I've figured out the Kiwi Accent! Do you remember your SAT analogies?
Kiwi : UK :: Boston : American
Basically, Kiwi's sound like Englishmen, just a bit more annoying. Their A's are more nasally and the overall tone is a bit softer and less punctate. They pronounce 'so' as soooou, with a hard s. I'm getting keen on it though. Oh, and here's a good question; how is it that Kiwis and Brits can say 'reckon' and it sounds charming, yet every time I hear an American say it I get a very clear image of a fat redneck in ripped bib-overalls with one strap undone and a piece of straw coming out of their mouth? It's just not fair. It's commonly used here, but because of that negative connotation I simply can't bring myself to integrate into my own lexicon. Kind of the same way I find it hard to hitchhike though it's so incredibly common, and safe, in New Zealand.
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