Sound off!

[kitanzi]

I moved from NH to GA in the middle of last May, and got some curious comments about my accent from coworkers when I started my current job. I was a bit amused by that, because I have worked customer service almost all of my adult life, and done that over the phone for the last 7 or so, and I always get people commenting on my "accent" but no two of them ever guess the same place! I eventually concluded that I didn't have an accent and they were all projecting their ideas of what different accents sounded like, or else I was unconsciously picking up what I was hearing when talking with them.

So anyhow, nrivkis mentioned to me at Gafilk that I was developing a southern accent, which startled me a little bit - I didn't sound any different to me - and I didn't think twice about it. Today, for the first time since I moved south, I had a customer mention on the phone that I had just such a lovely southern accent. Since she knew the call center is in Georgia, I'd just dismiss it as more of the same, but now I'm curious, not to mention self conscious! A fair number of people who read this talk to me regularly, and a few more don't but have talked to me since I moved.

Anyone willing to give me an opinion on this, folks? I'm just wondering

Comments

[almeda.livejournal.com]

I tend to pick up 'vowel flavor' (if you will) from whoever I hang around with, and phrasings both from people and from books. I have several Canadianisms now, picked up from John's family, that pop up at the oddest times.

[technomom]

I haven't spoken to you enough to know, but it wouldn't surprise me. I pick up whatever accent I'm around :-)

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I definitely DO do that, usually picking up from whoever I'm talking to on the phone. Sometimes it's good, occasionally it's been taken as mockery which is not good. I dunno... this sounds like it's a little more pervasive, but I can't tell, I'm on the inside of it, so to speak. ACat says he thinks not.