Re: USAGE: two nations separated by single language, etc.

In message <376AED64.13661646@...>, Sally Caves
<scaves@...> writes

>Is anyone considered "affected" in Britain who adopts an American
>accent?
>The sense of affectation usually has to be inspired by a sense of
>conscious
>borrowing.
I suppose an "affected" accent, strictly, is any accent adopted
artificially for some social purpose...  Adopting an American accent in
this way is quite unusual, I think.  I remember when DJs and the like
used to adopt a kind of American-ish accent, because this gave the
impression that they were closer to where it was all happening - but I
think this doesn't happen so much now.  Come to think of it, I used to
know a guy in the oil industry who adopted a strange semi-American
accent which I always found rather unconvincing, and which I suppose was
meant to remind you of his Business-Class North-Sea-helicopter Alaska-
next-week sort of life-style.

>  For instance, I've often wondered if Elton John has ever
>been
>criticized for singing in an American accent.  But then singers are
>exempt, I guess, from this criticism.  'Specially his album "Too
>Low For Zero" (which dates me): man he's really got it down.  I used to
>be surprised when he gave an interview and this "other" accent of his
>emerged.  To my young ears, then, he sounded American as apple pie.
>When
>he sang.
Some singers do put on an American accent, or at least a gesture in that
direction;  I think it depends on the kind of music.  Some music would
sound fairly daft if sung in a full Lady Olga Maitland-style RP accent.

--
John Fisher   john@drummond.demon.co.uk   johnf@epcc.ed.ac.uk
Elet Anta website: http://www.drummond.demon.co.uk/anta/
Drummond ro cleshfan merec; fanye litoc, inye litoc