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Does anyone else find their handwriting/accent fluctuates?

33 replies

turnandfacethenamechange · 28/01/2020 11:27

I've been meaning to start this thread for ages...

I don't know if my brain is wired strangely but I've always found I pick up certain pronunciation quirks from other people and can't shake them off. They don't even need to be people I've spent years around necessarily, just people who've made a big impression on me. I'm a born and bred Brit, never lived anywhere more exciting than East Anglia, but my accent has little quirks of Saffa, "international school" vowel sounds, weird bits of Aussie etc. So much so people often ask me where I'm from when they meet me. I did slightly wonder if it had something to do with being hearing impaired...as in I've picked up bits and piece I find useful for clarity (e.g over pronouncing r sounds) but I e no idea and can't find much on Google about it. I did a Linguistics degree and vaguely remember mirroring of accents is something to do with trying to build social relationships and people aren't usually aware they're doing it.

My handwriting isn't fixed either, it changes literally from one day to another, has done ever since I was a kid. So weird!

Anyone else get this? I don't see that many people's handwriting so don't really know!

OP posts:
isabellerossignol · 28/01/2020 11:33

My accent is fixed but my handwriting is all over the place. Sometimes it's beautifully neat and sometimes it's a mess.

iklboo · 28/01/2020 11:36

My accent wanders if I'm talking to someone with a different accent to mine. Not on purpose, it just does and then I'm going 'ARRRGGGHH you dick!' in my head but I still do it. Not like a major copy of the accent but certain words and inflections.

Handwriting is pretty steady but sometimes my long downstroke letters like j, g & y change.

NoMorePoliticsPlease · 28/01/2020 11:39

There are good psychological reasons we adapt and fit to the accents of the people we are with. Its a good thing

sugarbum · 28/01/2020 11:40

Yes, both. I was raised in the north east but I live in east anglia now. I don't think I had a particularly strong accent anyway (although to be fair, I didn't even know my family had an accent till I was about 18 Grin ) I've lived up and down the country and was in Scotland for a bit, as well as Australia.
I find mine comes and goes. My pronunciation of certain words is always northern, but when I've had a few I go proper northern and my friends find it hilarious. I pick up bits and bobs from people I speak to. The strangest thing is speaking to family on the phone as it makes me hugely self concious about how I'm speaking - really really aware of my words, to the point in which I'm actively thinking about how I'm saying the words.
My handwriting has never been consistent. I don't even slant the same way. Sometimes its upright, sometimes left, and sometimes to the right. It changes in size and I can be messy or neat if I try hard. The style is different too.

turnandfacethenamechange · 28/01/2020 12:04

Oh good, I'm not mad then! Grin The one people pick up on the most is "AS well" at the end of a sentence (Saffa style). I can't shake it but I don't really want to, I obviously heard it an on a subconscious level went "that's sounds better than whatever I was saying before" Grin

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turnandfacethenamechange · 28/01/2020 12:04

And today's handwriting is loopy cursive

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OvenGlovesWillTearUsApart · 28/01/2020 12:14

Yes to both, from a very young age. I don’t know if it’s to do with wanting to be accepted/acceptable, and not feeling that I’m good enough as I am.

One holiday in Blackpool I think, I made a little Scottish friend, and basically became “Scottish” for the duration. My family found me really annoying for that. (How dare they!)

I do have some rather complicated issues, and am on the waiting list to be assessed for autism spectrum disorder. If that means anything!

chillychicken · 28/01/2020 12:20

My handwriting changes all the time, I have always wished for it to have a style and for it to be neat.

My accent doesn't change but my laugh does, as do some of my mannerisms. It annoys me as I feel like a sheep rather than someone who has her own personality.

3rdchristmaslucky · 28/01/2020 12:23

My handwriting is unpredictable. I have several different types, but never intentionally. And it won't differ day to day it can change on the same page. I've always found that strange.

My accent is odd. I'm Welsh, I'm from Cardiff and to me I'm quite obviously Welsh.
To other Welsh people, I don't sound Welsh. I've been asked if I am Irish, English and Swedish.
To non Welsh people, they can't place me either.

