What exactly is the California vowel shift? (transplants, public school)

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by Phil306

Interesting. I am 48 yrs old and was in Europe last year for 2 months. Several places I went too, I was told by locals, they knew I was from California, because of my "accent." I was actually shocked by this. Who in California has an "accent?" Wisconsin, Michigan, Tennessee, yes I can see. But California? I guess its everywhere.

You can't not have an accent.

[callmemaybe]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

You can't not have an accent.

Yes. Of course Californians have an accent. There is nowhere else in the world, not even other Western states, that speak exactly like Californians do. Thus, they have a unique accent.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by callmemaybe

Yes. Of course Californians have an accent. There is nowhere else in the world, not even other Western states, that speak exactly like Californians do. Thus, they have a unique accent.

All other American accents are identified by region. California I believe is one of the only specific regions to have it's own accents. Texas and New York would be the only others.

[callmemaybe]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

All other American accents are identified by region. California I believe is one of the only specific regions to have it's own accents. Texas and New York would be the only others.

What about Minnesota/North dakota/wisconsin/eastern montana/upper michigan, pacific northwest, philadelphia, the caw-pahkas in boston, etc?

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by callmemaybe

What about Minnesota/North dakota/wisconsin/eastern montana/upper michigan, pacific northwest, philadelphia, the caw-pahkas in boston, etc?

I guess I meant accent groups. The southern drawl is the largest group of accents in the US but covers a broad area and covers many local accents. California has about two very close sounding accents, northern and southern but together form the CA dialect group.

[callmemaybe]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

I guess I meant accent groups. The southern drawl is the largest group of accents in the US but covers a broad area and covers many local accents. California has about two very close sounding accents, northern and southern but together form the CA dialect group.

I'd say there are the California accent group, the Western dialects, the upper midwest dialect, the eastern/great lakes dialects, the midland dialect, and the southern dialect.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by callmemaybe

I'd say there are the California accent group, the Western dialects, the upper midwest dialect, the eastern/great lakes dialects, the midland dialect, and the southern dialect.

There are so many southern dialects. Some are rhotic others non rhotic.

[callmemaybe]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

There are so many southern dialects. Some are rhotic others non rhotic.

True. Tidewater is as different from Texan as Yooper is from Californian.

[kanhawk]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

Thugs and gang members will go on; "I was like damn homie got f*** up n he was like nah man that ain't right".

I need Barbara Billingsley to translate that.

[Fontucky]

Airplane reference!