Heh.
Double Heh.
The locals call us “the Yanks” because after 30 years Diane has never lost her “American” accent, even though it’s had the rough edges smoothed down and she now has consonants she didn’t know about when she settled here. What used to be a specific Manhattan sound is now more New York State (ish).
I also get that “Yank” label because after 30+ years, her New York (ish) accent has spackled (Polyfilla’d) most of the regional irregularities off my own, which wasn’t very regional to start with.
My original accent’s British-English Received Pronunciation, with a bit of Northern Irish hiding in the background - people who know tell me they can hear the occasional NI vowel, especially au for ou. The most extreme version turns “I’m going out now, then I’ll use the power shower” into “Eye’m gauin’ aut nau, then Eye’ll yewse the parr sharr.” Turned up to eleven, it’s an accent that can strip paint.
With the New York (ish) overlay, I sound - according to Canadians from Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver and Montreal - like someone
who’s lived in Toronto for a long time, while to Torontonians I sound like I’m from anywhere else except Toronto, maybe London. Ontario, probably, but UK perhaps.
To folks around here however it’s generic North American, hence Yank, which may be revenge for all the Yank tourists who think the Irish accent should sound like drunken leprechauns re-enacting “The Quiet Man” and are disappointed when it’s different to expectations. Not just accents: D and I have both heard that WiFi in Ireland is Cultural Imperialism, that there shouldn’t be taxis but jaunting cars, and why isn’t Dublin Airport thatched? (I wish I was making those up…)
I just call it a “Titanic accent” that left Belfast heading for New York and sank half-way, while Dragon Naturally Speaking calls it “please say that again’…
deepintheshadyglen