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?

Not necessarily English. A lot of Welsh people don’t speak Welsh or have a recognisable Welsh accent, it depends on the region or town. The English tried to stamp out the Welsh language in times gone by, and were pretty successful.

Unlikely. People can tell when they're being mocked.

Yes, or the Welsh people DO have a Welsh accent, but not the same one as OP because she is a Welsh speaker.

I’d love to know what ‘the’ Welsh accent is. Is it the same as ‘the’ English or Scottish accent?

YANBU @Whatonearth17 it’s rude even if he meant it to be “charming” or a “compliment”. I’m from Belfast originally and often experienced similar when living in England. Not mocking, exactly, but it can be tiresome. We’ve settled in West Wales now and not once in three years has anyone commented on the way I talk. Make of that what you will 😉
(NB I married a lovely English man and have many English friends so promise I’m not a racist. Not sad the kids are developing little Welsh accents though, even when speaking English)

I’d love to learn Welsh. It’s a beautiful language and a lovely accent. 😀

@Bfmamma

Pray tell: what is an African accent?

Do you mean Algerian, Kenyan, Comorian or Mozambican etc accent?

j

Londoner here with a strong estuary accent. Have lived in the north for 3 decades and only twice have had the piss taken. Having said that, I might have a nasty look about me.

I would be annoyed too. An Uber driver did this to my dad once and I reported him to Uber who took it very seriously.

I’ve had the same but in reverse. A so called friend mocks me with a cockney accent even though I’m originally from Bedfordshire! Otherwise people usually just say “you’re not from around here are you?”

This!

Im from the West Midlands. I’ve lived in the south east of England for 30 years. Ironically in an area with its own strong accent. I get corrected or commented on at least twice a week. It’s tedious. It’s annoying. I get less not more tolerant if it. You are not alone op.

I am a kiwi, but also autistic. My accent has always sounded like a mix of South African and someone from show The Crown. I sound nothing like my family, I have no idea how it happened lol. I assume it's to do with being ND.

Anyway, I get it ALL THE TIME when in the UK.
Delivery drivers, post office people, people in social settings etc.

They repeat what I say, trying to recreate how I sound.

I just stare at them blank faced now and it makes them feel awkward.

Some people are malicious, some people do it to try and sound like me for fun... But it's all rude. Just do it behind our backs when we've gone like a normal person lol.

Or northerners are nicer / more polite? You decide.

This.

I'm Irish, good luck I'm your search for a hot Irish guy. We only have a few of them and they're all famous

I’m Welsh and although I’ve lived in the SE of England for 20 years I still have a Welsh twang although it’s mellowed a lot, I’m not a native Welsh speaker but the SW Welsh town I’m from is known for a strong Welsh accent. While I don’t mind people imitating it I can’t stand people who go out of their way to not understand me because I have an accent.

I’d not really discussed it with anyone until recently when I mentioned it to a group of friends who all happened to be from other countries (European, East Asia and Middle East) but have lived in SE England for as long as I have. They are all fluent English speakers to the point of being able to do a biochemistry based MSc in English and they’ve all experienced this ‘not understanding’ things too. The offenders are not people who are hard of hearing as they can understand those with the ‘right’ accents, it’s an intentional act.

for an englishman to do that in wales is very rude an odd-im english go to n.wales alot ido get mimic alot as im from london/essex they think its quite funny-would never mimic back thoughh

😄😄

Do you know what, the accent can elevate even the most average of men, do you think i could have one of those? 🤭🤭

Yep can confirm….

I’m a scouser so I literally have this every time I speak to anyone with a non-scouse accent. It generally doesn’t bother me but occasionally people push a bit far and it gets annoying.

But the Irish guy would probably like the fact that you don't have an Irish accent lol.

It's fine when it's banter between friends.

It's not fine otherwise and is very rude. Imagine mocking someone's accent. If you were non-white, people would find it very racist.

I think it doesn't help that some English people act like the whole world should speak English, and never make an effort with other languages.

Bleeuuurghh.

Coming from a Northern Irish woman.

My partner is also Northern Irish (Liam Neesom's area) and I just tune it out.

I would prefer pretty much any other accent in the world.

@Whatonearth17 there's a technique to practice of asking them to repeat what they've just said.

Most people won't want to repeat themselves because they'll have had extra time to think.