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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To find this incredibly irritating and rude?

213 replies

Whatonearth17 · 16/03/2025 16:56

Name change for this and I’m sure I’ll get flamed…but here we go…

I’m a Welsh speaker living in Wales and have an accent when I speak English. It’s a lovely thing and I love other people’s accents. I’ve just returned from shopping where an older English speaking ‘gentleman’ asked me to get something he couldn’t reach for him. I did him the favour and was polite to him at which point he repeated what I said in an over the top mocking Welsh accent. It is the THIRD time this week that a variation of this scenario has happened. Once at work (which I pushed back on) once when I was in the park with the kids and decided I couldn’t be arsed to say anything and today. Why do people think this is ok? The guy today in particular was patronising and belittling and quite frankly just rude. Would we do this to someone with a German/ Chinese accent? Or any other accent? Heritage? To their FACE? When it has happened at work and I can definitely identify their linguistic background, it tends to be people with one language? Multilingual people tend to do it far far less. I just find it so rude and ignorant.
YABU - it’s just banter
YANBU- let’s stop copying people’s accents shall we?

OP posts:
Thisisittheapocalypse · 16/03/2025 17:59

It's rude.

I'd have taken the item out of his cart silently and put it back out of reach.

MargaretThursday · 16/03/2025 17:59

RedHelenB · 16/03/2025 17:42

This.

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I got my southern accent mocked incessantly when I lived up north.
So I deliberately changed my accent.
Interestingly the only comment I ever get down south is "where are you from? I can tell it's up north."

Original poster
Whatonearth17 · 16/03/2025 17:56

@ScienceFanGirl I absolutely thought about it but he was using a walking frame seat thing and then I thought about the optics of that 😬🥴 Probably still should have anyway …

OP posts:
ScienceFanGirl · 16/03/2025 17:53

AlmostAJillSandwich · 16/03/2025 17:02

Should have taken the item out of his basket/trolley and put it back on the shelf, racist prick.

I was going to say the same.

Original poster
Whatonearth17 · 16/03/2025 17:51

@Giggorata edging away sounds like a plan but I think I may ask them to repeat it next time? Kinda- do you know how silly and insulting you sound?!

OP posts:
Devilsmommy · 16/03/2025 17:50

I'm a Brummie. So used to this it's ridiculous. At least you've got a lovely sounding accent 😂

Original poster
Whatonearth17 · 16/03/2025 17:50

@shrumps it’s so interesting isn’t it? I’ve been trying to think about the motivation (probably overthinking!) I understand interest or novelty. I even get wanting to sound something out (in your own head) but it is sometimes something more. Something to do with difference and class. There’s also the layer of the history of the Welsh language too which makes it more complicated

OP posts:
Giggorata · 16/03/2025 17:48

I've had people put on an exaggeratedly upper class accent around me. I’m not, I just speak RP.
I just smile awkwardly and edge away.

shrumps · 16/03/2025 17:46

It’s rude and annoying. Having a brummie accent is the bane of my absolute life and whenever on holiday, or literally being anywhere outside of Birmingham I have my accent parroted back at me by idiots who think they are funny I rage inside. I don’t think it’s a race issue, it’s a ‘lots of people are twats’ issue.

Fagli · 16/03/2025 17:44

I used to have to go to the US a lot for work. I would always have my British accent repeated back to me!

RedHelenB · 16/03/2025 17:42

JLou08 · 16/03/2025 17:00

I've had people mock my northern accent when I'm down south. It's never bothered me, I see the funny side and usually try and return but my attempt at other accents is rubbish.

This.

Cherrysoup · 16/03/2025 17:41

I would find that so rude. Why did he think that was acceptable? I love accents, I’m a language teacher and I might ask where someone is from, lovely Latvian guy helped me at the tip the other day, but I certainly wouldn’t take the piss. Conversely, when somebody found out where I was from the other day-Newcastle-he found it difficult to wrap his head round why I don’t have the stereotypical accent.

Repeating what someone says is annoying, attempting to use their accent is, imo, offensive. As pp say, if you were BAME/Chinese, would he have dreamt of doing that? I really doubt it.

sonjadog · 16/03/2025 17:37

Yeah, it's rudeness. I am Irish and it happens to me too. Also "funny" Paddy jokes. I wish people would stop doing it, but I can't be bothered using any of my time or energy to educate them. I just walk off if they start.

TakeawayAugust · 16/03/2025 17:37

dnadiscoveryquery · 16/03/2025 17:32

In North Wales there’s a difference in accents between when first language Welsh people speak English, and those who don’t speak Welsh/don’t speak it regularly.

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Ah thank you 🙌

Aussierose2 · 16/03/2025 17:37

I live abroad in an English speaking country with an English accent and this happens to me all the time 🙄 it gets old really fast.

mondaytosunday · 16/03/2025 17:33

I have an American accent (I’m English). You wouldn’t believe what people say to my face about Americans, and yes my accent gets mocked a lot too. I figure they are mocking the stereotype not me personally.

dnadiscoveryquery · 16/03/2025 17:32

TakeawayAugust · 16/03/2025 17:18

But if you live in Wales doesn’t everyone around you have the same accent ?

In North Wales there’s a difference in accents between when first language Welsh people speak English, and those who don’t speak Welsh/don’t speak it regularly.

stayathomer · 16/03/2025 17:31

Yadnbu but when I was a teen I use to put on a Scottish accent (am Irish). It once came out when I was serving a customer and he stared at me. Turned out he was over from Scotland. I nearly fell through the floor

Original poster
Whatonearth17 · 16/03/2025 17:29

@Darkdiamond oh my goodness. This is exactly the feeling. You’ve nailed it.
@Notonyourjelly I know right? It’s so weird in a professional setting and I’ve felt a few times in the past that it’s a way to ‘put you in your place’ or something? A lingering thing related to class?

OP posts:
Wallywobbles · 16/03/2025 17:22

I don’t know what’s changed for me but it now pisses me right off. I live in France, I’m bilingual but I still have an accent. The last time some random stranger did it I took it very badly.

Notonyourjelly · 16/03/2025 17:22

TwentyKittens · 16/03/2025 17:05

@Whatonearth17

Or any other accent?

Scottish.

Yep, I'm Scottish and have experienced this. They wouldn't do it to their boss. Or their doctor. Or a client. So don't do it to me.

Darkdiamond · 16/03/2025 17:21

I'm Irish living abroad and it bothers me. The worst I got was when I was living in England and I found it incredibly rude and tiresome. It always makes me feel weird and awkward and I never know what to say. People then follow it up with 'Oh I just love your accent so much' but it never really feels like a compliment.

Sassybooklover · 16/03/2025 17:20

I'm English and only speak one language but wouldn't do this regardless of the accent or nationality. It's rude. However, I can relate, I have a Hampshire/Dorset accent, so think 'country bumpkin'! 😂 And when I lived in another part of the UK, closer to London, the amount of people who would take the piss out of my accent, was high! It's not even that strong, to be honest, but I guess it was different to the majority of people, where I lived, and it was picked up upon. I didn't take too much notice, but it did get annoying. So, I don't think you"re unreasonable to be annoyed.

GeorgeMichaelsCat · 16/03/2025 17:19

Are you North Wales?

Happyears · 16/03/2025 17:19

It must be very annoying in your own town. I’m a southerner living in the north and find it hilarious when people imitate my accent but I would not like foreigners to do it in London.