For a forum of sleep deprived people, we get along well

[Kharris]

Well I"m a native Californian too, but I'm not saying a thing about talking normally lol. And as far as accents go I think southern accents are the easiest to just fall into whether you're from there or not.

Now ya'll wait a cotton pickin minute.
I am from the south, and I talk purty good, I even have a high school
edjimication. I only took 6 years to get through high school, so I had to
learn sumpthin, right,
As a Tennesseean, I will have you know that Texas and Oklahoma
aren't southern states. Arkansas ...........maybe, but its really on the
wrong side of the big river

We have an office in Buffalo NY, and about once a week I will get a call
to our Nashville office so someone can hear my accent. That's
when I lay it on thick as molasses on a frosty morning.

[gasp]

Yeah -- accents are fun. I'm a "mimmick" - my ex said I should have been a linguist because I'm so anal about correct pronunciation and accents.
I'm a native Californian (one of the few that are left -- most have been smart enough to leave!!!! ), but I lived with guys from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas while I was in the service and to this day if I get into a bunch of southerners I fall right back into the accent -- and it's hardly "natural".....As we all know, Californians are the ones that don't have an accent and talk normally

cheers
goose

When I moved away from California, I was spotted for a Californian right away. People told me I talked like someone from California. I wasn't even native and was wide-eyed at how anyone could tell. I asked if it was the words I used and nobody ever could explain how they could tell. I also talk Southern when around people that do but I think that comes from being around it so much when growing up. I'd love to know what it is like to be from another culture and hear what an American accent sounds like.

[goose]

Ha!!! Spoken like a true southerner!!!!
Yeah - the guys from Texas didn't like being referred to as southern either....

Funny -- I'm a native here in California, so to me, Nevada is in the east

cheers
goose

[dieselgal]

I am from Texas and have traveled throughout the states. Once when I lived in Denver people use to say that I sounded like the people in the show "Dallas" That was a prime time show at the time. You can speak to 20 Americans in different areas and have a different sound each time. Sometimes it isn't so much about the accent as it is about the phrasing or words we use differently. Such as: At the store here I would ask you if you want that in a sack? In New Jersey they use to look at me strangely and say a what? Do you mean a bag?

My husband is from what use to be Rhodesia and people really get confused here in Texas by his accent. The problem is that he has been here in Texas for so long that his accent is a mixture and he sounds kind of different.

[goose]

When I travel people usually peg me for California also. What does a Californian sound like??? I can do a pretty good "Valley accent" if I'm forced!!!!

Despite popular belief, we don't all hang out at the beach and surf every day (though I have to admit to surfing up until a few years ago......).....

I love to travel and listen to the "locals" talk. I'll generally try to know at least a few words in the local language -- if nothing else, to be able to find food. I'm also very anal about speaking a language properly -- drives me nuts when people butcher a language.....

cheers
goose

[lilsheba]

I am from Texas and have traveled throughout the states. Once when I lived in Denver people use to say that I sounded like the people in the show "Dallas" That was a prime time show at the time. You can speak to 20 Americans in different areas and have a different sound each time. Sometimes it isn't so much about the accent as it is about the phrasing or words we use differently. Such as: At the store here I would ask you if you want that in a sack? In New Jersey they use to look at me strangely and say a what? Do you mean a bag?

*snip*

We say bag here in the Northwest too ya foreigner Just kidding...but another object that gets called two different things like that are soft drinks....some say pop and some say soda. This is an area that tends to call it pop.

I've also been told I sound like I'm from California...because of the choices of words I use. As far as accents go I have no accent as far as I'm concerned it's flat.

[Wulfman...]

And, growing up just about smack dab in the middle of the country.....nobody can figger you out.
The folks up North ask "What part of the South are you from?" and the folks down South say "Y'all talk funny up there."

Maybe that's why so many radio and TV announcers seem to come from there.

I also used to travel to various parts of the country and the various accents fascinated me, too.

Den

[Slinky]

Well, my hubby is a Maine-iac and he stopped by in Michigan whilst he was intending to drive his "cah" to "Cuber" to do Castro in. I convinced him to stay in Michigan and learn to talk like the educated, well spoken, TV network newscasters did.

[j.a.taylor]

Well, my hubby is a Maine-iac and he stopped by in Michigan whilst he was intending to drive his "cah" to "Cuber" to do Castro in. I convinced him to stay in Michigan and learn to talk like the educated, well spoken, TV network newscasters did.

That's right, we all know that we Michigan people don't have accents, so stop telling us that we're talking through our nose.

As for Maine, my sister just moved back from there. I remember a couple of years ago when she and her then boyfriend were visiting. It took me forever to understand what he was saying. I thought he was saying "I just bought me a holly," which made no sense to me until I realized he was really saying, "I just bought me a HARLEY."

[msheda]

That's right, we all know that we Michigan people don't have accents, so stop telling us that we're talking through our nose.

I have Made in Detroit Stamped on my Rear, but after slowly working my way south via Indy and SC, then doing a midnight border crossing into FL (I had to sneak, I'm not 65 yet) I have no idea what accent I have wound up with.

Except that I keep seeing the word hoser and thinking Take Off eh?

And I miss seeing Red Green!

[msheda]

And I miss Stroh's Ice Cream.

Luckily I can still get Vernors Down here though.

[j.a.taylor]

And I miss Stroh's Ice Cream.

Luckily I can still get Vernors Down here though.

I've imported many a case of Vernors in the trunk of my car, when traveling to other parts of the country.

[Slinky]

And hubby keeps stashes of Canada Dry. Vernor's is too strong for him. He doesn't like the "bite". He also grabs every can of Habitant Pea soup off the shelves when he can find it.

Me? I like my Scrapple when I can get back to Chester, PA. And the fiddleheads when we get back to Maine.

[goose]

WOW!!!!

You can still get real Vernors??????? Not that new watered down "Vernors Ginger Soda"....the real Ginger Ale???? In the dark green can??? I was beginning to think they didn't make it anymore......I'm so relieved

For some reason we can't seem to get the real thing here in California anymore (at least nowhere I've been able to find)....just the wimp stuff that's apparently been watered down..... I'll have to figure out a way to inexpensively import a few cases....

cheers
goose