Dear Annie
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Dear Annie: Sometimes, in the course of conversation with someone who has an accent, I’ll find myself mimicking their speech. It’s entirely unintentional and embarrassing, and I’m sure it irritates the other person. I’ve had to explain multiple times to people of varying vernaculars that I’m not mocking them. How do I defuse awkward situations like this, short of avoiding conversation in the first place? -- Don’t Shoot the Mockingbird