Mid-Atlantic accent

The Mid-Atlantic accent, or Transatlantic accent, is a consciously learned accent of English, associated with the American upper class and entertainment industry of the late 19th century and mid-20th century, that blended together features from both American and British English (specifically Received Pronunciation). It is not a native or regional accent; rather, according to voice and drama professor Dudley Knight, "its earliest advocates bragged that its chief quality was that no Americans actually spoke it unless educated to do so". The accent was embraced in private independent American preparatory schools, especially by members of the Northeastern upper class, as well as in schools for film, radio, and stage acting, with its overall use sharply declining in the decades after the Second World War. A similar accent that resulted from different historical processes, Canadian dainty, was also known in Canada, existing for a century before waning in the 1950s. More broadly, the term "mid-Atlantic accent" can also refer to any accent with a perceived mixture of American and British characteristics.