This is way off the tech track, but Boing Boing posted this great video from HowStuffWorks explaining the "Transatlantic" or "Mid-Atlantic" accent that we know today mostly from movies in the 1930s and early 1940s. I enjoy the study of accents, and I thought this was a great breakdown of how this peculiar one worked, where it came from, and why it disappeared. No spoilers, just watch the video. It's great.
Check It Out: The 'Transatlantic' Accent Explained