To find this incredibly irritating and rude?

[Whatonearth17]

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?

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.

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

As a foreigner, I can assure you it’s not limited just to Welsh people and they do indeed do it to other nationalities.

Obviously he was being seriously offensive. If you were BAME, his behaviour would be deemed racist. Dunno if it’s the results of Covid, as some academics suggest, or social
media, as others think, but levels of civility and decent behaviour have just collapsed in the last few years.

I think its meant as an attempt at bonding tbh - if I met a hot Irish guy, in my head I'd be wanting to attempt the accent but only because I love it so much 😭

But I agree, unless you know someone you don't banter with them in that kind of way

@Whatonearth17

Or any other accent?

Scottish.

@JLou08my own family do this to me and it drives me insane! We don’t think it’s acceptable to body shame etc so why accent shame

Some people do also subconsciously copy accents, but can be embarrassing. I think whenever you are in the minority, i.e. Southerner up north, Northerner down south, English jn Scotland, accents get you noticed and some will try to copy your accent. Sometimes it will be in a nice way, others may be mocking and unkind. There is no blanket explanation.

@YDBear It’s like people have less of a filter definitely? And maybe just the rather depressing rise in unpleasantness towards difference that’s everywhere…

This. Perhaps it wasn't malicious. As someone who also adores accents (and yes the Welsh one is so lovely and melodious I find myself saying what I just heard because I'm delighted (BUT ONLY IN MY HEAD). Maybe this one squeaked out 😂😭

@FluffMagnet I suppose you don’t expect it in your own town as much? It happens a lot more on holiday or when you’re in cities but this was taking the biscuit….and it definitely wasn’t subconscious…it was deliberate and unpleasant. It’s shocking every time because even though it happens often it always catches you out somehow. I need a good response for next time…

@AllTheAll I’d like to believe it wasn’t malicious but this one definitely was 😬 He repeated what I said in a mocking way and then said ‘and you speak like that all day do you?’ I actually LOVE it when people ask about the language and want to learn words and engage ❤️

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

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.

Are you North Wales?

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.

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.

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.

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.

@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?

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

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.

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.

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.

Ah thank you 🙌