To want to find a good put down for this behaviour?

[TrainsandDiggers]

So my MIL CONSTANTLY picks me up on the way I say and pronounce things. I have a slightly different accent to hers (one that she considers inferior to hers), but she openly laughs at me sometimes and keeps repeating how I have said something, encouraging others to join in. At other times she will correct me mid-sentence (e.g. Me: “I’ll just have a glass of lemonade”, MIL: “glaarss”). Other times she will correct me in ways that I think she’s actually wrong (e.g. “steer-roid” instead of “steroid”). And sometimes she pretends she literally cannot understand what I’m saying (e.g. “Santa?? Santa?? ...Oh! You mean Father Christmas!”) Grrr!!

I find it infuriating, rude and patronising, but it always takes me aback in the moment so I just laugh at myself, apologise or correct myself to her way of saying things.

Any better comebacks MNetters?!

I would genuinely stop seeing her as much as possible. She sounds like a snobby bully.

Why hasn't your husband told her not to be so rude to his wife? It's easier for him if it's his own mum.

I would probably say "I say glass, like all sensible people do haha!" Or "It's like tomato / tomayto MIL!"
Or "You're starting to hurt my feelings the way you keep going on about my accent, I know you don't mean anything by it so I thought I'd let you know now that I'm feeling sensitive over it, so you can stop, forever, with no hard feelings either way, thanks so much".

Captain Awkward recommends a raised eyebrow and a noncommittal "Wow."

I like "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that" and barrel on, not engaging at all. Also works in professional contexts.

If she persists "Why do you want me to say it in your accent instead of my own?" Or "Are you still having trouble understanding my accent? Have you thought about getting your hearing checked out?"

I'd use this.

but she openly laughs at me sometimes and keeps repeating how I have said something, encouraging others to join in.

But this - I would simply stand up, give her a look and say "why are you laughing at the way I speak?"

She sounds absolutely obnoxious.

A world weary “Whatever” every time she does it?

You could always say to her 'I so thankful I met your son ...I don't know how I EVER managed to communicate before I met you, or well all my friends know what I'm saying so that's good enough for me! It's rotten to put a person down for the way they speak what does your DH say about it or does she only do it in his absence?

Act puzzled by her and give her a look of confusion, as if you’re concerned for her well being.
Ask her, “Glaarss? What are you trying to say? Hmm, oh, ‘glass, G-L-A-S-S. No R there. Who would have thought? But if it makes you feel better about yourself, do go on.”

Because really, that’s how people like her feel better about themselves. They’re so miserable they put others down, for non issues, such as the way you speak.

“Glaarss?

Ask her to say ''There's an ass in the garden" (donkey) and see if she pronounces it Aarss.

Literally laughing out loud at most of these! 😂😂 Thank you for turning such crappy behaviour into something that’s got so many hysterical come backs! I will be spoilt for choice when it next happens! ...or just laugh quietly to myself at what I could have said and done! 😂

Just say "MIL I'm sure your heart is in the right place but I'm finding it a very trying when you treat me like a foreign exchange student. When I want to know the received pronunciation of a word, rest assured I will ask you. In the mean time I would appreciate it if you would let me speak in my local dialect in peace, without comment or criticism. Thank you."

My old MIL tried the speech correcting thing on me..I said "no I prefer my way of saying it'" ..kept on saying it every time eventually the rude B got the message.

Ok....

Hmmm...

Whatever.....

big sigh...

I wouldnt say anything to her... just one of the above with the obligitary eye roll.

Only on mn is did you mean to be so rude considered a searing put down

I agree. I don't know anyone who actually talks like this is real life. Same goes for a "head-tilt" and ""tinkly laugh"...who actually does that? Surely it just makes you look deranged? I can't be doing with all this passive aggressive nonsense or "witty" putdowns which will most likely go over her head. I would just say.

"Actually MIL, where I come from it's pronounced 'glass', not 'glarss'. I'm not going to change my accent so if you could stop correcting my pronunciation all the time I'd really appreciate it".

Sat here now saying thuh end and
thee end to see which feels right.

Maybe switch to RP everytime she corrects you. For extra silliness use the lingo of the 1940s or channel Hyacinth Bucket and use your sing song voice

"It's strange how it's only people I've ever met from x area that are so ignorant about UK dialects"

'Oh do buzz orff, MIL'

MIL, I think you need to stop being such a gl-ARSE regarding my accent'

'Do you really pronounce it steerroids? How quaint!'

Or:

'We might not talk proper in (your home town), but at least WE're not rude'

From a phonics point of view, the mil is wrong. 'Glass' would have a short vowel and there is no 'r' in there.

Tell the stuck up cow that. Also tell her that it's really bad manners point out others' 'mistakes' like this.

If southern accents such as saying "glaaars" instead of glass is considered correct, start talking only like Danny Dyer in front of her.

She's not correcting you - that implies her way of talking is correct. I would start to correct her when she pronounces words differently to you.

Of all these suggestions, I best like the swearing every time response. If she doesn't like your accent, she'll hate your accent saying Feck Arse etc. Probably with the offending word thrown in, "Fecking glass!" Her choice. She either loses her habit or she gets extra exposures to it.

Mumsnet classic - ‘sorry, did you mean to be so rude?’

Would anyone actually use this in real life? It's totally lame and hardly the Dorothy Parker style comeback that some on here would have you believe.

My x mil used to do this to me and it made me seethe as in my own country I have the accent that is more desired than hers is in her own country. But obviously I couldn't come right out and say that to her.
Eventually I told her that it was considered lower middle claaaaaaasss to comment on people's accents. Nipped it in the bud.

I do find it very insular though, that belief that the glaaaaass accent is correct and anything else is WRONG!

pavlova it's hardly in Dorothy Parker's league that's true but i think it's quite a good one if you want to make it clear you've identified the other person's behaviour, but when quoted it wouldn't make you look like you started the trouble. I've never used it but if I did the other person couldn't run around saying that I said ''did you mean to be so rude'' as obviously the next question would be ''what did you say?'' so ......... it's a very good comment if you are dealing with somebody who has more power than you in the social situation or work situation I think. They can't use it against you.