What is your Accent?

[havanaholly]

"a good bit" is farther than "right near" but closer than "'a long ways off". HTH

[blue_moon992]

???????? translations, please?

"jeet" used to mean "have you eaten?" as in, "it's time for lunch, jeet yet?"

i've heard "red up" to mean "wash" or "polish." and in some places in the US a "gum band" is that rubbery thing you used to bundle a newspaper or a ponytail, but durned if i've heard it used otherwise.

is "chipped ham" the same as "chipped beef?" is "yunz" like "you 'uns?" and is "pop" a carbonated beverage?? what the heck is jaggers, other than Mick's offspring?

information, please?

Okay, I'm a true Yankee. Born and raised in MI...moved to GA when I was 25.....I still get remarks cause I say 'pop'. It always starts a conversation, and I still think it's kinda funny the looks I get. Now, since I've been here 4 years, my family from home tell me that I am picking up the southern drawl, but not too bad yet

I still talk WAY to fast, and have to make a real effor to slow down...it's kinda funny.

I still wont say "fixin'" though.....unless something is broke and it needs fixing hehe

[Nameless1]

Total San Francisco-style accent here... all short vowels become schwas if not watched carefully, "human" is pronounced "yuman," "iron" is pronounced "iyern," and "wine" and "whine" sound exactly the same, as do "Mary," "merry," and "marry." We emote mightly but enunciate hardly at all.

Oh, and "yeahbut" is one word, functioning as an all-purpose transition.

Another way you tell a native Bay Area person from a post-1980 transplant to the region: we natives pronounce Spanish names as if they're English. The newbies try to talk Spanish. So my original burg of Modesto is "M'destuh" to me, but "Moh-days-toh" or "Moh-dess-toh" to newbies. You say "Awl-uh-may-duh," I say "Al-uh-mee-duh"... (The last few Californios (descendents of the original Spanish settlers) are probably appalled by both versions.)

[alycemina]

I am originally from outside New York City (about 25 miles) and lived in Boston in my 20's and now live in New Jersey (Northern, about 45 miles from NYC). I talk really really fast like everyone else from this region, but dont have an accent at all. No, I dont say pahk the car like the Bostonians, but park the car. I worked for a company in NYC that had its plants in Richmond Virgina and I do say 'you all' because if I didnt, those in Richmond would think I was a fast talking NY'er with no respect for the south. But that is the extent of any southern stuff. I went to school in New Hampshire and they had some interesting dialects and drawly sayings (eg "been better, been worse" when asked how they are).

NY and NJ seem to be the butt of a lot of accent jokes? (Of course, the accents are mostly from the boroughs in NY - Queens, Brooklyn, etc. and only certain parts of NJ- Northern NJ is just a place for a lot of people who work in NYC to live).

[newt]

I am from Michigan but now reside in South Carolina. As I work in retail, I have many customers that tell me I have an accent. I don't know. I do know that I pronounce words ALOT differently than my pure southern co-workers. One man says 'adder' instead of 'after' and a gal I know always says she is 'ill', but she is actually angry. If you ask for a coke here, you get asked, 'what drink?' because it seems all the different types of soft drinks are called 'coke' even if you want a sprite. Also, they don't realize that a 'pop' is also a 'coke' or a 'soda'. Man, it gets confusing. Oh, could someone please define 'a good bit' for me? It has something to do with distance, but after that, I just don't know. I think diversity is great as long as there is someone around to translate. :w00t:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

hey, miz judi! well, of course you have an accent! each of us does, even those TV newscasters who sound so bland have accents. and you Michigennuhs do, too. everbody has something distinctive about their way of talking.

alycemina, you're right, the NY/NJ accents are the butt of a lot of accent jokes, and so are southern accents. not fair, everybody's got Style!

ok, judi, call me crazy, but i'll bet that you sound as though you're from Michigan, so if you're in South Carolina then you have an accent.

here, try these translations and see if they help. First off, yes indeedie, a carbonated drink IS a "coke." Some older friends call coca-cola "dope," which is really confusing.

Nobody here drinks "pop" unless they're from the midwest and forgot where they are now. and "soda" is something used in baking. The other name for a carbonated beverage is "soft drink."

