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It is the funniest thing listening to a Jamaican use a fake American. That seem's to be the norm here in Negril. I guess that too helps to break the ice. It almost seems inate for us too. We could be talking to a friend and a foreigner appears, does not even matter sometimes from which country and automatically we chip in to "TWANG"mode without even realizing it.
Okema from Seastar
The office manager at Appleton in the early 80s could do the best Texas accent you ever heard.
LOL...CaptD...there's a bartender we know that rocks the Texan accent here in Negril also....
Every once in a while I'd start speaking with my native "South Philly" slang. Really messed him up.
Not exactly on topic but anybody that has seen wah do dem .. The jamaican dude that's on his cellphone speaking heavy patois. Then switches to the next line which is his girlfriend in New York and he switches to speaking perfect English sweet talk.. Hahaha made me laugh so hard
Hey Okema:
Thank you for the interesting perspective!!! The only time I ever heard a Jamaican use an American accent was one time I was driving lost somewhere between Christiana and Mandeville and went down a small lane and two pre-teenage boys in a perfect American accent said variations of "Say, Joe, are you lost?" If I had had presence of mind, I might have replied "raatid! bwai, mi lost"
Thankfully, I did not have presence of mind...
L.C.
Is there anything funnier than people from th US going out of their way to type posts in patois on this forum?
"Fake accents" happen all over the world. When I go to visit my family in the North of England I start talking with a completely different accent. Of course it could be because I was born there. I never use it here at home though although I am sure that there are phrases that may sneak in when I am speaking.
My first trip to London back in the 1970's, got off the train in Victoria Station, walked up to the first person I met and asked directions to the hotel. Couldn't understand a single word they said, but they spoke the Queen's English!!!
Enjoy,
VVHT
Quote:
Originally Posted by SLP
So with you. I was trilingual as a kid, had 6 fairly fluent languages for a time. Was born in SE Asia, my parents are from Texas, I grew up in NYC, spent summers in the deep south, time abroad in Europe in HS and now live in the midwest.
You bet your bottom dollar all of those accents, slang, colloquialisms and linguistic patterns pop up in my speech when I'm in those places or with those people and after traveling to JA for 30+ years, it happens there too. I can't help it.