What Accent? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

MTI · #1 09-18-2014, 01:56 PM

If You

Don't all the unused Rs just enter the atmosphere, drift to the southwest and rain down in Texas, where they find their way into words like "wash?"

and as a side note . . . this is a little gem.

http://www.movoto.com/blog/opinions/il-funny/

SwampYankee · #2 09-18-2014, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTI

If You

Don't all the unused Rs just enter the atmosphere, drift to the southwest and rain down in Texas, where they find their way into words like "wash?"

and as a side note . . . this is a little gem.

If You

I think it's kinda sad that we're losing regional accents. Even in central and northern Maine (A-yuh country), accents are pretty much limited to the old timers. Although there's no doubt that incorrect assumption are often made based on them.

There used to be a difference even within a small state such as CT. SW CT was NY-ish without being a NY accent and SE CT was RI-ish without being a RI accent. My wife is from the Housatonic River Valley in CT, and let's just say you can always tell when someone is from the valley. Central CT was the only part of the state without an accent!

My mom, who grew up in Stamford, threw R's into some words. Not real sure where they came from.

I suppose it's a combination of us getting more mixed and accentless voices on the radio, tv and internet.

Benzasaurus · #3 09-19-2014, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

I think it's kinda sad that we're losing regional accents. Even in central and northern Maine (A-yuh country), accents are pretty much limited to the old timers. Although there's no doubt that incorrect assumption are often made based on them.

There used to be a difference even within a small state such as CT. SW CT was NY-ish without being a NY accent and SE CT was RI-ish without being a RI accent. My wife is from the Housatonic River Valley in CT, and let's just say you can always tell when someone is from the valley. Central CT was the only part of the state without an accent!

My mom, who grew up in Stamford, threw R's into some words. Not real sure where they came from.

I suppose it's a combination of us getting more mixed and accentless voices on the radio, tv and internet.

The valley accent is something special. But then the valley is something special.
Been to Heavenly Donuts in Derby? They have a car show every Sunday.

SwampYankee · #4 09-20-2014, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzasaurus

The valley accent is something special. But then the valley is something special.
Been to Heavenly Donuts in Derby? They have a car show every Sunday.

Absolutely! Stopped there many a time after visiting the in-laws.

t walgamuth · #5 09-19-2014, 02:05 AM

We always used to say warsh at home. i have broken myself of now. I cannot seem to shake the habit of saying acrost for across and a few other things....plus probably a whole lot more that I am completely unaware of.

Skippy · #6 09-19-2014, 07:31 AM

I knew a guy from West Virginia who used to get ideals instead of ideas. I had a professor in college from Boston. He'd do impressions of different presidents but they all sounded like Kennedy.

I've heard that one of the signs you might be an army brat is that you can imitate accents easily and that your own is impossible to place. I just might be an army brat.

Botnst · #7 09-19-2014, 08:00 AM

Mrs B and I are both military brats. She absorbs accents (not mimic). It takes her a couple of weeks or a few months and she sounds like a local. I don't mimic and I don't absorb accents. But I used to be damned good at detecting regional and often local accents. I suspect that the reasons I'm not as good at it as I once was is that people move so much, TV & radio normalize pronunciation, and my hearing is naturally aging where one loses high pitch. I hear lower frequencies just fine. But little girls are beginning to be hard to understand.

SwampYankee · #8 09-19-2014, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Botnst

Mrs B and I are both military brats. She absorbs accents (not mimic). It takes her a couple of weeks or a few months and she sounds like a local. I don't mimic and I don't absorb accents. But I used to be damned good at detecting regional and often local accents. I suspect that the reasons I'm not as good at it as I once was is that people move so much, TV & radio normalize pronunciation, and my hearing is naturally aging where one loses high pitch. I hear lower frequencies just fine. But little girls are beginning to be hard to understand.

But you could understand them at one point? I can't understand them now!

My late uncle, who was a Navy pilot, never did pick up any local accents with all of his moves. He was very proud of the fact that he was able to maintain his central CT accent/lack of one despite living in Maine for 35+ years.

elchivito · #9 09-19-2014, 08:03 PM

"Technically we're all half centaur". Perfect!

I've always been an accent fan. I tend to automatically switch out depending on circumstances. I get my spanglish on when family's around and without thinking about it will switch to AZ-NM bubba - which is sort of midwest influenced west texas- at the feed store. I betcha Bot you don't sound the same at some work meeting as you do at a Zydeco beer joint.

Adriel · #10 09-20-2014, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elchivito

I've always been an accent fan. I tend to automatically switch out depending on circumstances. I get my spanglish on when family's around and without thinking about it will switch to AZ-NM bubba - which is sort of midwest influenced west texas- at the feed store. I betcha Bot you don't sound the same at some work meeting as you do at a Zydeco beer joint.

What is this "AZ-NM bubba" more exactly? I have lived out here four years I.I.R.C., and for us gringos, I don't notice any accent. But from somewhere according to some family back home I have a slight Texas accent, especially if tired and almost guaranteed if I am talking or been to my Brother or his wife, who have a Southern drawl (I am not that bad!).

I grew up in the Sandy Eggo area, and there wasn't an accent per say, as a lot of folks were not natives of the area. But, for the natives there was a slight difference between the coast and the east.

Accents are strange creatures. Sometimes understandable and sometimes not. Sometimes can be absorbed and/or removed, or they never change.

Something funny. After living with Arab room mates a few months, I was speaking decent Queen's English!

Not sure how come I can't get it back though...

Mölyapina · #11 09-20-2014, 06:46 PM

Actually, around here the dropped "R"s just end up in other words, like Marthar and ideer (idea).

elchivito · #12 09-20-2014, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adriel

What is this "AZ-NM bubba" more exactly? I have lived out here four years I.I.R.C., and for us gringos, I don't notice any accent.

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.

Adriel · #13 09-20-2014, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elchivito

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.

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 .

elchivito · #14 09-21-2014, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adriel

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 .

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.

elchivito · #15 09-19-2014, 08:05 PM

And BTW, even after two of my own, when were little girls ever easy to understand???