[Rock Climber]

Scroll down to the second video on this page for lots of talking, accent-rich uncut footage. (the first video is only a short newscast cut).

I was watching this newscast and thought of CD accent threads a couple of weeks ago. These young men and this coach are all "native" speakers of the prevalent western Arkansas accent, which isn't a drawl, and not quite as "hard" as an Appalachian/upland south accent. It has a lot more "twang" and is very similar to a native rural "Texas accent". Think a rural version of Matt McConaughey. The eastern parts of this state sound much more "deep south" with pronouned "Os", like Oohhh, I Knoohhhwww.." The western half tends to sound more like Texas.

Post examples of "Arkansas" accents you find interesting.

Accents are fun.

Scroll down the page to the second video, "Waldron Season Preview":

May Brings Old Style, New Attitude To Waldron | Fort Smith/Fayetteville News | 5newsonline KFSM 5NEWS

[Rock Climber]

Here's an upland, north central Arkansas "Ozarks" accent. A little "harder" and little more abrupt and harder on the "Rs". Very similar to some Appalachian accents, but with a little bit more "southern" sound.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2HQyeJYKwM

[songinthewind7]

Yayyyyy, he says pecan correctly. I say pretty much the same thing he does. Raised by a Missouri dad and Georgia mom.
I do not have a heavy accent by far but I've been told by some New Mexicans here that I do have an accent but I don't think I do.

[Old Fossil]

I can't add anything to the subject, but would like to tell a true story. When I returned from the Korea War in 1951 my first job was as a trouble shooter for a civil engineer company and traveled all over the country. I spent quite a bit of time "up north" and the first thing I learned about the locals was that the girls "loved" my southern accent . So, I laid it on thick. By the time I got back to Arkansas I talked so slow that my folks could hardly understand me . Got me lots of dates up there but down here they thought I was retarded .

[songinthewind7]

Originally Posted by Old Fossil

I can't add anything to the subject, but would like to tell a true story. When I returned from the Korea War in 1951 my first job was as a trouble shooter for a civil engineer company and traveled all over the country. I spent quite a bit of time "up north" and the first thing I learned about the locals was that the girls "loved" my southern accent . So, I laid it on thick. By the time I got back to Arkansas I talked so slow that my folks could hardly understand me . Got me lots of dates up there but down here they thought I was retarded .

You crack me up. That's hilarious.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by Old Fossil

I can't add anything to the subject, but would like to tell a true story. When I returned from the Korea War in 1951 my first job was as a trouble shooter for a civil engineer company and traveled all over the country. I spent quite a bit of time "up north" and the first thing I learned about the locals was that the girls "loved" my southern accent . So, I laid it on thick. By the time I got back to Arkansas I talked so slow that my folks could hardly understand me . Got me lots of dates up there but down here they thought I was retarded .

This is so true, especially if you move somewhere out of the South with an enclave of Southerners. I moved out West and worked with many people from Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, and Arkansas. It's almost like being outside of the South solidified the Southern tendencies more than when actually lives in the South.

Seemed like our accents got worse because when I came home I got the same reaction you did. Had to tone it down a bit.

[gemstone1]

When I moved to AR in 1975, I went to the local DMV in Malvern to register our vehicles...not ve-hickles, went up to the counter, the clerk asks for my re-gis-ter-raaaa-shun note the five syllables (wish I could add the accent)...I said excuse me ?..she repeated...so did I...finally she blurts out yer pink slip....oh.

Moving up to the Ozarks, a neighbor was naming some trees...that's a red oak, that's a white oak...and you just cut the largest persimmon in these parts for fire wood...and that is an el-lum....I politely asked if that was the same as an elm tree.....no was the reply, that is a different tree....and this one is a slippery el-lum. Never knew you could get 2 syllables out of 3 letters. I used that slippery elm many times to get some the inner bark for chewing to relieve a sore throat....For those who have never tried it, and thought that boiled okra was slimy...try slippery elm the next time you get a sore throat so bad you can hardly swallow. It can be found in tablet form...Thayers Slippery Elm.

Regards
Gemstone1

[edmiii]

Originally Posted by gemstone1

When I moved to AR in 1975, I went to the local DMV in Malvern to register our vehicles...not ve-hickles, went up to the counter, the clerk asks for my re-gis-ter-raaaa-shun note the five syllables (wish I could add the accent)...I said excuse me ?..she repeated...so did I...finally she blurts out yer pink slip....oh.

Moving up to the Ozarks, a neighbor was naming some trees...that's a red oak, that's a white oak...and you just cut the largest persimmon in these parts for fire wood...and that is an el-lum....I politely asked if that was the same as an elm tree.....no was the reply, that is a different tree....and this one is a slippery el-lum. Never knew you could get 2 syllables out of 3 letters. I used that slippery elm many times to get some the inner bark for chewing to relieve a sore throat....For those who have never tried it, and thought that boiled okra was slimy...try slippery elm the next time you get a sore throat so bad you can hardly swallow. It can be found in tablet form...Thayers Slippery Elm.

Regards
Gemstone1

Simple explanation on the tree issue.

In el-um, the "u" is invisible as opposed to being silent.

[Old Fossil]

This isn't what this Thread asks for but I think it's close, and interesting. Several years ago The Old Time Chronicle was a regional historical and genealogical publication self published in Antoine, Pike County. One of the frequent contributors was a man who grew up on a farm in Pike County and had a house full of siblings. He would write about the adventures of him and his siblings and would write using colloquial vernacular that he (and I) grew up with. In one issue of the publication he wrote a dictionary of the terms he often used. He left the farm, went to college, and eventually became an executive in a company in Louisiana. Some times I would write a comment about one of his stories because it "hit close to home" and he and I became email pals. In one of his responses to my email he said the words he often used drove his secretary nuts (she was doing his typing for submission to the pub) and there were times he thought her Spell Check was going to blow a fuse . The pub later sold and I lost contact. It was a great read and brought back many great memories to this old country boy.

[NewTexico76]

The ultimate test I recall of having a southern/Arkansas accent or not was the long I sound. In standard U.S. English, words like "rice," "fries," light" has a crisp, short sound like Spanish AY AY AY or German NEIN NEIN NEIN. In Arkansas and surrounding areas, a much more relaxed and longer sound, almost gliding to an "ah."