5 ms·

Of course you have an accent, everyone does. What you mean is you have an generic American "TV accent."

ethbro 9y ago
Through personal study, I've come to the scientific conclusion that "generic American TV accent" means the person is from Iowa or Kansas more often than not.
js2 9y ago
My poorly made point was that I didn't have anything distinguishing me as being from the south growing up, but that I picked up an accent (at least to a Syracuse person's ears) while living in Atlanta. It surprised me given I'd only been there a couple years and that you don't hear southern accents very often in Atlanta in any case.
- vram22 9y ago
  >point was that I didn't have anything distinguishing me as being from the south growing up, but that I picked up an accent (at least to a Syracuse person's ears) while living in Atlanta. It surprised me given I'd only been there a couple years That tends to happen a good amount, I think. I've seen it happen to me (subconciously picking up the use of certain accents or local words), after moving from one region of India to another, say between central / northern / southern parts, and also to other people (Indian colleagues) when we went to Malaysia. Within a few weeks, some of them were adding -la (pronounced lah) to the ends of their sentences, which is a thing that local people do there.
arethuza 9y ago
To be fair, it's very easy to forget that you have an accent. I remember talking on a conference call many years ago with people from (I think) Intel and after I'd been speaking for a bit someone announced "Who is that on the call with the really thick Scottish accent - I can't understand a word he is saying". My difficulties with Siri (and I tried really hard to get it to recognise 'Hey Siri' and only got slightly angry) leads me to suspect that my accent may still be there.
- Pharylon 9y ago
  Very true. Honestly, unless I really listen for it, I don't notice when someone has my own area's accent vs a "generic TV" accent. And they're pretty different! I do notice if it's not mine, though. I'm from North Carolina, and the "Deep South" accent sounds as weird to me as it does to anyone else, although I'm sure someone else might think we sound similar. It's the entire reason I can't get into House of Cards. Frank Underwood is supposed to be from my area of the country, and speaks with some kind of Charleston-ish non-rhotic accent.

Through personal study, I've come to the scientific conclusion that "generic American TV accent" means the person is from Iowa or Kansas more often than not.

js2 9y ago

My poorly made point was that I didn't have anything distinguishing me as being from the south growing up, but that I picked up an accent (at least to a Syracuse person's ears) while living in Atlanta. It surprised me given I'd only been there a couple years and that you don't hear southern accents very often in Atlanta in any case.

vram22 9y ago
>point was that I didn't have anything distinguishing me as being from the south growing up, but that I picked up an accent (at least to a Syracuse person's ears) while living in Atlanta. It surprised me given I'd only been there a couple years That tends to happen a good amount, I think. I've seen it happen to me (subconciously picking up the use of certain accents or local words), after moving from one region of India to another, say between central / northern / southern parts, and also to other people (Indian colleagues) when we went to Malaysia. Within a few weeks, some of them were adding -la (pronounced lah) to the ends of their sentences, which is a thing that local people do there.

arethuza 9y ago

To be fair, it's very easy to forget that you have an accent. I remember talking on a conference call many years ago with people from (I think) Intel and after I'd been speaking for a bit someone announced "Who is that on the call with the really thick Scottish accent - I can't understand a word he is saying". My difficulties with Siri (and I tried really hard to get it to recognise 'Hey Siri' and only got slightly angry) leads me to suspect that my accent may still be there.

Pharylon 9y ago
Very true. Honestly, unless I really listen for it, I don't notice when someone has my own area's accent vs a "generic TV" accent. And they're pretty different! I do notice if it's not mine, though. I'm from North Carolina, and the "Deep South" accent sounds as weird to me as it does to anyone else, although I'm sure someone else might think we sound similar. It's the entire reason I can't get into House of Cards. Frank Underwood is supposed to be from my area of the country, and speaks with some kind of Charleston-ish non-rhotic accent.