There is a drink called "tea." It is always cold and iced, and it is always sweetened. If that isn't what you want, ask for "unsweet tea."

if you don't get what you've ordered, be polite. Then when you tell about it, to note how polite you were, you add some negatives and some repetition.

Example: "I just wanted a glass of tea but that restaurant girl couldn't hardly get the order right. I just wanted a glass of tea!"

The word "ill" means irritated. When somebody is irked or annoyed, she is "ill."

Example: "That restaurant girl really didn't hardly understand how to serve a table and some of the customers got ill with her. One of them just about pitched a hissy and fell in it. Not us. I didn't get ill with her about it, bless her heart."

A word like "ill" may have many syllables. How something is pronounced varies by town and region, and the stronger the accent, the more the person is said to sound "country." There are some cool regional accents here, where people sound more Scots or Canadian and in the east they're referred to as High Tide talkers, or "Hoi Toiders."

The word "ugly" means "unpleasant." If a person is being really ill and loses her temper or is unkind, then she is being "ugly," as in, "Mom, my teacher was really ugly to me at school today."

When somebody is unwell, she is "puny." As in, "Barbara is a feeling a little puny today."

A puny person might "sleep in" (arise later than usual) and then stay around the house wearing "bedroom shoes" (slippers) and a "gown" (nightgown).

Some kindly friend might help the puny person by bringing something for her to eat from the buffet at the restaurant. This is referred to as "making a plate."

Example: Barbara, i'm down at the K and W Cafeteria getting lunch for Mama. Want me to make a plate for you, too?

If Barbara rallies, feels better and less puny, then she might decide to stir and go out. She would say, "I might could go out." We add verbs a lot.

Then Barbara would get dressed, put on some "britches" and then "leave out" of the house.

But she'd probably clean the house first, so that it will be acceptable, and not "nasty." Only a slack, sorry person keeps a nasty house.

The word "sorry" is sometimes used to mean "pathetic excuse for a human being." Example: Darla Jean lets those kids run wild and they're nasty. She is really sorry.

People in NC and SC don't go to the "market" or to "a store." Here, we go to "the (Fill in the Name) store." Example: I need to stop at the Winn-Dixie.

People who are dating might go to "the Movie." it seems to me that this Movie is always singular, doesn't matter if its a Cinemax Multiplex with 10 theatres and surround/dolby in each one.

Another idiom: A common writing tool is an Ink Pen. i don't know of any non-ink Pens.

oh, by the way, the words "pin" and "pen" are pronounced alike. the words "ginny" and "jenny" are pronounced alike.

Money: Paper money is kept in the wallet in order of denomination, with the dollar bill being visible and the larger value bills behind that. 5 pennies (also known as pinnies) are a nickel, and 10 pennies are a "dime." The silver coin known as a nickel is a "case nickel."

Nobody here seems to bake, but 'most everybody cooks. "Cook" is used instead of "bake." Example: "She cooked a birthday cake for her boss." And if her boss craves her baking (oops, wants her to cook for him), he'll say, "I have a taste for that Red Velvet cake, can you cook me another one?"

Printed matter: with the exception of newspapers, it seems that everything that's printed and bound is a "book." Example: She got the cake recipie out of the April edition of that Ladies Home Journal book.

Quantities: If there is a lot of something, there is right much of it.

Food names: there are loads of regional foods. There is a green leafy substance that is edible, called salad. It is sometimes used in salads. A salad is anything with iceburg lettuce or spinach and additional veggies and fruits. Or, plain iceberg lettuce also is called "salad." "Greens" are different. Those are kale, mustard greens, turnip greens (also called "turnips") or collard "greens" that are usually cooked with some smoked meat.

Food quantities: A large quantity is called a "mess." Example: Donna cooked a big mess of collards. Another example: Donna cooked a mess of biscuits.

Nobody ever makes a small mess or a medium mess. It's either a mess or a big mess.

The word "mess" may also refer to a person who's a bit of a character or rascal or jokester. Example: Larry's a mess, he made me laugh so hard i liked to die!

[LPCullen]

Ceasar loved your accent, he told me he could listen to you talk all day. You made quite an impression on the men here!

Naw. I think that was the wine, LOL!

[havanaholly]

Food names: there are loads of regional foods. There is a green leafy substance that is edible, called salad. It is sometimes used in salads. A salad is anything with iceburg lettuce or spinach and additional veggies and fruits. Or, plain iceberg lettuce also is called "salad." "Greens" are different. Those are kale, mustard greens, turnip greens (also called "turnips") or collard "greens" that are usually cooked with some smoked meat.

