smarmar

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Re: What do you think about people who only use an accent for certain words?
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 04 December 2025, 21:41:32 »
Humans are just plain weird.
Not sure if this fits the thread, but I have an acquaintance who speaks in a general American accent but will use a British accent on a seemingly-random word. Like, when saying "can't" he'll pronounce the "a" as the "o" in "hot". He's in his early-mid twenties, so maybe he's still acclimating to his vocal chords.  :p
this has nothing to do with British English
What would you say that it is, then? Just a quirk, maybe? The way he pronounces some words sounds British to my ears.
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Offline iri

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Re: What do you think about people who only use an accent for certain words?
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 06 December 2025, 04:35:14 »
Humans are just plain weird.
Not sure if this fits the thread, but I have an acquaintance who speaks in a general American accent but will use a British accent on a seemingly-random word. Like, when saying "can't" he'll pronounce the "a" as the "o" in "hot". He's in his early-mid twenties, so maybe he's still acclimating to his vocal chords.  :p
this has nothing to do with British English
What would you say that it is, then?
I've never seen or heard that person, how the **** would I know?
(...)Whereas back then I wrote about the tyranny of the majority, today I'd combine that with the tyranny of the minorities. These days, you have to be careful of both. They both want to control you. The first group, by making you do the same thing over and over again. The second group is indicated by the letters I get from the Vassar girls who want me to put more women's lib in The Martian Chronicles, or from blacks who want more black people in Dandelion Wine.
I say to both bunches, Whether you're a majority or minority, bug off! To hell with anybody who wants to tell me what to write. Their society breaks down into subsections of minorities who then, in effect, burn books by banning them. All this political correctness that's rampant on campuses is b.s.

-Ray Bradbury

Offline Sniping

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Re: What do you think about people who only use an accent for certain words?
« Reply #6 on: Wed, 10 December 2025, 19:40:36 »
i think it's more about how you carry yourself. this kind of mannerism can be fairly neutral if you just aren't being pretentious or annoying in general. i've been trying to lean less into people's issues, I find it really hard to get along with people when I do. generally, I feel like if you put anyone under a microscope for long enough, you'll find stuff you don't really jibe with. as in, no one's perfect, but if someone's imperfections are bothering you too much, it's probably not a good sign for you two. if it's a stranger, you probably won't have to face them for very long so just let it pass.

Offline smarmar

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Re: What do you think about people who only use an accent for certain words?
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 10 December 2025, 20:21:19 »
I find it incredibly condescending and annoying, unless you are speaking the entire sentence in that language.
No one but Americans do it. Not like someone from Japan or Mexico will be speaking about American food, then totally drop their native accent to say "hamburger and french fries" with a flat White guy accent. It's stupid.

Chefs especially are guilty of doing this constantly, as if naming the ingredient with an inflection makes it more respectful of the ingredient or something.
Newscasters do this often. American media people will be speaking perfect white guy English and suddenly go full-Spanish accent when pronouncing the name of a Hispanic. I've heard Japanese newscasters do the same, but going from Japanese to perfect English for a couple of words. I like it; I think it's respectful toward the original pronunciation, especially if it's a proper name. But coming from a chef, though, might be a little different—maybe condescension.
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Offline noisyturtle

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Re: What do you think about people who only use an accent for certain words?
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 11 December 2025, 00:03:14 »
i think it's more about how you carry yourself. this kind of mannerism can be fairly neutral if you just aren't being pretentious or annoying in general. i've been trying to lean less into people's issues, I find it really hard to get along with people when I do. generally, I feel like if you put anyone under a microscope for long enough, you'll find stuff you don't really jibe with. as in, no one's perfect, but if someone's imperfections are bothering you too much, it's probably not a good sign for you two. if it's a stranger, you probably won't have to face them for very long so just let it pass.

Yeah, I'm the same. Mostly let things roll off like tears in the rain, unless it is someone I see on a near-daily biases I'll make an effort to find a middle ground.
I'm not the type to stuff it down 'cause I know that leads to a dark place, so I need to nip serious personality clashes in the bud early. It's actually easier that way, because you don't know the person yet so the awkwardness is unfounded, and believe it or not, usually brings you closer in the long run due to the early-onset personal conversation.