I said do you speak-a my language

I always thought it was a fiction that Americans went round telling the English that they "loved your accent". It seems that it isn't. We went to get an E-Z pass on Friday . We walked into the office and Giselle said "we would like to get an E-Z pass please" and instantly the woman behind the counter said "oh I love your accent, just keep talking".

Er okay, so about this E-Z pass, how do you top it up?

"oh isn't that wonderful "top it up" (said in an English accent about as near as you can get to Dick van Dyke in Mary Poppins ).

So  chip in "So if you don't top things up what do you do?"

"Oh you too, just keep talking to me"

Right I shall read out the E-Z pass application form to you then. (Apparently they replenish an E-Z pass, personally I would have said that you replenish shelves but there you go).

What I don't understand is why Americans don't seem to be able distinguish the English accent from the Australian accent. More than once I have been asked if I am Australian. I think that all my Australian friends would agree that we don't have similar accents at all but the average American seems to think so.

And another thing, why does the whole of America seem to think that English has two accents - the aforementioned Dick van Dyke cockernee and Toff, and thats it.