Of course this is purely a North Carolinian "thing", bless cj's heart. In N GA "salad" can also refer to the greens of the pokeweed, which I'm told can also be cooked & eaten like other greens (I was never in a big enough hurt to try them). Around here the pants you wear under your outer clothes are "draws" and I'm fixin' to quit pickin' on cj.

[prariegurl]

In N GA "salad" can also refer to the greens of the pokeweed, which I'm told can also be cooked & eaten like other greens

Now don't go tempting folks to try poke salad (boiled pokeweed leaves). The entire pokeweed plant in poisonous to mammals. To remove the toxins, the pokeweed leaves must be boiled three times. The toxins leach out into the water during the boiling, and the water must be discarded after each boiling. Even then, doctors say there could be enough toxin remaining to cause you trouble! For me to touch that, I would have to be dirt poor and in danger of starving to death before I would eat something that I must remove the poison from thrice, and even then it might not be safe! Even then, I would be hesitant!

Jeri

[havanaholly]

would have to be dirt poor and in danger of starving to death before I would eat something that I must remove the poison from thrice, and even then it might not be safe!

At the time a gentleman was asking the owner of the trailer park we were living in if he could pick some he was growing near the road, it was obvious that he met all of the above criteria.

[KathieB]

I'm in Chicago...and I don't have an accent...at least I don't think that I do...Now I have heard that there IS a Chicago accent...but I don't have it...think it's more of a Southside thing and I was born and raised on the Northside...pretty weird huh?

I grew up near Chicago, in Park Ridge. I never realized there was a Chicago accent until I moved away. Now, I can spot a Chicagoan after about 4 words, north or south side!

Recently, we were contacted by one of Lloyd's long lost cousins, who found us via our genealogy website. We communicated via email, and then she and I spoke on the phone. Had an email from her later saying that her daughter is really excited about adding new members to her family and wondered if I have a Southern accent. Paula told her I have the sweetest Southern accent anybody ever heard. Huh??? I think maybe sometimes the accent is in the ear of the listener more than the mouth of the speaker!

[abbie001]

mines odd i have basically a south east london accent but ive lived in the north of england since i was 5 so sometimes certain words come out in a northen accent (plus i say aigh constantly :s) but the london get stronger when i've been to visit my dads. x

[Esther]

I live in Michigan and have a northern-midwestern accent....if there is such a thing. I can hear accents from all over the country. I talk to people from all over every day in my job. I can usually identify where they grew up by their accent. Today was kind of funny though...I was talking to a southern gentleman from Georgia. Very pronounced southern accent. Then after I finished helping him, he said "thank you, my lady". That sounded so funny with a southern accent I had to stiffle the laugh until after I got off the phone.

I've lived in Philadelphia, North Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee besides Michigan, but Michigan is still home. My daughter, Nancy was born in Philly, but spent her "learning to talk" years in North Carolina. She still has a little bit of a southern accent when she says words like "mountain" and "down". I laugh at her about that every chance I get. Her husband is from Washington, east of Seattle. He tends to clip his words short. They've been married three years now, and she's starting to pick up some of his accent. She's saying "Baux" instead of "box". It causes me no end of merriment.

[Wolfie]

It's funny, I've been told I do not have an accent. No one can really tell where I am from. And here is why. I was born in Maine, ayup. I lived in Massachusetts where they say things like Bhaston. I lived in California in San Fernando Valley, and you know how those "valley gals" talk.....but I don't have an accent. The secret is that my parents gave me singing lessons from the time I was 6 until I was 23. Not just ordinary singing lessons. I was a mezzo soprano who loved opera. I had a lovely voice and was always singing in choirs and churches, and at social events and yes, even on the stage. Then I discovered rock and roll, and the downfall began. Finally in 1996 I developed a condition called GERD - and after the surgery on my throat my mezzo soprano singing voice was gone, all gone. I who would sing along with Domingo, with Pavarotti, and others on tapes and cassettes and DVD's can no longer warble. I croak. Case in point, you can't tell by listening to me where I am from as due to the singing lessons, I have no accent whatsoever.

