How ethnic do I look to people

[Captain Trips]

Why am I seeing Samuel L. Jackson with a gun in his hand?

"What ain't no place I ever heard of. Do they speak English in What?"

[the lawsmeister]

Years ago when we were on holiday in New Zealand, my wife and I were repeatedly asked if we were English.
Just about every time we replied that we were Aussies we'd then be told
"oh you must be from Melbourne"
They seemed to get really confused when we said we were from regional NSW, not Melbourne or even Victoria.

[fireheart]

"oh you must be from Melbourne"

That's actually surprising given that when most people think of Australia, they think of either Sydney or Queensland first (somehow Sydney becomes a state ).

[purple]

Years ago when we were on holiday in New Zealand, my wife and I were repeatedly asked if we were English.

My cousin moved to western Australia for 6 years. When she came back she sounded English.

Fireheart I think most kiwis think of the gold coast or Sydney - you mean there js more

People assume I have something "exotic" in me. I have an olive tone to my skin but no idea where it come from.

But I don't get why she asked you that Mr Hero. Just talk to someone if they look at you confused and then maybe tjeu don't speak english. argh people!

[Golden Phoenix]

I lived in central England for the first 10 years of my life and Wales for the next 10, during which i learned to speak Welsh.

Because my English hometown has one of those accents that naturally picks up and tries to imitate the accent around it, i ended up with an odd blend of East Midlands and Welsh. I was asked if i was Norwegian, Australian and South african. But if i spoke Welsh they could identify the town where i'd learned! (A little freaky)

OVer the phone I have had a number of people ask if i was "foreign" and assume I don't speak "proper" english because of my name which is Hebrew in origin and *very* unusual.

White as milk, dark haired, blue eyed me who can trace her ancestry back to the 12th century and beyond and whose ancestors originated in the town she was born in.

[Employee28567]

In Quebec, sometimes I try to pass myself off as Anglo, but every time I have fries at a restaurant, they ask me if I want ketchup. Maybe I smell American.

[vikingchyk]

The accent he thought was foreign? Black Country. For those that don't know, it's similar to a Birmingham accent but a LOT thicker. Thing is, I moved from there when I was nine and have lost most of that accent. Now, I actually do sound pretty much like I was born and bred where I am right now. So I have no idea why he presumed I was foreign.

What kind of foreign did they think you were? Non-English? Or just generic xenophobic "foreign"?

It's weird how sometimes people just can't decipher accents, especially when they do fine with most. The one that puzzles me currently is how my hubby says it's a lot of work for him to understand Peter Capaldi on Dr.Who. Ummm, his accent isn't THAT thick, IMO.[1] To me, it's more that the backing soundtrack muffles the dialog sometimes. Not sure if that's our TV, or BBC America mangling it. Probably our TV. Or our aging ears

[1] the accent that gave me fits recently was some mystery series Tennant did. Umm, what's that again??? Rewind... (Oh, The Escape Artist.) On the other hand, I've been totally freaked out listening to his American accent in the previews for Gracepoint (US remake of Broadchurch) I hope I overcome the distraction, because it sounds hella WRONG!! {not a bad American accent, maybe - we'll find out; just WRONG coming out of his lips }

[vikingchyk]

These people were American as well, so I have no idea why they'd thought I was from Russia, since I basically sounded just like them--only not as stupid.

When I was a kid/teen, people would ask me which part of England I was from. Ummm, San Diego? Chicago? I guess it was impossible that an American child could use proper grammar, diction, and enunciate clearly.

[otakuneko]

I have a coworker who was born and raised in India and spent several years living in Oz and New Zealand.

Oh yeah, just try and figure out his accent. And then he mixes in English/Aussieisms.

His favorite movie happens to be Rush Hour, which I told him was appropriate, because nobody understands the words coming out of his mouth.

[KellyHabersham]

I remember being in a candy store once, and the woman who was working there asked me if I was from South Africa. Not what prompted that question, because I'm blond, blue eyed, and very pale.

[chikenlady]

In Quebec, sometimes I try to pass myself off as Anglo, but every time I have fries at a restaurant, they ask me if I want ketchup. Maybe I smell American.

"Ketchup" is used in western Canada too.

[Aethian]

I've been asked several times if I'm a Newfie...apparently my yooper accent is similar to that of a Newfie when I'm mad.

[Jester]

There was a manager at a restaurant I worked at years ago who had been born in England, and then had moved to New Jersey in his early teen years, giving him an accent that was a mix of English and New Jerseyan. If you're wondering, no, this was NOT a cool or pleasant-sounding accent.

[Monterey Jack]

I remember being in a candy store once, and the woman who was working there asked me if I was from South Africa. Not what prompted that question, because I'm blond, blue eyed, and very pale.

Maybe she confused you with Charlize Theron...

[greek_jester]

If you want a confusing accent, try listening to Lloyd Grossman talk. It's confused Brits for years!