this post was submitted on 13 Dec 2025
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

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Additional context:

Native speakers of my mother tongue do not all understand each other due to some pretty extreme dialects. Now that I'm in Europe, I've noticed multiple instances of people sometimes not understand the dialect of someone from a village 10-20 km away...

In contrast, for example most American, British, and Australian people can just... understand each other like that?? I never thought much about it before but it's pretty incredible

Edit: thanks everyone, and clearly I didn't think of certain parts of the UK when I was in the shower and thought of this...

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[–] AreaKode@lemmy.world 0 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

I live in the US Midwest with almost no accent. Anytime I go somewhere where people have strong accents, my brain really has to work to understand them. It'll take a couple of days of immersion before I really start to understand people.

[–] hddsx@lemmy.ca 42 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

“With almost no accent”

You have an accent

[–] DrBob@lemmy.ca 11 points 23 hours ago (3 children)

Midwest is classic "broadcast English". It's considered an almost neutral accent without a strong sense of place associated with it.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 7 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

West coast people really hear a Midwest accent. I upvoted because it made me laugh.

[–] iltoroargento@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 22 hours ago

Yeah lol I will agree that it's less heavy of an accent, for the most part, but most people can still tell unless you literally talk like a news anchor. Same with West Coast accents tbh.

[–] tourist@lemmy.world 2 points 17 hours ago

"Broadcast English"

Interesting term

I've always noticed that In movies and TV shows, North American accents mostly sound "normal". But when I talk to Americans/Canadians in person or online over voice chat, I cannot pinpoint the accents, it just sounds "American" to me.

I almost never hear the

"I'm walkin here"

"Folks won't take kindly to you around these parts"

"I pahked my cah at the Hahvahd yahd"

"I'm sorey aboot that"

I'm totally down, I just need to, like, check my schedule?

etc.

kinds of exaggerated accents

everyone sounds like someone from CNN to me and then they say they're from Arkansas or something

[–] IcedRaktajino@startrek.website 2 points 22 hours ago (1 children)
[–] FishFace@piefed.social 2 points 19 hours ago (1 children)
[–] DrBob@lemmy.ca 2 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

Never really. Mid-Atlantic was taught in elocution lessons but didn't really exist outside film and theatre.

[–] Triasha@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

I thought it was native to wealthy families from Jersey/Virginia/Maryland. People that grew up in Martha's vineyard.

[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

I've always preferred calling it "trans-atlantic" to avoid confusion with that "Mid-Atlantic Region" of the US which is on the East Coast roughly from New Jersey down to Virginia, maybe even the very northern Coastal parts of North Carolina. Some people include New York/NYC but I can't agree. Ok, maybe parts of New York bordering Pennsylvania.

[–] DrBob@lemmy.ca 1 points 51 minutes ago

Only if they copied the movies. Stewie in the Family Guy speaks in a Mid-Atlantic accent which is why he pronounces his H's etc.

[–] FishFace@piefed.social 1 points 5 hours ago

Oh I actually thought the comment I replied to replied to your comment about broadcast English xD

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago

When I first did tech support 30 years ago, I could nail what state an American was calling from, but not the Midwest, all same same.

[–] Oisteink@lemmy.world 6 points 23 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Oisteink@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago

My favourite (northern?)mid western saying is «uff da»