PLEASE SHARE YOUR ACCENT - Page 8

wagirl · ‎03-09-2010

no accent --am in WA state

StylishLady2 · ‎01-07-2023

Before I got married in 1963 I lived most of my life in Prescott Ontario, across the St.Lawrene River from Ogdensburg NY. Guess I never had much of the sterotypical Canadian accent. I met DH as he was living in Ogdensburg. Love at first sight.

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

That is so interesting that other areas say "elastics" for rubber bands. Elastics is also the term used in Canada, and I would have almost sworn that it was the only place using that-- but clearly, I was wrong.

I especially enjoy the Philadelphia accent, since I've had some good friends from there. One had a neat way of saying the name "Eric", who was another friend of ours-- rather than "Air ic", it was more like "Urr ic". I never asked her if that was particularly Philadelphian or not. And her "o" sounds were short, as in "dawn". I think she would say something close to "dohn", almost "doan" maybe. (Not sure how to write that sound.)

Another Philly friend visited Toronto, and used to get cracked up by the way Torontonians say "coffee". To her ear it sounds amusingly like "cah fee", very broad. Again, I think she says it with a shorter "o" sound , but I don't quite know how to write that phonetically....

Love all your stories.

gizmogal · ‎05-09-2014

@Mersha wrote:
@gizmogal wrote:
Born in Brooklyn, still living in Brooklyn at age 75. For those not sure about that location, that's Noo Yawk. Most people do understand me when I tawk. If they don't, I just fuhgeddaboutit.

@gizmogal My DIL's family grew up in Brooklyn.

The thing I notice them doing is on words that end in "a," they pronounce them "er."

Ida is Ider
Donna is Donner
Brenda is Brender

Do most people do that or are they unique?

That speech quirk is common, but not a universal expression of the final short a sound. I would say Ida like most people, as Iduh, Donnuh, Brenduh. But I've heard that "er" ending you noted, replacing the short a. Just doesnt seem to be what I hear most often.

if it's worth a laugh, lots of us with that accent pronounce the "er" sound like the "uh"! Paper is papuh, water is wawtuh ( or wawduh--t sounds are often dentalized to more of a d sound!) and laughter could be lafftuh. The r gets dropped!

Here and there I've traveled around America and many folks have been amused to hear me speak and often suggest words for me to say so they can hear it with my accent. Just saying Noo Yawk can bring out guffaws. I take it the right way: "Dey don't mean nuttin by it".

Mersha · ‎03-10-2010

@gizmogal Thank you for your explanation!

"My desire to be well informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane."

shoesnbags · ‎03-10-2010

Great thread! I speak Noo Awlins Yat. When we've traveled anywhere English-speaking we are always pegged as being from Brooklyn, with good reason. Like @gizmogal we say papuh, wahduh, and lafftuh.

But we also say soft drink instead of pop or soda, which was a choice Babel didn't even list. And mayonnaise is mynez in NOLA dialect, another choice that Babel didn't even list.

Hubs grew up in the suburbs while I grew up in the heart of the city and I sometimes had to explain a word or expression to him after we were married.

One thing we absolutely don't do is talk with a Southern drawl, as is the case in so many movies and tv shows. Natives find that hysterical.

"Breathe in, breathe out, move on." Jimmy Buffett

shoesnbags · ‎03-10-2010

@Oznell

I forgot to answer your question! I pronounce Mary and merry alike, but marry is different. Caught and cot are very different, too.

"Breathe in, breathe out, move on." Jimmy Buffett

beach-mom · ‎03-09-2010

@Oznell wrote:

I especially enjoy the Philadelphia accent, since I've had some good friends from there. One had a neat way of saying the name "Eric", who was another friend of ours-- rather than "Air ic", it was more like "Urr ic". I never asked her if that was particularly Philadelphian or not. And her "o" sounds were short, as in "dawn". I think she would say something close to "dohn", almost "doan" maybe. (Not sure how to write that sound.)

Another Philly friend visited Toronto, and used to get cracked up by the way Torontonians say "coffee". To her ear it sounds amusingly like "cah fee", very broad. Again, I think she says it with a shorter "o" sound , but I don't quite know how to write that phonetically....

Love all your stories.

@Oznell - This is so interesting! As soon as I read this post I had to laugh. I have a good friend who married "Urr-ic." I always thought it was just the way she alone said it. She was born and raised north of Philly!

ETA: The first test I took was Babbel. I'm glad to hear others had trouble with it too! I can't remember the second one. It wasn't very detailed. I would love to find a detailed one.

I've always been fascinated by accents. When I studied in France and visited Carcassonne, they told us we would not understand the French spoken there. They were right!

My friend's husband was from Caen in NW France. He came over with her not knowing much English. He learned some by watching game shows! She took him to Montreal for their first anniversary, thinking he would enjoy being somewhere he could hear and speak the language. He couldn't understand the French they spoke there!

Harpa · ‎03-10-2010

@PhilaLady1

All's Well That Ends Well

We're in good company!

KBEANS · ‎06-08-2020

@Oznell

"According to Mel Blanc, the character's original voice actor, Bugs Bunny has a Flatbush accent, an equal blend of the Bronx and Brooklyn dialects."

I don't think that accent is contagious these days. That's a good thing. 😝 I hate my accent.