My #accent is discernibly #northern, by which I mean of course that there is no R in ‘bath’.
Other than that it’s unidentifiable. It’s nondescript, a result of living in numerous places in the north west throughout my life. Neither one thing or another.
Unless, as I discovered tonight, I am tired. Fully I-am-overdue-some-annual-leave tired, rather than just-need-a-decent-sleep.
A colleague looked at me in surprise tonight and said “Woah Jen, that was proper #Manc!”
Which, of course, I am.
I don’t give any thought to my accent. I don’t consciously try to speak a certain way, it just is what it is.
But this colleague told me that I said something yesterday too that made them do a doubletake.
Certain words have been heavily accented and easily identifiable as #Mancunian.
Apparently when I’m tired, I slip straight back into #ProperManc. I was totally unaware of this.
I am quietly chuffed about this discovery. I am from #Manchester, a proper Manc, and I’m bloody proud of that.
I know I revert to my natural accent when I go home and am surrounded by family, albeit unconsciously when it happens.
I didn’t know that I do it when I’m bone tired, though. Another colleague piped up and confirmed that I do so, and I’m genuinely surprised about this.
But strangely relieved, too.
I love my home and its history and its people. I miss living there. I’m happy to discover tonight that it’s still inside me, even if it only appears when I’m totally fucked.
I think, specifically it’s the increased use of the #GlottalStop that makes me sound “proper Manc”, I tend not to do that often. Tiredness (or maybe more accurately laziness when I’m tired) makes it more prominent.
I don’t know.
Or even care, honestly.
I jus think it’s #interesting.
IFR (she/her)