the California accent (San Diego, Sacramento: move, relocation, snake)

[jc76]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

I think you mean "Southern Drawl" or "Drawl" - not draw.

Ok, got it Sea, us midwesterners can't evin spel

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

I can't describe it. I can always pick out a native Southern Californian by subtle nuances in their speech, but don't ask me why. It's just there, and I guess I'm hearing it because I've been here for so many years.

This doesn't include affectations and niche forms of speech such as Valspeak and Surfspeak. Those are just ****ing annoying.

In terms of truly native accents I notice little difference with latitude. The truly native accent is simply a variant of what I call the Southwestern Cowboy Twang. Now of course, due to massive in migration since WW2, there are new dynamics. East Coast accents and to an extent Midwestern and Northern Cities accents have been superimposed on the urban areas of Nor Cal, especially the Bay Area. Also superimposed is a sort of generic "Asia Pacific Pidgen" form of speech. In the Southland, newcomers have been a bit more heavy with the Midwestern component (e.g. Long Beach = Little Iowa, etc) and that is definitely a factor. Although there have been plenty of East Coast and Northern Cities people as well.

One other confounding factor is the Okie and Arkie accents but those blend pretty good with the native one.

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

LOL! I've honestly never heard anybody use "hella", except for Gwen Steffani in her song called "Hella Good".

Last time I was in the bay area I was seated next to a couple of early 20's guys on the BART going from the airport to the city and these guys must have said 'hella' about a dozen times in their conversation. I had to laugh to myself because it's not like you hear that every day. I also used to hang out with some people from Santa Cruz and they said 'hella' every so often, as did another guy I knew from Fremont.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by 5Lakes

Actually, you are wrong. There is definitely an accent that SoCal locals have, which seems to be more apparent for those who grew up near the coast. Many of the native born locals I knew while living in San Diego had it. It is hard to explain and does not stand out like many strong accents found in other parts of the country, but I know it when I hear it. I guess you could say that the vowels are kind of drawn out. As far as NorCal goes I can't really say for certain, but I never really noticed one on trips there.

I fit that description (South Coast Orange County) and don't notice it. We used to affect an inflection like "heeey duuude" when we were goofing around with our friends but it wasn't hardwired like a southern drawl that we couldn't slip out of in a more formal setting.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I don't have any idea what the hella some of you are talking about. Here in Southern California we talk normal and the rest of the nation has some funny accent. Not that it is bad or wrong to have the accent. We are the accent of choice. Take a New Yorker and put them in front of a microphone and a camera and guess what, they sound like us here in California. Have you ever listened to a national news cast? That is the California Accent. It is not midwestern, southern, or Eastern. It is Californian all the way.

You ever hear someone in media call a car a ca? They prounounce the R just like we do out here in California.

Just wondering? If you have an Eastern accent do you drive the Ca to the Ba or would it be ca to the bar? I like the r sound but it seems to get missed the further east you go. In the South I have heard people call the gym the G M. What happened to the y?

Anyway it is fun to listen to others dialects and speach patterns.

[CAVA1990]

I guess an extreme example of a Southern California accent would be Cheech and Chong's loadie-speak.

[Capt. Dan]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

So ... you'd spank me if I said "Cowabunga, Dude!!!"???

Shoot! I'd spank you just to watch you dance TwinkleToes!!!!!!!!!!

[sarahkate_m]

I'm from So. Cal & the only time I think I may have any "accent" is if I somehow have a conversation with someone from East LA. All of a sudden, I take it on (again, I guess) & sound like the person I'm talking to.

However, there is some kind of Oregon twang that I fear I may be assimilating.

My cousin from OC visited here in Eug recently, and I met his step mother & step family who are from OC. I didn't think I heard any accent to speak of. But maybe it isn't obvious unless you're from somewhere more detached from the local group.

As for "hella" --- maybe that's a hip hop thing. Other people's slang CAN creep in to your lingo, like it or not. It can be fun, if you have fun with it.... To my own surprise, I've used the "hella" term... Sometimes those words just "fit"...

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

I fit that description (South Coast Orange County) and don't notice it. We used to affect an inflection like "heeey duuude" when we were goofing around with our friends but it wasn't hardwired like a southern drawl that we couldn't slip out of in a more formal setting.

Well, I'm not just talking about the casual "surfer" talk dialect. I have worked with professional business people that have a SoCal accent. Like I said before, it's not a very strong accent. If you have lived in SoCal your entire life then you probably cannot distinguish it. Most people in other parts of the country would probably not even notice it unless they were talking to a Jeff Spicoli wanna be.

[CAVA1990]

Spicoli had an accent?