ThisTroper has a problem: After living in Osaka for over a year now, my university-taught Japanese is now hopelessly commingled with the local dialect. Not just ''any'' Osaka-ben, in fact, but the speech of southern Kawachi, one of the roughest dialects in Japan and a favorite of gangster-movie writers. When I go to Tokyo, my friends in the capital all stifle a giggle at my word choice (which I can usually suppress to a more "standard" form) and inflection (which I can't). In the words of one acquaintance: "Don't worry: Osakans who come to Tokyo never learn to speak properly, so you have plenty of company." Gee, thanks.Â

This Troper completely understands; it's got a highly infectious quality to it. I'd heard many times that Kansaiben is confusing to students, so I tried to find examples to listen to and get an ear for it while my grasp of the language is still fresh. However, most of the dialects have a much more memorable inflection pattern, so I have to make an effort ''not'' to slip into them.Â

This troper had a boss who was half-Japanese. She said that she only spoke a little Japanese and the little she did know was Osaka dialect and not standard Japanese, since that's where her father was from.Â

This troper has an odd habit of speaking to her pets in Kansai-ben.Â