• Day 15/90 – Rockin’ my Fake British Accent

    Day 15 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? Speaking with my fake British accent!

    Union Flag by Jay-Jerry from Flickr (Creative Commons License)
    Union Flag by Jay-Jerry from Flickr (Creative Commons License)

    I’ve known I’ve had a decent British accent since I was about 20. I’ve been told I speak in the “high English” dialect. Most of what I know has come from watching British actors on TV and movies. When I was in London for the Ungagged SEO Conference last month, I used my fake accent quite a bit and used terms like “that’s lovely” and “cheerio.” The conference staff said my accent was believable but they had to correct my pronunciation of a few words when I put the emphasis on the wrong syllable.

    Since I’ve been back, I continue to amuse myself with my fake accent – usually with baristas, servers, and clerks. People seem to like it. One person who know how I actually speak suggested I make the change permanent.

    This morning I went to Urban Beans for networking meetings. I ordered an Arnold Palmer in my British accent and one of the clerks asked me what part of Britain I’m from. Without skipping a beat, I responded with, “Oh I’m not. I’m English by blood, but American by birth.”

    Which is absolutely true! I have a strong English heritage. The weird thing is, so far, everyone I’ve said this to appears to believe me.

    Oh, I’m way too easily amused. It’s the simple pleasures that brighten my day.

    In case you missed it: Day 14 of the 90 Days of Awesome – Visiting Reverend Patrick!