Acquired Accents

It’s a matter of life, we all take on the local accent of the area where we grew up or lived in for a substantial period of time.

Where we went to college, for example. Or where we relocated for our longtime employment.

Well, let me tell you, I recently unintentionally acquired some language inflection (accent) changes from—get this—television series on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

During my recent Facebook break, I watched 78 episodes (6 seasons), of “Justified,” set in Harlan County, Kentucky. After the first season, I noticed a Southern inflection in my speech. As might be expected, it intensified as the series progressed.

Even in mah wrahting, I stahted using “y’all,” “yondah,” “precious” and “bless” moah than ah used tah . And when ah rehd thangs, ah mentahly sounded lack a true Suthnah.

Any thoughts of growing out of it were dashed when I started binge-watching “The Closer” (7 seasons, 109 episodes), whose principal character moved from Atlanta to become Deputy Chief of LAPD’s Priority Murder Squad.

And she has one helluva Southern accent.

I had the same experience when I binged on a few British detective drama series (e.g., “Midsomer Murders,” 20 seasons, 122 episodes; “Broadchurch,” 3 seasons, 24 episodes).

Result? A bit of an English ahccent. I stahted dropping my “r’s,” saying “Jawj” when I meant “George.” It made me wahnt t’open a can-a beah. I started wokking the flaw.

I guess the English and Southern accents have become permanent parts of my language now. And maybe it’s not such a bad thing.

Thankfully, I don’t speak pidgin English with a Hawaii accent anymore. Got rid-a DAT buggah when I relocated to Los Angeles in the mid-‘60s.