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mg

a v.g. book

by mg at 09:53 AM on August 08, 2001

Been reading Bridget Jones’s Diary (books one and two), and, though thoroughly enjoying them, I didn’t want to mention it as feared would slip into Bridget Jones grammatically incorrect patois.

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this, but I’ve got this nasty habit of imitating other people’s accents. There was this advisor on our college newspaper who was from Texas. Whenever I had to meet with him, I had to consciously stop myself from speaking with a southern accent. I’d come out of meetings with him, and ask people, “What’s up y’all?”

The problem is that I don’t mean to do it. It just happens unconsciously. Whenever I find myself slipping into it, I have to stop myself, and make sure the person I’m talking to doesn’t think I’m making fun of them. Usually, they do, and then get all pissy with me.

It is actually a sort of compliment though, since I have absolutely no accent and don’t use any idiosyncratic regional idioms. I used to have a very slight New York accent, but my time in Iowa stripped all remenants of that away. When I’d come home for breaks, people would make fun of me for saying things like “pop” (instead of soda), and referring to elevators as “Vators.” Then I’d go back to school, and for about a week or so I’d catch myself saying things like, “Yo” and “Soder” (again, instead of soda).

Also, if you’ve noticed, I usually write like I’m Canadian or British. I speak of attending University, hanging out with my mates, and getting pissed. I spell realize, like realise. And color, colour. Snaggle always makes fun of me for it, but there are so many non-American webloggers out there that I pick up their British English. And actually, I don’t mind at all.

It is quite fun to pick up everyone else’s accents, even if I lose them as soon as they are out of the room.

Anyway, this is about Bridget Jones’s Diary, but I lost focus.

I thoroughly enjoyed Bridget Jones. If you haven’t read either of these books yet, I suggest you go out and pick them up. It is perfect summer reading. It is also something kind of fun to be reading someone else’s private thoughts. The same thing that makes reading weblogs so much fun is what makes these books so good.

Sure, Bridget Jones isn’t a real person, but even though I’m not even a woman, I found myself completely relating to the little foibles of her every day life. Which is a big reason why I love weblogging so much. We are people from all over the world, living disparate lives, but when it comes down to it, our day-to-day existences are pretty much the same, no matter who we are and where we live.

Anyway, Bridget Jones’s Diary is also a good way for guys to figure out what the hell is going on in a woman’s mind. I borrowed the books from a female friend of mine, who didn’t want to lend them to me because she feared I would learn all the “secrets” of womanhood.

To tell the truth, there really aren’t that many secrets. As I was reading, I kept thinking that the kind of things running through Bridget’s disturbed little brain are the same kind of things that have run through my disturbed little brain many a time. Maybe I was supposed to be born a woman, I don’t know. At the very least, I was a woman in a very recent past life.

Durh. I’ve gotten off topic again.

Bridget Jones’s Diary is pretty much a must read for everyone. Go out and get it now. Really.

I also went to see the movie a week or so ago. Having just read the book, I noticed how many liberties they’d taken with the movie version. Luckily, this isn’t a great piece of literature here, and the changes made to original story (the screenplay was written by Helen Fielding, the author of both books) worked so remarkably well.

Add to that Renée Zellweger’s charming and masterful performance (her lip-sync to All by Myself by Eric Carmen is so painfully funny, I was cringing the entire song), and the movie is a must see as well.

comments (11)

Picking up spoken accents is one thing - I do that all the time, which I've noticed is related to my ability to pick up foreign languages easily with (usually) some semblance of a decent accent.

Affecting written accents and spellings, however, is just silly.

(Of course, this is coming from the Iowan who says "soda" and uses a mix of British and U.S. spelling. That's beside the point.)

by snaggle at August 8, 2001 10:53 AM


No-one ever thinks they have an accent, do they? I have the same habit as you and I have to fight it for the exact same reasons. People just assume you're taking the piss and it's really only because we fall into their rhythm of speaking. I put my habit down to having lived in areas with differing accents as a child and wanting to fit in. Other kids can be awful about you if you're new at a school and don't sound like everyone else. I love it when you notice people typing with an accent, though. It never fails to tickle me :)

by suey at August 8, 2001 10:54 AM


Actually, the Midwestern accent can be considered no accent because of the clarity of speech and openness of vowel forms, according to some linguists. That's why news anchors and such are trained to use it. If there are any singers out there, it's kind of like when you sing correctly, Italian is the easiest to sing because of the way the vowels are pronounced. Singing correctly will kinda yield a Midwestern accent. Though mg grew up halfway across the States from me, he can claim the 'no accent.'

Of course, you'll catch me saying "coffee" like I'm from Longuyland and "tomorrow" like I'm from London. But then again, I'm a freak. :)

I should probably do some work today whilst at work instead of commenting and reading random sites...

by snaggle at August 8, 2001 11:17 AM


Ok I admit it! Having lived here in Texas for over ten years and never really having my home town Chicago accent, I talk with a twang. I do not mean to but it is there. My friends back home (and family) laugh so hard at me I want to crawl under the carpet! I mean Chicagoans feel that a "twang" of any kind is a sissy version of "Gone with The Wind"! Snaggle are we ever going to see a post from you? :0)

by Pristine at August 8, 2001 12:19 PM


Well, I have a post on my computer at home waiting. I just need to remember to take home a floppy and get it because I don't have a dsl connection at my new place until the 21st. Kill someone at Qwest for me.

by snaggle at August 8, 2001 12:34 PM


OK Snaggle, EVERYONE: E MAIL SNAGGLE EVERYDAY TO REMIND HIM! J/K, Qwest takes a long time eh? Well don't bitch too loud people like me who live in the middle of a cow pasture in B.F.E. (least till I get my loft in Dallas in Oct.) cannot even get DSL! Well I could via my cable dish but damn we are talking past and beyond $60.00 a month...I THINK NOT! So we will just wait you out Snaggle...hehee

by Pristine at August 8, 2001 4:58 PM


I adopt people's accents and verbal idiosyncracies as well. It was a huge struggle for me not start saying "broads" when I meant "female humans" because I lived with a guy who did that for a while.

Supposedly the people who have the easiest time doing it (i.e. cannot help themselves, and are often smacked in the mouth for it) tend to be terrific writers.

by space at August 8, 2001 5:28 PM


I do it, too. I don't know if it says anything for my writing, but it could explain the languages. I once was in a pub with a bunch of Scots who kept buying me beer. The more beer they bought me, the more of a brough I had. By the end of the night, I could have been an extra in Trainspotting. I kept apologizing, because I didn't want them to think I was mocking them. They found that very amusing. A good night was had by all.

by SwingCheese at August 9, 2001 2:02 PM


The first time i met my father-in-law, who is a Scot from Scotland, came over as an adult, we were drinking together, and the drunker he got the heavier the accent - i would have to ask him again and again, ‘excuse me, uh, what did you say?’ until my husband would have to rescue me and explain.

The best part was when all his Scottish friends would get together in the basement and get drunk and sing drinking songs from the old country.

Good times, good times. Hard to understand, but who cared?

by kd at August 9, 2001 2:58 PM


"Midwestern accent can be considered no accent".
Not true. Those who believe it are only being biased against people who speak differently.

by michel at January 8, 2005 5:03 AM


Yes but why do we imitate other people’s accents? I can't help it. I have to try hard not to. It drives me crazy. I could do without as it can be embarrassing. What is wrong with me?

by M at August 30, 2005 11:18 AM