Those poor Shelbys

[Prometheus]

The “Brummie monotone” is the least respected accent in the UK, academics suggest, with Birmingham natives mocked, criticised and singled out for the way they speak.

uk.style.yahoo.com/revealed-uk-least-respected-accent-060000607.html

But let's face it: every country has accents that are considered either high brow (or maybe just "proper") and low brow.

In the US, the "southern accent" gets a lot of flack... depending on who's speaking it and how.

If the grammar and syntax are correct and it's just a particular drawl, AND the speaker is white, then the listener is probably going to get a "Southern Gentleman/Belle" vibe and be mostly OK with it.

But if the white person uses poor grammar and syntax, they are just a redneck/hillbilly/peckerwood/etc.

HOWEVER, if the speaker is black and uses the same bad syntax and grammar, people bend over backwards to claim that this is a valid dialect known as AAVE (African-American Vernacular English) and that it should be allowed both for speaking and written assignments... but only from black students. White students must use the correct - yes: CORRECT - grammar and syntax or lose grade points.

My original accent was the "Boston Brahmin" but I worked hard to get the midwestern (or "neutral") accent that I use now. Yes. I have a "radio voice" to go with my "radio face." However, sometimes - under heavy stress or drink - it slips out in all its glory and I sound like I just stepped of the set of "The Departed."

^^so many extra meanings^^