re: People who change their dialect to match their audience

I definitely dial my accent way down when I’m away from home or around certain hoity toity circles because I have learned that people DO think less of me based on how I speak. They associate my accent with a lack of intelligence and all sorts of negative stereotypes. So, to avoid those hasstles, I drop it when I need to.

I don’t do on purpose but if I’m talking to people with a thick accent I subconsciously start to do it.

But I didn’t grow up in BR. I was raised in a swamp 40 minutes south.

Sorry, fat fingered an upvote attempt.....

Easy to slip into North Louisiana twang when I’m up thare.

quote:

---

It sounds so insincere & affected when most people do this. Definitely a pet peeve of mine.

---

It’s called being socially aware. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, but people tend to trust and connect with people who are more similar to themselves.

To some degree, everyone does this, whether it’s speech, or mannerisms or body language. Odds are that you do one of these things differently when you’re, say, at work versus when you’re at home with your family. It doesn’t mean that you’re being insincere or unauthentic.

Ohhhhhh and if I'm talking to female needing something or flirting it'll come out.

—-You mean your accent, right? ;-)

quote:

---

I have seen it in political campaigns but very seldom in person.

---

I see black people do it every day, and I've seen (I don't know what we're calling it these days) "Urban white kids" do it for decades.

quote:

---

I definitely dial my accent way down when I’m away from home or around certain hoity toity circles because I have learned that people DO think less of me based on how I speak. They associate my accent with a lack of intelligence and all sorts of negative stereotypes. So, to avoid those hasstles,

---

I just avoid those types of people. It's much easier.

My 3rd grade teacher taught our class this about local speech:

If you have fallen.in with pirates talk like a pirate y'all.