The Southern Accent: We're Losing It

Website of Rhodes College, Memphis, TN ^ | unknown | Rob Marus

[Clemenza]

Da "Noo Yawk" accent is alive and well in N'Awlins! We sound more like Brooklyn den the South.

Very true! The blue collar population of NO, which has spilled over into St. Bernard and Jefferson Parishes, tends to have an accent similar to that of old Brooklyn. Let's not forget that, like Brooklyn, New Orleans had a large influx of Irish and Italian immigrants at the turn of the last century, which influenced the accent.

Funny thing about Brooklyn and NY in general, is that people who grew up blocks from each other have slightly different accents, partly dependent on what ethnic group you were in. An Italian American from Brooklyn and a Jewish American raised in the same borough have slightly different accents if you know what to listen for.

[rdb3]

The Dixie accent is alive and well!

To be totally honest with you, I've never, ever liked the southern accent. Sounds almost like a total mangling of the language.

Listen to someone with a southern accent say "ice." Why does it take 3 seconds to say with an elongated "iiiice?" Same goes for "rice."

When I speak to a white person here in Texas who has a pronounced southern drawl, it sounds as if he or she is singing the language. When I listen to a black southern person talk, it's a total puree of the language!

For instance, why is an "R" sound inserted into the word "wash?" It ain't "warsh," it's "wash!" Now look at the word "usher." Again, why is an "R" sound inserted here? It ain't "ursher." But that's how it's pronounced down here.

My wife, who is from Paris, TX, laughs when I talk about this. I told her that she and her family (all from TX) just can not talk to save their lives. She disagreed, so, I tried a little experiment. I asked her to say the alphabet slowly. I waited for her to get to the letter "Q." And lo and behold! There it was! When she got to "Q," I stopped her. I asked her then if "koo" was a letter. That's how she said it. So, she said the alphabet again. When she got to the letter "Q," she had to slow down to pronounce it right!

Down here, the word "wear" or "were" is pronounced "wur." "Here" is pronounced "hur."

I don't know which is worse, a southern accent or a New York accent overflowing with slang.

[yarddog]

There are all kind of accents throughout the South, some of them similar.

I was born and raised in the Florida panhandle (folks been there since 1700) and never thought we had much of an accent.

I spent 6 years in Western Kansas and had people constantly ask if I were from Texas due to my accent. After being there for a year or so, we took a trip back to Florida. Stopped in Louisianna and gassed up the car. A black headed cajun woman came out and began to fill the tank. As we stood there chatting, I had the strangest feeling of deja-vu. I know we had never met yet something clicked in my memory. Later I realized that it was being back in the South.

Although a Cajun from Lousianna and a Cracker from Florida have different cultures, they were in fact much closer than one might suspect.

[twigs]

Some have a very deep accent in VA. I don't. I'm from Roanoke and once when I was visiting, a friend of my mother's called and I nearly hung up the phone on her because I did not understand who she asked for. It was the deepest accent I had ever heard, although it was different from the Scarlet O'Hara type. Funny story. I used to work for the Valley Forge Convention & Visitors Bureau and when people called, I would ocassionally get: "Did I call the right region?" So I must have kept more accent than I realized but I don't hear it.

[Snowy]

My husband is from North Jersey. The word that drives me the craziest is "Dewg". "We have two cats and a dewg."

[Samwise]

I didn't know the term originated with Richards. I picked it up from the Prez himself and the daily dose of Dubya threads. How cool of him to turn an intented insult into a moniker. It just shows what a terrific personality he has--gets it from his mama. I'm glad to say that Richards doesn't own the term, and those of us who are fond of him do refer to him as Dubya and wave the three-fingered salute to Dems. Of course, in a formal setting, I would use the formal title out of respect for the office and man. But in an informal setting, I will continue to call him "Dubya" because I am fond of him and he himself is fond of nicknames. Plenty of nicknames have originated as slams--Stinky, Slim, Gippper, for example--but evolved into affectionate terms. The "Dubya" nickname also helps to distinguish him from his father. I call my father "Dad," my mother "Mom," amd my grandfather "Gramps." These are displays of affection and terms of endearment.

Richards can bite my asterisk. I'm sure she hates it that her intended insult was turned around on her.

[sheltonmac]

Having lived in Minnesota for the last 26 years, I am sad to say that I have lost my accent. :-(

I hope that doesn't disqualify me from the Southern threads!

[Samwise]

As a student of language, I think colloquialisms and accents are so cool. English is so colorful and the accents and speech patterns just give it flavor and texture--mixed metaphor, I know, but you get the idea. :)

[billbears]

To be totally honest with you, I've never, ever liked the southern accent. Sounds almost like a total mangling of the language.

LOL!! Well tell you what son. Plenty of roads going north. I'll even help you pack if you don't like it down heah. One thing I don't like is all these Chicago pizza style restaurants and sub shops opening up around here to cater to y'all. What's wrong with a square sanmmich with some ham, cheese and a little mayonnaise(and no Helman's is not mayo, it's goopy salad dressing. Duke's, now Duke's is mayonnaise)

We didn't ask y'all to come and stay. If you don't like the way we talk, too bad. Move. We all understand each other down here. It's y'all we don't understand. I'm Southern, North Carolinian, and proud of it.

[AgentEcho]

The mailman on Seinfeld: Sorry, I never watch Seinfeld, dunno who he is, can't help you. :-/

His name is Wayne Knight from Cartersville, GA
Info care of The Internet Movie Database

[aomagrat]

I tell you what.

[sheltonmac]

I tell you what, one of the best things I love about Andy Griffith or Gomer Pyle reruns is the accent! It sure beats the Minnesotan dialect I hear evey day. ;-)

[ArrogantBustard]

Preach it, Brother!

[t4texas]

Of course you won't find it in the main (stream). Like most things of interest and/or an unusual nature, they are to be found off the beaten path.

[LibertyGirl77]

I agree with you. I've been here (Va.) four years (grew up in California, lived in TX a little while) and I find that we Northern Virginians sound just like the vanilla on TV, only a bit slower and with a hint of a lazy drawl. The only 'Southern' colloquialism I really hear anyone use here is "y'all."

Down at the beach, the people all sound like the 'good ol' boy' onscreen politicians the article referred to. It almost sounds overdone a la Foghorn Leghorn, only they talk quick enough you know it's natural.

I haven't spent much time in the towns out west (only been hiking and camping with other Beltway-types), but when I meet someone from there I usually think they're from Kentucky or Tennessee at first listen.

[oyez]

I lost mine the third day of basic training at Great Lakes, IL, July 27,1967. I remember it well.

[SuziQ]

So don't conform, dammit! Don't let the Northern establishment grind you beneath its heel

I'm doing my best up here in MA! When folks ask me why I still have my accent after having lived up North for the last 22 years, I tell them I'm just ornery! Why should I have to adapt my speech patterns to satisfy somebody else? Actually, my family in MA tells me I DON'T have much of an accent anymore, which is funny, since folks up here ask me everyday "Where are YOU from?"

[SuziQ]

....my family in MA ...

Arrgh! Make that my family in MS!

[Jasper]

Naw...you're not disqualifed, as long as your heart is still in dixie. ;^)

[sheltonmac]

It is. Thanks!