1. Constant Compliments On The British Accent
There's a dark side to talking like a British native in the States. Imagine the scene: the ex-pat begins a conversation and after only a few words the American listener blurts out without warning, "I just love your accent!" Typically, this comment derails the conversation when the ex-pat is in the midst of ordering a take-out or has just asked a long and complicated question. Since the person in love with the accent clearly wasn't listening, the poor British person then has to painstakingly repeat everything whilst somehow avoiding letting out a long, tortured sigh of sheer frustration. Quite apart from the inconvenience, there's the whole issue of how the Brit is supposed to respond. A simple "Cheers" seems insufficient, whereas, "Thank you for noticing. I've been working on my accent for a while and hope to get it right one day," could come across as rude. There are two reasons the seemingly innocuous compliment rankles: (1) if the Brit is getting out and about quite a lot, he's going to hear it 10 times a day, every day, until it starts to scrape away at his very soul, and (2) it's a compliment aimed at something the recipient has little control over and doesn't really care about. Much like being complimented for the colour of one's eyebrows, it's just an odd thing for the admirer to obsess over - it's not as if the accent were the product of hard work and effort. But one thing's certain, after living in the States for a few years, friends and family back in the UK are going to start complaining that the ex-pat's accent has become unbearably American. Much to the confusion of the ex-pat's friends and relatives in the USA, who will insist he still sounds thoroughly foreign. After so many complaints, Americans would be forgiven for thinking that their country isn't one of the nicest in the world, which would be a shame. Because it is.