Monday, November 3, 2008

To not to...

My son cracks me up. He does silly things, and has a funny sense of humor. Recently, as we watched the movie CARS for the 12465th time, he began repeating a line said by Mater, the tow truck. When Mater is about to let Lightening McQueen out of the impound lot, the sheriff says to Mater "What did I tell you about talking to the accused?" and Mater's response is "To not to" in a funny southern/Texas accent. At which point Cooper turned to me and said "to not to" in almost the same accent.

Whaaaat? I laughed my butt off the first time he did it. Which is probably why he continues to do it now. He caught on to the idea that making mommy laugh is good.

I admit to being a magpie. I love repeating things that people say if they are said in a particularly entertaining way, like with an accent. I have a very hard time not responding to a person who speaks with an accent in the same accent. I have to make a conscious effort so that the person doesn't think I am making fun of them. But it is HARD. I have an aunt and uncle who live in Texas. They have lived in the south my entire life, although my uncle was born and raised in upstate NY. My aunt is originally from West Virginia, I think. It might be Virginia. Or Georgia. Anyway, the south. Both of them have heavy southern accents, as does my cousin, their son. When my uncle calls me, I immediately know who it is. He drawls my name out "Micheeeeeeeele, it's Uncle Daaaavid". Really. I hadn't figured that out. But I have such a hard time not falling into the same accent. British accents are worse. And it isn't just the accent, it is the vernacular. Calling an elevator a lift, or the TV the telly. I would be that obnoxious person who would immediately begin speaking that way if I ever lived in England. Like Madonna or Gwyneth Paltrow.

My brother is the master of accents. It is most hilarious to hear him do a German accent, like the 3 little pigs from the Shrek movies. His son, my nephew is pretty good at it too. So perhaps Cooper has a little of that DNA. Time will tell.

1 comment:

N said...

I lived in the south for a few months a dozen years ago, and I still say y'all.

A friend of mine has been with a French man for years. When my father met her, he thought she was from Eastern Europe, because she's picked up her boyfriend's inflections. Accents are sort of like viruses, aren't they?