The Southern Accent: We're Losing It

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

[Inyokern]

A friend of mine from Olivet, Michigan told me that when he took a trip to upstate New York a few years back, he was struck by how similar the accents were to Southern and Central Michigan.

No doubt about it. That part of the country was originally settled by people who came down the Erie Canal. The regional accent in Rochester, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Chicago, all the way out to Davenport, IA is essentially the same.

[Age of Reason]

Blame it on air conditioning.

[McBuff]

For a sample of a bona-fide Virginia accent, listen to NASCAR star Ward Burton's next interview!

[ClearBlueSky]

Hey, dawlin-- dontya worry'bout nuttin! Da "Noo Yawk" accent is alive and well in N'Awlins! We sound more like Brooklyn den the South. We call it 'Yatspeak'- as in ' where ya at?' Never have had anyone believe I'm from N.O and not N.Y.

[Hawkeye's Girl]

Us Minnesotans also play "Duck, duck, gray duck" instead of "Duck, duck, goose".

I blame it on all the lakes.

[mikrofon]

That may very well be true -- I have a lot of "unknown" relations who eventually settled in western Michigan.

Here in WNY, the accent is more so Midwestern, but still ethnicized to some degree due to the European immigration of the early 1900's. Even at third generation, it can be easy to slip into old speech patterns.

And then just to the north across the lakes you find the distinctive "Canajun" accent ... Did you ever hear the story of the Canadian fisherman?? He caught a boot while out and about in his boat.

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

Hi stranger! How are you?

[coydog]

"Bureau" is still used that way up in Canada, particularly in the east.

[Judith Anne]

Haha! I love the Ozarks accent, because my paternal grandparents had it, and I live in the Ozarks. Mitch Jayne writes a column for our local paper, the Current Wave, every week...of course, Swamp East Missouri accent is more like Tennessee; there's an interesting hillbilly words, "y'uns" (from "you ones") or "y'ins" that I've heard nowhere else in the US. Usage is "Y'ins meet us f'breakfast after mass" -- though there aren't many Catholics around here...;-D

Mitch Jayne writes wonderful stories, so does the Current Wave editor, Roger Dillon, in his column...I think Roger started the Eb and Flo stories, though I could be mistaken...

[Torie]

You are referring to the Yankee diaspora. But Chicago and Milwaukee have distinctive accents these days. I can actually pick them out quite well. Iowa has its own sound, although it is closer to the mean. Listen closely to Senator Grassley some day.

[mikrofon]

Hi MAF, good to hear from you ... 'been away for awhile due to various reasons, but trying to get back in the swing of things. ;^)

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

Good to hear. I don't have time to post as much as I used to and I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing tonight while I play on this thread, lol, but what a treat to see your name! :)

[Dan from Michigan]

Chicago is a little different. Wisconsin is too. I can usually pick up a Wisconsin one.

[Samwise]

It does in my book.

Whew! Thanks for posting--and you're a Texan too. I thought I was in an alternate universe or something.

[Torie]

The UP seems to have the Canadian pronounciation for "about" (aboot) and schedule (no k sound).

[Dan from Michigan]

The UP has it's own accent. "Say yah to da UP, eh?"

I think it's a mix of Wisconsin(More Western UP) and Canada(Northern Lower or Eastern UP)

[Ditter]

ann richards started calling Geo. Bush "Dubya" as an insult & to make fun of him but he didn't let it insult him & even refered to himself as Dubya a few times. He took the sting out, so to speak, but it definately was meant as an insult. That is why I would never call him Dubya. I call him PRESIDENT BUSH. ha! take that ma richards!

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Rush - I'd be willing to bet you have enough Georgia accent to cover the fact that your kids don't.........lol

I don't know what is happening to accents - I'm sure Cagey, being in New Jersey, has never had to deal with anyone saying he has an accent....... me either..........

[Cagey]

An Outsider in a small Texas town around Christmas time, saw a "Nativity Scene" that showed great skill and talent had gone into creating it. But one small feature was all wrong: the three wise men were wearing firemen's helmets. Totally unable to come up with a reason or explanation, he left. At a "Quik Stop" on the edge of town, he asked the lady behind the counter about the helmets. She exploded into a rage, yelling, "You darn Yankees never read your Bibles!" The Outsider assured her that he did, but simply couldn't recall anything about firemen in the Bible. She jerked her Bible from behind the counter and riffled through some pages, and finally jabbed her finger at a passage. Sticking it in the guys face she said, "See, it says right here, 'The three wise men came from afar.'"

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

See, it says right here, 'The three wise men came from afar.'"

Yes, she was right....what's your point? (lol...Great story Cagey!)