Do you have a strong regional accent?

[imperfect_cupcake]

I have a mess of an accent. Several places.

But, I have a low, husky tone, FM radio announcer type voice (one of my exes said it's similar to Kathleen Turner's) with punctuated upper middle class articulate pronunciations (theatric, I suppose) and a soft hint of London that floats in and out as I speak.

When I had been in the UK for ten years my accent was so baffling to people they could not tell where the hell I was from. I got asked if I was scottish, australian, welsh, New Zealand.... ?

Amused the hell out of me.

[Corkey]

Not generally, but I do pick them up depending on where I live. Hawaii was a freeking trip... in a good way. Now I don't say y'ouse but I hear it a lot.

[stargazingboi]

OK...sooo I've been told I have an accent. I've been told it's abrasive *shrugs* I don't see it...do you?

[Amulette]

I find it interesting how anyone outside "our" region sounds different, and that "ours" is normal. And how there can be layers of both cultural and region speech patterns that mix.Throw in the ability to speak more than one language and and the layers deepen. Such a varied field of flowers, us humans.

[randrum]

I've been told I have a Chicago accent. Personally, I don't think I do. But I think it's harder to recognize an accent in yourself than hearing it in other people. A good friend of mine always makes me repeat the word "quarter". Apparently I say it funny.

What I do notice more is the slang and colloquialisms I have a tendency to use. Like sitting in the "front room", wearing "gym shoes", and drinking "pop".

[Daniela]

Originally Posted by randrum

I've been told I have a Chicago accent. Personally, I don't think I do. But I think it's harder to recognize an accent in yourself than hearing it in other people. A good friend of mine always makes me repeat the word "quarter". Apparently I say it funny.

What I do notice more is the slang and colloquialisms I have a tendency to use. Like sitting in the "front room", wearing "gym shoes", and drinking "pop".

It's interesting to hear the different colloquialisms people use.

People often say "cut the lights off," instead of "turn the lights off," in GA. I have a friend from St Louis who said she never heard someone say "shot a bird" instead of "flip a bird." Of course everyone drinks Coke, so there is no "pop."

[Rockinonahigh]

I have a mix of Italian,cajun and southern drawl,understandable ??Ask Fever.

[homoe]

Being born and raised in Upper Michigan I never heard pop called Soda till I moved to the big city of Milwaukee

Another thing they said in the city that I'd never heard of "we're going to go by so and so's" I never understood why they said "by" instead of "to" so and so's I mean to me going by someone's place meant to just drive by not stop and visit!

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by stargazingboi

OK...sooo I've been told I have an accent. I've been told it's abrasive *shrugs* I don't see it...do you?

To say someone's accent is "abrasive" seems oppressive to me. Maybe classist, definitely regionalist. Some accents are "deeper," in my opinion, than others—more thoroughly immersed in the way of speaking in a certain region. Why is that a bad thing? An "abrasive" thing?

My dad had a different accent than I do. He had a masculine, upbeat, Texan twang. He was the only person in my world with that accent. I can still hear it. I channel his encouraging words.

I went to an Ivy League graduate school and there, for the first time in my life, people corrected my pronunciation of certain words (for example, I would say IN-sur-ance, not in-SUR-ance) and grammar. Some constructions, like "lay" and "lie" will never come naturally to me, but I know how to do it right.

When I'm with my sister, I don't bother self-correcting.

[Trev]

One particular conversation comes to mind when I read the title of this thread. I was asked during this conversation, "can you repeat that without your accent?" I actually thought for a moment to Myself if that was possible. After I was finished laughing, because she was darn cute and serious about it, I did try. You'll never take the country out of this good ole boy.

So, I will defer to Ms. Candelion, who can answer this better than Myself.

[Candelion]

Originally Posted by Trev

One particular conversation comes to mind when I read the title of this thread. I was asked during this conversation, "can you repeat that without your accent?" I actually thought for a moment to Myself if that was possible. After I was finished laughing, because she was darn cute and serious about it, I did try. You'll never take the country out of this good ole boy.

So, I will defer to Ms. Candelion, who can answer this better than Myself.

It's slower and thicker than molasses in January. His accent, that is.

[grenade]

Originally Posted by Ginger

To say someone's accent is "abrasive" seems oppressive to me. Maybe classist, definitely regionalist. Some accents are "deeper," in my opinion, than others—more thoroughly immersed in the way of speaking in a certain region. Why is that a bad thing? An "abrasive" thing?

I'm the someone who found and still finds it abrasive at times.

It's the harshness, the bluntness. It's foreign to me. It's been explained to me numerous times and I certainly try to not take it personally. Sometimes, I try and fail. It is what it is.

I grew up in Kansas and Texas. I grew up with slow drawls, "honey, sugar, and baby". "Yes, ma'am" and "where y'all headed?" Life here is slow paced and laid back.

It's more of a cultural difference issue than one of oppression.

[cinnamongrrl]

Seeing how I'm Massachusetts born and bred, people expect me to have a strong accent. I have to explain that I grew up in western and central Mass, anf only out further east do you really get THAT accent...

But everyone who is from here knows that I'm from "away" as they say in New England. And not even so much by my accent but by how fast I talk. That's a New England trait I'm not likely to lose lol

[imperfect_cupcake]

I found some enlgish accents to be hard on my ears. I *hate* plummy accents, they make my brain curl. And all the different dutch accents, I loved amsterdam the most - hard, and guttural with sharp edges but everything is sweet and diminutive lol. But I dislike "RP" (properly announciated and upper class educated style) dutch. It sounds like they have a piece of cheese stuck in the back of their throat.

Some accents will sound pleasing and lovely to a listener's ear. I loved West Country UK accents the best. Then south east working class London, then Geordie and Yorkshire accents. But plummy makes me want to pull my ears off.
There is nothing wrong with the people who have those accents.

I also can't stand certain kinds of music because it hurts my ears, the way it jangles in my brain. Doesn't mean they are crap musicians. I love accents many people hate. Some people probably don't like the sound of mine. In fact, having been a foreigner, I know they don't. I've been told. Oh well.