Enjoyable Accents to do in Solitude

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

This article on Deadspin got me thinking about my favorite accents or voices to do while no one is around to hear you.

• Hick- It just doesn't get old. Singing rap lyrics with a hick accent is maybe my favorite thing to do in the world. Singing any other kind of songs with a hick accent is also highly rewarding.
  
• Ghetto- I am always adding to my bag of tricks with this one. I learn new stuff everyday from watching BET, ESPN, MTV, HBO, Comedy Central, reading MediaTakeOut.com and TheYBF.com (especially the comments), rap music, randoms I interact with that speak the language,
  
• Indian-American- the classic Apu from the Simpsons accent. I like using it to say especially crude things, since we never think of Indian-Americans as foulmouthed and then ending the gross rant with, "ooohhh, dats de way I like, bay-be!"
  
• German- Basically I always say "zees" instead of this, and "und" instead of "and". Also, most German accents pronounce "Wi-Fi" as "wee-fee", and that has to count for something.
• Italian- As in someone that lives in Italy and is a shaky English speaker. Eeff ah, you went, ah, to eeTaly, you would, ah, hear a lot of thiss, ah.
  
• Mr. Mackey from South Park- Let's just say it's fun to do, mmmm'kay.
  
• Annoying NYC Sopranos wannabe- voices alarm by saying "Ow!", makes frequent veiled allusions to "knowing people", loves the Yankees and pretends to know about them but doesn't, pronounces "Italian" as "Itayan", and complains about all the food they eat because it doesn't measure up to the food they are used to eating where they are from. Example, "No, no, no. I don't eat there. I'll tell you why. Those people do not know the right way to make an Itayan sandwich."
• a Southern Preacher- End every sentence like-ah, this-ah!!! Because you love-ah, Jeeezizz-ah!
• The Chicago Accent. Pretty much the accent from Da Bears sketch on SNL. The accent works best when talking about unhealthy foods, beer or Chicago sports, since that is what most people with this accent talk about. Example, "Jesussss, that'sss a lotta grilled cheessessss, my frent"
  

That's how I roll.

Great Way to Improve Your French Accent

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com


I try to work on my foreign accents and make sure they're all up to snuff. While most are pretty decent, others still need retooling. My French one is so-so. It seems like most impressions go over well if you manage to use one or two keywords during your accent for instance with German you make sure you throw in "ja", "und" and maybe a "zees von" (instead of "this one") and no matter what else you say, you're good. The British accent has a similar formula, just make sure you throw in a, "brilliant", "yes, my son", "d'ya know wha' I mean?", "cheers, mate", "fahking 'ell", etc. Pepper a few of those in there and you're good.

Last night's Saturday Night Live taught me a great a new keyword for the French: feces. The trick is pronouncing it "fess S", as in, "Your American food all tastes like, how you say, fess ess." Annnd Scene.

It's just that easy.