the California accent (San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento: transplants, live in, farmer)

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

My sad attempt at Humor. lol

My sad inability to recognize that LOL

[Twinkle Toes]

Originally Posted by Lifeshadower

Your son is really mature Although, I don't know how old he is. I was a jerk when I was 15, 16, 17, 18...19 (errr..I mean today )

People out of state pick up my Californian accent really easily. However, I never understood why. When I was younger, I sounded like a FOB (Fresh of the Boat) because of my parents. However, as I got older, I sounded more and more like the typical Asian-American, but not quite (if you're Asian, you'll kinda understand what this sounds like).

My friends say I do have some Spanish inflections when I say some words. That's more of a product of where I grew up than anything else.

Yeah, well, he's only 15.

I understand what you mean by the Asian thing. I'm not Asian, but I hear a lot of Asians refer to X-Box Live as "Eck Bock Lye".

[that1guy]

I was on spring break in NYC a few years back with a couple buddies. We got lost, asked a lady for some directions. Immediately she asked me if I was from California.

I think the California accent involves an inflection at the end of some sentences that turn the sentence into sounding like a question. But a little more subtle. Then also going into a sort of cadence during some sentences. Also I feel like Californians slightly emphasize the letter R in words, as oppossed to Bostonians (who pronounce the letter 'r' like ah...pahk the cah in havahd yahd. Or add 'r' to certain words...Cubar or Warshington).

Typically I feel like Californians pronounce words more (Forget about it...or in NY, fugetaboutit). Slightly less nasal sounding.

I might be completely off base, but that's what I think.

[OC Investor2]

Originally Posted by DrummerBoy

Well, I was born in LA and then grew up in CAL before leaving for Texas in my early 20's. That being said, up till a few years ago, if someone asked me what kind of accents Californians have I would've replied, "No accent." But I have always had a big interest in accents and linguistics--and one of my hobbies has always been impersonations and mimicking accents; my friends say I'm pretty good at it. So, a few years ago I was at a pool party here in Austin and this guy I met had his degree in Linguistics and was a speech pathologist, helping people with speech impediments. He had this great skill in which he could talk to someone for just a few moments and then tell, with uncanny accuracy what part of the country they were from. I'm talking specific parts! Like, "You grew up in central Michigan, but have lived during your adult life in the southeast, maybe aorund the northern Alabama area."
And he was right on every time!"
Anyway, after he diagnosed me as being reared in California, I asked him how he could tell, since we had no accents? He replied that Californians have a tendency to "drag their vowels." And also, many times they end their sentences with a slightly higher-pitched inflection and tonal dynamic.
I have always remembered that, and have pretty much found it to be true.

You met Professor Henry Higgins!?!

Does he look like Rex Harrison?

[David Aguilar]

Originally Posted by that1guy

I think the California accent involves an inflection at the end of some sentences that turn the sentence into sounding like a question. But a little more subtle.

It's like this:

"I'm from Californiaaah".

"I like coffeeee".

"I have an egooh".

"I miss youu."

Or there abouts.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

It's like this:

"I'm from Californiaaah".

"I like coffeeee".

"I have an egooh".

"I miss youu."

Or there abouts.

That's a bit more Southern Californian perhaps but I do hear what you're saying there. Northern Californians have a slightly different drawl.

CALifornia

COFFee

EGGo

No equivalent for the "I miss you" that I can think of.

[Capt. Dan]

I'm not sure what to call the way folks from California speak. But there is a difference. When I moved to California to go to college I had a THICK Southern drawl.[which the ladies ate up by the way!] By the end of my sophomore year it was gone. So something influenced my manner of pronunciation. But it only took 2 years of retirement back home in Tennessee to get my Southern drawl back! Personally I would love to hear TwinkleToes speak Southern! Now that would be sexy! Where did you go to school young lady? PEPAHDINE!!

[zonababe]

Here is my take on it. Some people from California talk like they have a "smile" in their voice. Their voices sound pleasant. The downside of a pleasant sounding voice, is that a woman can say, "F*@$ you" without you realizing it. I'm from NY. When I'm angry, you can hear it in my voice.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

My son always uses a phrase "That's what she said" after somebody says something.

My son had a friend in middle school who used to say that! When I asked my son why his friend said that EVERY time, the friend told him it was from Saturday Night Live....I'm guessing from sometime in the early 1990's.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by Lifeshadower

No offense taken You may be right, but it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense since I was never around other Filipino-Americans or other Asian-Americans a whole lot UNTIL I got to college. Most of my friends were by far Latino, with the odd White person every once in a while.

It's hard to really gauge what my accent is. Probably Californian, but not too sure what that sounds like out of context. Most of my circle don't think Californians don't have accents because we see it on TV and movies all the time. We've become the standard American speech.

A-ha, the plot thickens. Given your particulars you may have almost no accent other than "newscaster!"