Four whole years, wow!! How many multi-generational, rural AZ natives are you around on a daily basis? No more than a few I'll wager if even that many. Go out into to some rural areas and talk to some born and bred ranch people. You'll discover a distinctive twang. I described it the best I could. It's very much like west Texas or southern NM, but has distinct midwestern hints. Lots of early AZ settlers were midwesterners. It's sort of Texas without the y'all. Or something.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

Well, see, must be once again a difference between the not so school educated rural folks and the more school educated urban/suburban dwellers (rural folk have a different kind of education that is required for their climate and the same for the other end). The urban/suburban are transient compared to the rural, which would have the multi-generational long enough to create an accent. Four years is a long time to be somewhere that has a mostly transient population. According to most states, only takes a year to be a resident, which to me means Arizonian; I am not a Californian!

Did a good bit of research, found a map of dialects, stating Southwest, which includes Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas, just as you said. That lead to this: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130717103534AAdTlmS

Took this test and gave a bit of a mixed result, but basically Central Valley where my Oma is from: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/20/sunday-review/dialect-quiz-map.html .

__________________
Current fleet:

1985 Mercedes-Benz 280TE - Waiting for heart surgery.

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT - Rear ended 23 September 2016 and now looking for a new home.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD - Parted out.

1964 Volkswgen Beetle - Vater's since September 1968 and undergoing a restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Sunroof Squareback with F.I. - in need of full restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Squareback automatic with F.I. - Vacationing with her caretaker until he is in better health.

In Nevada you become a Nevadan about the time you take the California plates off your car. I've probably met 20 people in Nevada who were actually born here.

Interesting quiz. On some of the questions a "check all" option would have been nice since I use different terms at times. My results:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/20/sunday-review/dialect-quiz-map.html?r=0220444018000060101009

People generally can't guess where I'm from based on my accent. The closest anyone's come to naming it specifically is "eastern".

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Then I am not a Nevadan quite yet. And I was born in San Francisco, CA.

I think you are correct, as my fiancee told me if all the Californians living in Nevada went away , all that'd be left here in Gardnerville would be the sheep.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Californians are Californians because they are from California. Arizonans are Arizonans because they are from Arizona. Commit that to memory if you want to be one.

__________________
You're a daisy if you do.
__________________________________
84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

So what exactly does from mean? Never mention I was Earthly born there? I was Heavenly born from the Rio Salado, so...

In California, either you are born there or lived there for 25 years to be a native. That doesn't seem to be the case here.

B.T.W., going to be listening for accent at Church. I know the fellow from Illinois has a definite Midwestern accent, kind of mush mouth.

Oh and if I am questioning too much, I am sorry. Apparently I.T.N.J.s are the worst at it and trying to change that.

__________________
Current fleet:

1985 Mercedes-Benz 280TE - Waiting for heart surgery.

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT - Rear ended 23 September 2016 and now looking for a new home.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD - Parted out.

1964 Volkswgen Beetle - Vater's since September 1968 and undergoing a restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Sunroof Squareback with F.I. - in need of full restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Squareback automatic with F.I. - Vacationing with her caretaker until he is in better health.

It means it's incorrect to refer to people from Arizona as Arizonians. We're Arizonans. Spelling counts. Quiz tomorrow.

__________________
You're a daisy if you do.
__________________________________
84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

Got it! Well, guess then told wrong... Good to know and thank you!

B.T.W., now that I am listening, I do hear a very little drawl. Guess now I realize I didn't hear an accent since I was hearing it all the time and got used to it. Might explain where I get my slight drawl from...

__________________
Current fleet:

1985 Mercedes-Benz 280TE - Waiting for heart surgery.

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT - Rear ended 23 September 2016 and now looking for a new home.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD - Parted out.

1964 Volkswgen Beetle - Vater's since September 1968 and undergoing a restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Sunroof Squareback with F.I. - in need of full restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Squareback automatic with F.I. - Vacationing with her caretaker until he is in better health.

As a South African it always amuses me to hear yanks talking about having no accents.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Yes, because y'all have an accent thick as whipping cream!

See how it is a matter of perspective?

__________________
Current fleet:

1985 Mercedes-Benz 280TE - Waiting for heart surgery.

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT - Rear ended 23 September 2016 and now looking for a new home.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD - Parted out.

1964 Volkswgen Beetle - Vater's since September 1968 and undergoing a restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Sunroof Squareback with F.I. - in need of full restoration.

1971 Volkswagen Squareback automatic with F.I. - Vacationing with her caretaker until he is in better health.

That is precisely my point. Everybody has accents. To someone from outside the US you all have exceptionally noticable accents. Even the modern "valley" standard American TV presenter type.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

__________________

1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)