Accent triggered phobia

[bunn]

Why is it that if someone comes on the phone with a particular generic-eastcoast american accent I automatically assume that they will be not just vastly competent, but the agent of a huge and hyperefficient organisation that will scorn and trample my tiny rural British IT business into the mud? I don't know why I get that reaction, but I do.

Whereas, if someone phones with a random Eastern European or Indian accent, I tend to leap to the conclusion that they are trying to sell me stuff I don't want. Admittedly, so far this has I think been 100% correct, but I feel bad about it for some reason.

Comments

[tena524.livejournal.com]

By any chance are you from the west? As a former New Yorker moving to the Boston area, I thought I had no accent until I was informed otherwise by a native Bostonian. The same may be true for you. One of my close friends is a native Nebraskan who has often accurately placed new acquaintances by their mid-west accents, and placed them within specific regions of the mid-west at that.

I think some of the assumptions you cite are regional ones rather than national. For example, here in New England, we don't necessarily assume someone from the west is better educated. After all, just where are the Ivy League schools? East of the Mississippi.

And no, I didn't go to one of them.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Did you mean to reply to louis_soul? I don't know him/her, so I don't know if your guesses are right, I am now concerned that I've completely misplaced the guy's accent, I am not great on accents even of areas I know well!

I have a slight Devon accent, which apparently is considered by most of England an infallible sign of stupidity...

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

"I have a slight Devon accent, which apparently is considered by most of England an infallible sign of stupidity..."

Often with good reason.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Oi!

[tena524.livejournal.com]

I did intend to reply to louis_soul - oops. Must be proof of how dim-witted easterners are...