The original poptart:

ugh, you can keep that one!

Oh good god, no. I prefer my sleazy strumpets not to sing like Minnie Mouse.

But she has a pretend accent that fits in better over that way than it does here!

I wasn't aware she was pretending, except pretending to be 20 years younger than she really is, that is.

Well as an American I can tell you that we aren't born talking that way. We do pick up an accent depending on the area we live I suppose but IMO I don't think I'd pick up a British accent if I moved over there. Especially at my age. I could be wrong I guess because I've never tested this or even looked it up. I'm just shooting from the hip. Mostly because I hate Madonna.

I have to agree with this - it might not be THE ultimate word in coffee, but I can go from "hm, I think I fancy a coffee" to actually having a coffee in my hand (while sitting on the sofa) in about 2 minutes, with no further cleaning etc to be done.

However, this makes me realise that I seem to be very middle-aged (or more :-O ) in my habits, and not under-30. Ah well, who cares, I like it.

No, you most likely wouldn't pick up an accent. I'd be surprised if you would change your accent at all to be honest!
Most people's brains seem to change a lot before they hit puberty, anything that comes afterwards tends to just wash over..

So she's faking it but in reality she's like a virgin!

Some people's accent change with location and/or depending on who they're around, even when they're very much adults. It's rare it'll go the full way but there will usually be a degree of change. I know I was relatively young at the time (18-21) but whilst at Uni my accent changed slightly between home and uni, and some other people's changed quite drastically.

Don't stick up for her unless you want to claim her as one of your own!

I'm with you on this one - my wife's brother went to uni in London. His Yorkshire accent gradually dwindled and although there's traces there, he's started using the long 'a' sound in words like grass and bath.

 

One of her cousins went over to Tasmania after her post doc and has got a heavy Australian accent now with hints of British coming through. She's been there for around 12 years.

 

Conversely we've got Londoners at work here who've not lost their accents, so the whole thing must come down to who/what you're around, like you say, and the susceptibility of the individual to those outside influences. Also if you're proud of your accent you'll probably be more conscious of trying to preserve it, likewise, if you come from Romford (and have any wits about you) you'll be trying your best to disguise it.

I think you'd be surprised. It took less than a year and a half in Australia for my already confused accent to start changing. Nearly a year after I got back to the UK, people still thought I was an Australian. Which was annoying, as I thought I was sounding more and more British the longer I stayed in Oz.

 

Mind you, I met a couple of ten-pound tourists in Vancouver who had been there for nearly 40 years but who still sounded like they'd just popped over from Liverpool and Essex. The poor sods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a friend that moved to Dominican Republic. She visited after two years and had developed a Spanish accent. Which was weird because she couldn't say more than "hola" IN Spanish.

My accent shifts within hours when I'm talking to people. It is beyond my control.

I have that affliction too. And I'm always embarrassed when I realize I'm doing it - afraid that someone will think I'm mocking them.

Yeah people often think I'm mocking them but it just happens.

I think it's because we're PEOPLE PEOPLE, Lindy.

YES! That is so true. After all, there are so many other reasons to mock people - why would anyone pick on an accent?

Mine does that when I go south. After living in VA and FL for a few years I was back into talking lazy like they do. Do you think I still sound southern?

I never picked up the accent from ND though.

And besides, stop sticking up for Madonna. She's a cunt.

Exactly. Like liking poptarts for example.