To hate sounding a bit posh?

[zukman]

I’m from Scotland and live in an area with a mix of strong and not so strong accents.
I was brought up here but subsequently lived in London for a year and studied at university in Southern England; one thought of as very grand...

I went to the local comprehensive school, my mum is a teacher, my dad an accountant. My mum is from Glasgow and her family lived in a tenement block.

My father is from Edinburgh and went to a —great waste of money—boarding school.

People always ask if I am English. People ask if I am posh. It clouds people’s judgement of me, even in Northern England where dp is from, people think I sound posh !

Some can tell I’m scottish, others claim to have no idea. I hate sounding a bit posh, but it’s too late to change my accent now isn’t it?

*"I was born and live in Scotland. My idiot, nationalist, Saltire waving brother-in-law asked me first time I met him "hoo come ye speak the wy ye dae when you were born in x"?

It says more about him than me."*

It actually says more about you.

If you're born and have lived all your life in Glasgow and you're trying to sound like Nigella Lawson,, it's going to rise few eyebrows.

I took a sales call today. Woman on the other end went "ooh 'avent yer got a luvly voice, you sound posh". "Ow is it yer talk like that." Ad nauseum.(Mancunian). She was quite perplexed when I said "because I am posh". Bloody irritating. If I were to say "what lovely northern vowels, how is it your pronounciation is incorrect" it would just be fucking rude so one doesn't. Alright the other way round though.

You are who you are op. Others are rude to comment. Just be yourself. I am in Surrey btw and people here think I'm posh

@MissConductUS

Can you pick up regional accents from the UK?

When we were in California a lot people thought we were Australian and my Scottish DH they thought he was Welsh.

I have always been fascinated by this.

I was born and live in Scotland. My idiot, nationalist, Saltire waving brother-in-law asked me first time I met him "hoo come ye speak the wy ye dae when you were born in x.

It says more about him than me.

It actually says more about you.

If you're born and have lived all your life in Glasgow and you're trying to sound like Nigella Lawson,, it's going to rise few eyebrows.

Tell people to stop being so prejudiced.

In a posh accent of course

@zukman are you living in Glasgow?

I live in Glasgow (born and bred) and I’m not in the least bit broad in terms of my accent (although I can slip into it if required...😂) in fact I’m probably really well spoken as Glasgow accents go.

I don’t have a “Glasgow uni” accent though. Heave forbid! 😉😂

OP bit of friendly advice. Don't say your mum grew up in a tenement as a sign of your ordinary background. I understand what you are trying to say. But there were tenements with millionaire equivalent flats and servants. And most older people will know that.

Don't try to dumb down! I heard Lily Allen [by accident] on the radio and was struck by how much better her voice sounds now that she aint pretendin' ' to be a bi' cockernee if you know wha' I mean.

@menztoray

What’s wrong with saying her mum grew up in a tenement?

My mother grew up in a tenement in the Gorbals and will still tell people thatnwas her upbringing.

Glasgow’s tenements are synonymous with an ordinary and working class background.

I feel you OP, I've lived all my life in Scotland, local comprehensive but English mum. For reasons I don't fully understand I sound a bit posh and English - it actually made school days really tough. Being female, clever and English sounding is the holy trinity to induce rage and aggression in a certain type Scottish male. The aggressive Scottish Nationalism I have endured has made me fear and distrust nationalism in any guise - it really is the last refuge of the ignorant and hate filled.

I don't think it is easy to change your accent - I have never been able to. On the up side, my gorgeous Scottish DH has always found my posh voice wildly sexy, so it is not all bad So I guess the lesson is if you learn to accept your foibles you may end up loved for them - be you, be proud and don't be afraid to use your voice.

Honestly? You sound a bit of a dick

"I'm from Scotland and have such a non-accent that on the phone at work people quite regularly comment "oh good, I thought I was going to get through to your Glasgow office again" (we only have one office). I quite like it to be honest."

Heaven forbid you should sound like one of those ghastly common Weegie folk.

@viques but could you imagine going into a hospital appointment to discuss life saving surgery and someone that spoke exactly like Danny Dyer was your surgeon? You could be the most un-judgemental person on the planet and you’d probably be happy for them to perform the surgery but it would make you pause, maybe even double take. And most people are judgemental bastards unfortunately.

Oh god I am going to get so caned for that "dumb down" I meant to imply don't change your accent to what you think other people are expecting, that's what would be dumb, not the accent.

pigeon You are wrong. There were millionaire dwellings in tenements in the past. In the past it would be like saying you live in an apartment in London to try to show you come from an ordinary background. In reality an apartment in London could mean a LA tiny flat, or an amazing penthouse.
So nothing wrong with saying her mum grew up in a tenement, but by itself it does not mean her mum grew up in an ordinary background.

you are who you are. on the basis of where you were brought up, where you lived after that and where you work (possibly).

don't dumb down or change for anyone. appreciate your voice!!! its part of your life experience, like your face.

And my grandmother grew up in a tenement in the Gorbals and the family had servants. She was educated by a private governess that lived with them.

I’m Scottish and I sound posh and it hasn’t always been a benefit, so I know what you mean. People can be downright racist about you being ‘English’, and somehow it’s ok because they assume you have a background of privilege, so that’s alright then, you deserve it.
These days I just own it: I think, this is the way I speak and I always have done and I don’t care if you’d like it. But yes, it can be depressing.

mammalovesmango actually in that situation, I would probably be quite happy because I would assume that someone who has risen to the role of consultant surgeon while speaking like Danny Dyer must have outstandingly good skills rather than just relying on sounding the part!

Me too @viques but I can tell you most people don’t think that way

I've got something similar, a Scottish accent but mum was English and sounded quite posh (had elocution lessons as a child) and moved down south too. I find in Scotland they think I sound posh but here in S England they don't as much. I don't mind the accent and think well at least most can understand it.

I have the opposite issue OP I am from the North West I went to a Uni were a lot of people where from the south and to me had lovely accents. I hated having group discussions my accent seemed to get stronger when I was speaking (I think it was just me being very aware of my accent). I also felt like they were taken much seriously than me, seen as more articulate and clever and if it came to a job interview they would always get it over me. It really knocked my confidence.

I’m Scottish and have quite a broad Glasgow accent (especially if I’m just off the phone to my mum). DH is also Scottish but went to private school, so has a much more refined (but still Scottish) accent. Really, anyone who judges you from your accent isn’t worth bothering about

'People in the US can have strong regional accents too, but we don't correlate them with social class.' Ime they absolutely do, and I'm really surprised that you'd say that as a New Yorker. My friend from Yonkers is very insecure about her accent and what she imagines it says about her.