Tell me about Chicago regional dialect! (Naperville, Buffalo: live in, vs., car)

[Missy2U]

Originally Posted by Lud Kissel

Never heard the term "bubbler"

I've always understood it to be more European.


SW Suburbs born and raised for almost 25 years, then western suburbs, and live now in the NW ones - we call them Gym Shoes, Tennis Shoes, or Sneakers, we didn't even have a front room we had a family room, we didn't have a davenport we had a sofa or a couch, we say pop or soda, we've NEVER said 'dis or 'dat, we NEVER call it "Chi-Town", and sorry, I really don't think there's much of an "accent" in Chicago other than what's been mocked and overblown on TV.

[aga412]

Originally Posted by Missy2U

I've always understood it to be more European.


SW Suburbs born and raised for almost 25 years, then western suburbs, and live now in the NW ones - we call them Gym Shoes, Tennis Shoes, or Sneakers, we didn't even have a front room we had a family room, we didn't have a davenport we had a sofa or a couch, we say pop or soda, we've NEVER said 'dis or 'dat, we NEVER call it "Chi-Town", and sorry, I really don't think there's much of an "accent" in Chicago other than what's been mocked and overblown on TV.

I think bubbler is exclusively a Wisconsin-ism.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Missy2U

I've always understood it to be more European.


SW Suburbs born and raised for almost 25 years, then western suburbs, and live now in the NW ones - we call them Gym Shoes, Tennis Shoes, or Sneakers, we didn't even have a front room we had a family room, we didn't have a davenport we had a sofa or a couch, we say pop or soda, we've NEVER said 'dis or 'dat, we NEVER call it "Chi-Town", and sorry, I really don't think there's much of an "accent" in Chicago other than what's been mocked and overblown on TV.

I have neighbors, friends and relatives that grew up in places like Boston or South New Jersey too, the relative degree to which they have "wicked bad" accents or tend to replace the "a" sound on words / names that end in a vowel with the "er" sound is largely a function of how "sloppy" they are in their pronunciation. Not unlike how the singer / actress known as Madonna seems to have acquired a British accent despite spending all her formative years in Detroit area -- Madonna - Biography - IMDb

[JustJulia]

There's a trace (and sometimes more) of a very flat "a" in words like "class" or "act." If you had to enunciate it out, "class" would be "clay-ess." I'm exaggerating, but typical Chicago vowels like "a" and "o" do have a distinct sound.

Around here, we wear gym shoes, never tennis shoes. And it's always "pop."

[damba]

Nope. They say it in Rhode Island too (& parts of MA).

See map:
Bubbler map -- Wisconsin Englishes

Originally Posted by aga412

I think bubbler is exclusively a Wisconsin-ism.

[damba]

Not true at all. You just aren't familiar enough with the dialect or aren't around a wide enough variety of people if you haven't heard it yet. Even near us in HP(!)

There are plenty of folks in their (late) 50s-60s-70s living in parts of the north shore (and further out) with slight Chicago accents. They grew up in the city proper but moved out into the 'burbs for better schools, jobs, etc. Where they spent time (college, military, work, etc.) can also affect which dialect they currently use. Don't think 'Da Bears' but something more subtle- especially around the people with more education under their belt.

cheers

Originally Posted by 4122

In the north shore, nobody has the Chicago accent.

[MayaLucy]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

Silly thread. Most Chicagoans do not have a very pronounced regional accent. Sometimes you will hear an slight accent so when someone says a word like truth it sounds more like trudth. I have never heard anyone say frunchroom...my grandparents said front room but not most say living room. We do say pop instead of soda, gym shoes are athletic shoes and some people say you guys even if its a bunch of women.......

Silly thread?! I thought it was very crucial and serious!

[MayaLucy]

Originally Posted by Missy2U

I've always understood it to be more European.


SW Suburbs born and raised for almost 25 years, then western suburbs, and live now in the NW ones - we call them Gym Shoes, Tennis Shoes, or Sneakers, we didn't even have a front room we had a family room, we didn't have a davenport we had a sofa or a couch, we say pop or soda, we've NEVER said 'dis or 'dat, we NEVER call it "Chi-Town", and sorry, I really don't think there's much of an "accent" in Chicago other than what's been mocked and overblown on TV.

There is most definitely a Chicago accent. I have a friend here in Austin and I knew immediately she was from Chicago before she told me. When you are born and raised somewhere you don't notice. That being said, the smaller the world gets, and the more transplants that come to a city, the fewer people with thick accents.

I am a transplant in the Austin area (for a few more days before we get to Chicago area) and I rarely encounter people with Texan accents here.

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

Silly thread. Most Chicagoans do not have a very pronounced regional accent. Sometimes you will hear an slight accent so when someone says a word like truth it sounds more like trudth. I have never heard anyone say frunchroom...my grandparents said front room but not most say living room. We do say pop instead of soda, gym shoes are athletic shoes and some people say you guys even if its a bunch of women.......

Yep we said frontchroom. Living room was harder to say, we just mushed it together and it came out fronchroom. We dont say "athletic shoes" .. you're not from Chicago, are you? That sounds like maybe East Coast talk or upper New York State! And we say "youz guyz" too.

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by 4122

Generally, people woth the Chicago accent are from the city. In the north shore, nobody has the Chicago accent. People say that I talk funny. I say frunchroom and Chicago is pronounced Chicahgo, not Chicaugo. I say soda and water fountain

Get this, i always thought i talked normally, no accent,, until i started talking with people from around the USA and they told me I had an accent. Funny how I never knew that, but then when i thought about it, i suppose we do sound like we have an accent to other people around the country. Weird to realize that!