A friend was telling me about this idea a couple weeks ago, but I forgot to follow up or track it down, or look it up or whatever, and then I saw a Tweet from @kolbisneat reminding me about it. I'd always thought that the American accent had evolved out of the British accent, but it seems more likely that the British accent is what evolved after the upperclass started dropping their Rs.

First, let’s be clear: the terms “British accent” and “American accent” are oversimplifications; there were, and still are, innumerable constantly-evolving regional British and American accents. What most Americans think of as “the British accent” is the standardized Received Pronunciation, also known as “BBC English.”

While there are many differences between today’s British accents and today’s American accents, perhaps the most noticeable difference is rhotacism. While most American accents are rhotic, the standard British accent is non-rhotic. (Rhotic speakers pronounce the ‘R’ sound in the word “hard.” Non-rhotic speakers do not.)

So, what happened?

In 1776, both American accents and British accents were largely rhotic. It was around this time that non-rhotic speech took off in southern England, especially among the upper class. This “prestige” non-rhotic speech was standardized, and has been spreading in Britain ever since.

UPDATE:
Cripes, just realized I never linked to the article. That was really dumb. I added a link above and here it is here. Click on it several times. Poor form.

In a long article in the Awl about the copyright fight over the iconic 'Keep Calm and Carry On' posters, this nugget that very few people actually saw the poster until 2001.

Meanwhile, Sitzkrieg or no, the MoI was lumbering onward. The first two posters produced in 1939 were: "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory" and "Freedom is in Peril: Defend It With All Your Might." Two and a half million of the third were printed. They read, "Keep Calm and Carry On," and these last were held back in anticipation of the rain of bombs that was expected the moment war broke out. They were meant for a crisis that didn't in the event occur. For that and a few other reasons, the British public never saw them.

"They said: 'Take it off', and I said: 'No, its part of my religion. It's part of my religious right.' I gave them a Jedi church business card."

This article about the founder of the Jedi religion accusing a grocery store of discrimination is full of quotations worth calling out. You take any of these quotations out of context and it's amazing what you can do with them in your head. Please read the entire article.

Via Title Case

A simple idea (that I haven't seen on other newspaper websites), but it's neat that the Daily Mail website has a button on articles that will allow you to schedule the article to be emailed to you at a future time of your choosing.

You've seen this, I'm sure, but if not, the story of Susan Boyle will make your day, as will this video.

Via some Twitter users, this link from the Telegraph.co.uk telling readers how they feel about Gordon Brown (pro tip: check the URL). It was glorious for moments, but The Telegraph allows users to append links in any way, reducing it's glory somewhat, though indeed, not entirely.

Incidentally, the link may not be so off base as the 6th definition on Urban Dictionary makes clear. Also interesting? People have been calling him that for years since even before he was PM.