Damntheman · 28/01/2020 12:47

My handwriting does change but only small changes. My accent can go all over the place depending on who I was around the most recently. And people I live with have a long term effect on my accent too. I am from the south west of England, but lived with a scot, a yorkshire girl and a bolton lad for several years during college. As a result my accent is no longer placeable. Particularly after thirteen years in Norway. When I speak Norwegian I sound Norwegian, when I speak english - I'm definitely english but nobody can place where from. It confuses a lot of airport workers when I'm still attempting to remember which language I need to be using ;)

Damntheman · 28/01/2020 12:48

@3rdchristmaslucky Welsh has a lot of the same sounds as scandi languages, a welsh person being mistaken for swedish does not surprise me at all!

ThePolishWombat · 28/01/2020 12:58

I have Polish parents. And when I’ve spent a lot of time with them speaking Polish, or have been speaking Polish with my kids, my English often comes out in a Polish accent rather than my usual, generic English accent. And some words I’ve just never been able to shift the Polish accent from - and even my 4yo has the same accent on certain words even though we mostly speak English at home because DH doesn’t speak Polish!

ThePolishWombat · 28/01/2020 13:00

@Damntheman I do that too Blush If the DCs and I have read a Polish bedtime story or something, then I come downstairs and start chatting away to DH and only realise he didn’t catch a word of what I said until he looks at me like “Hmm again in English please?!” Grin

Damntheman · 28/01/2020 13:14

Glad it's not just me having these moments 😂

Natsku · 28/01/2020 13:17

iklboo Same here, always cringe when I realise I'm copying someone's accent but I can't help it!

My accent has changed over the years but I've moved around, from West Country to Suffolk to Kent and then abroad so now Rally English is creeping into my accent too.

turnandfacethenamechange · 28/01/2020 15:00

Aaah I'm so glad it's not just me Xmas Grin

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inwood · 28/01/2020 15:20

Accent no but handwriting is bonkers. Sign of a psychopath apparently...

I'm not, just different pens make me write differently 😂😂

confusedandemployed · 28/01/2020 15:22

Oh yes me too. I get bored with my handwriting regularly so I often change it. And my accent changes with the wind. I usually talk to myself in either a Scottish or Irish accent (I'm Welsh) and when talking to people I will pick up the local accent. Currently I'm Australian as I'm listening to an audiobook narrated by an Australian woman.

Pumpkinspicewhatever · 28/01/2020 15:24

My handwriting is so bad these days, probably because I almost never hand write any more. I’ve definitely noticed that I need to make a proper effort when handwriting anything or it’s unintelligible.
With regard to accents, yes- I grew up in the midlands and have a slight tone of that but mine has definitely got more SE especially since working in the City where a lot of my colleagues are from Essex/London. It’s normal I think especially with the amount of media we watch and listen to.

Cookie1989 · 28/01/2020 15:27

I totally understand what you mean! I actually have various styles of handwriting but after one sentence my hands really hurt so then my writing so bad.

Busymummy16 · 28/01/2020 15:42

Yes!!! Same here!!

turnandfacethenamechange · 28/01/2020 15:58

Currently I'm Australian as I'm listening to an audiobook narrated by an Australian woman

OMG I DO THIS!

After listening to the Aisling books over and over "you're grand" and "good craic" have wound their way into my vocabulary Crown Grin

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NotALurker2 · 28/01/2020 15:58

I just posted on another thread that OCD is linked to strep, and so is changes in handwriting.

turnandfacethenamechange · 28/01/2020 16:13

Interesting, I have trichotillomania which also linked to OCD it think

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ThePolishWombat · 28/01/2020 16:17

@inwood yes to the pens!!
I’m left handed and I blame the pens designed for right handed people for my screwed up hand writing!!
I have my one special lefty pen, and death will come on swift wings to anyone in my house who dares touch the sacred lefty pen Grin
(It’s the one I use for DC1’s school stuff - reading record etc - so her teacher doesn’t think I’m an illiterate moron Blush)

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