Norden Leacox - July 2025

RIVALRY, RESOLVED Help Your Kids Grow From Foes to Friends

There’s a certain charm to old Hollywood movies — glamorous stars, sweeping orchestral scores, and, of course, that oddly posh, vaguely British way of speaking. You know the one. The voice makes Katharine Hepburn sound like she’s perpetually midway through an important luncheon and Cary Grant appear to deliver a one-liner while also sipping afternoon tea. This isn’t just a coincidence; it’s the Transatlantic accent, and for a while, it was the gold standard of sophisticated speech. Unlike normal regional dialects, the Transatlantic accent wasn’t something people naturally developed by growing up in a particular area. It was an acquired accent drilled into the minds of upper- crust New Englanders at elite boarding schools and embraced by stage actors who wanted to sound refined. Essentially, it was the linguistic equivalent of wearing a tuxedo at all times. Hollywood, never one to pass up a trend, adopted this cultivated accent in the early days of talkies.

Why? Because it made actors sound polished, articulate, and, quite frankly, fancy. The crisp, clipped tones worked wonders for those speedy, back-and-forth screwball comedy exchanges. Just watch “His Girl Friday” and try not to be dazzled by the machine-gun dialogue between Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell! And then, just as suddenly as it arrived, the Transatlantic accent packed its bags and vanished. By the 1950s, Hollywood started shifting away from aristocratic dramas and high-society stories, opting instead for gritty realism and everyday characters. The era of Marlon Brando and James Dean meant mumbling was in, and sounding like you vacationed on the French Riviera every summer was … well, out. Of course, we can still enjoy the legacy of the Transatlantic accent in classic films. Want to master it yourself? Pick up “Speak With Distinction” by Edith Skinner, the holy grail of old-school

elocution training. Soon enough, you’ll drop your R’s, crisp your T’s, and stretch your vowels until “dance” becomes “ dahnce .” After all, old Hollywood may be gone, but its impeccable enunciation will never go out of style.

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Chocolate-Covered Banana Brownies Inspired by OMGChocolateDesserts.com

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Ingredients Banana Brownies •

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1/2 cup mashed banana

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup flour Chocolate Topping •

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1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

12 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped

1/4 tsp salt 1 large egg

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1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3–4 large bananas

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8x8-inch pan with cooking spray. 2. In a bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, and salt. Add egg and vanilla and whisk. Add mashed banana and whisk, then whisk in flour. 3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until the center has set. 4. Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

5. Bring heavy cream to a boil, pour over chocolate, let it sit for 1–2 minutes, then stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. 6. Slice bananas and arrange over cooled brownies. 7. Pour chocolate mixture over bananas and place in the fridge for 15 minutes before serving.

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