Wolfie

[grazhina]

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, but I don't have a Philly accent. I watched a documentary about the way Americans speak and they said that the basic midwestern American accent has its roots in Philadelphia. The only time anyone ever asked me where I was from was in Philly. The man said I had an accent and wondered where I came from, cause I didn't sound like a native Philadelphian.. It seems I must have picked up a touch of western during my two years in Tucson. He said that was what he was hearing.

DH is from the Pittsburgh area and everyone always asks where he's from. It's not a REAL strong burgh type accent, but it's enough to brand him as a fellah who's from awaay. (Mainish talk, I'm not too good at writing it.)

I'm good at accents. If I've heard it enough, I'm told I mimic it pretty well. I never manage more that a sentence or phrase at a time in Mainish, though. Too easy to confuse it with other yankee accents.

[Shy Spirit]

Finally in 1996 I developed a condition called GERD - and after the surgery on my throat my mezzo soprano singing voice was gone, all gone. I who would sing along with Domingo, with Pavarotti, and others on tapes and cassettes and DVD's can no longer warble. I croak.

Wolfie

Gina, that's so sad .... it must have been heartbreaking for you - and your parents. What does GERD stand for? Did it also affect your speaking voice?

[Katieface]

I have a Southern drawl...I talk really slow compared to Yanks and I say muhself, jeet, dunno, yallz, pop, far (fire), bob war (barbed wire), my r's sound like a pirate, (pahrit) and I've never been asked where I'm from. I've also heard people say warsh, to my shame. But because my mom is from Ohio and my dad is a fourth generation Oklahoman, it depends on who I'm talking to, and how tired I am, how thick my accent is. I don't know if that made sense or not lol but when I'm with my dad or my great grandparents it comes out reeeallly bad. People look at me funny when I tell them I don't like fried okra. I have never tried a calf fry, but I know someone who has, and I know what they are. I have ridden horses bareback. I can correctly pronounce Gotebo, Eufala, and Okemah. And I can tell the difference between a cow and a horse from a distance.

*stands up* Hi. My name is Katie, and I'm an Okie.

[madhatter]

Grew up in Canada, so I guess i speek canadian. LOL

jenn

[Shy Spirit]

I have never tried a calf fry, but I know someone who has, and I know what they are. .

I have never tried a calf fry, I don't know someone who has, and I don't know what they are.

What are they?

[Jokelly]

'Jeet jet means did you eat and the answer is usualy no,j'ew?

Redd up means to clean your room or house,

A gum band is a rubber band or an "elastic" I heard it called some where else.

Yunz means all of you

Chipped ham is baked ham sliced tissue paper thin and then chopped to make it even finer, makes the best sammitche you ever et. Sitting on the cahch watchin the Stillers play football dahntahn, eating a chipped ham sammitche and drinking an Arn (Iron City Beer) is a great way to spend a Sundy here in the 'Burgh.

Jagger bushes are wild bushes full of thorns, like a rose bush.

Another one I just thought of is worsh, as in go worsh your hands

I guess we do have an accent here!

*Shakes head in agreement* Yes, we really do talk like this in Southwestern PA. We have a lot of ethnic influence in our speech. Redd is a real word that is still used in parts of Scotland and Ireland. I have a crick outside my house, not a creek, and I get water from a spicket, not a spigot. We also like to truncate most words if we can. We go to the Norsigh (North Side) or Sahsigh (South Side) and our roads in winter aren't slippery, but slippy.

And if someone ever tells you "Kennywood's Open" you better check the zipper on our jeans because your fly is unzipped.

For more on our Pittsburgh accent go to Pittsburghese

[grazhina]

Dh uses all of the above except for redd up, which by the way is also used in central PAS from what I've read and he has never ever used warsh. I've never heard warsh in Greensburg.

I had a neighbor there who used to say "she was walkin down the hee-ul to the store."

[Katieface]

Calf fries come from boy calves, and for some reason they're bright orange. That's all I'll say.

There is a drink called "tea." It is always cold and iced, and it is always sweetened. If that isn't what you want, ask for "unsweet tea."

If you're in Oklahoma, you want iced tea or sweet tea. Y'all want sweet tea?

Plural for y'all in my hometown - Y'alls

I also tend to pick up other's accents when I'm with them long enough. Unfortuately, most of the people I come in contact with are southern-ish. I used to say cry....now I say crah.