The Chicago accent: it exists but none of US have it (Standard: movies, college)

[Lookout Kid]

Be proud of your accent!

Of course I don't have one. My Wisconsin accent was never particularly pronounced, and the last vestiges of it seem to have faded with time. However, when I hang out with Texans I pick up the drawl within the first couple of beers.

[Carson9]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

Although, many Bostonians don't have any trace of an accent these days, as they grew up in different areas of the metro area. Or, their parents forced them to speak without one. Plus, there is such an influx of all types of people, like any city these days.

I beg to differ. I lived in Boston not that long ago and there were thick Boston accents everywhere. Though they did differ based on where the person was from (Medford, West Roxbury, etc). I met a girl from Revere and she had the most awful form of a Boston accent I've heard.

But back to the original question, I def think Chicagoans have an accent. I think it's more pronounced in those that grew up on the south side (like myself). I never knew I even had an accent until I lived on the east coast. Try saying the word "tab" - good test if you have the nasally, elongated voweled Chicago accent

And I think the SNL skit, Chicago accent stereotype, aka "Da Bears" isn't a Chicago accent. It's a Bridgeport accent

[andrew61]

Some years back I knew a guy who had no discernible Chicago accent. Was I surprised when he told me he'd grown up in Bridgeport! Go figure.

Hanging around Chinatown I have heard older Chinese guys speak with a very thick "Sout' Side" Chicago accent. When I first heard this, I found it very jarring. I figure it must've been Chinese whose families had been in Chicago for several generations.

[baileyvpotter]

Originally Posted by peterparker20

The Chicago accent exists but primarily in those of Baby Boomer age (50s or older), and mostly those who grew up directly in the city, not surburbia.
I'm a native from a Chicago suburb, not Chicago itself, and it's immediately obvious who has a Chicago accent (generally rare) and who simply is from the Midwest.
A lot of SNL actors DO have a clear Chicago accent. Akroyd, Murray --- can't think of many -- Dennis Farina was mentioned -- these guys you hear their voices and immediately know they're from Chicago.

Bill Murray was from Wilmette (suburb) Dan Akroyd was from Canada. Here is Dennis Farina (born in the
City and a police officer). The accent being discussed is "inland northern American English."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-nGPYU1XmE&feature=kp

Every region anywhere has an accent
Inland Northern American English - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[EddieOlSkool]

SNL's skit was meant to mock our accent, not to be accurate.

[EddieOlSkool]

By the way, what the hell do people mean when they say "no accent"?

[rzzz]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

By the way, what the hell do people mean when they say "no accent"?

I would say it's accents like:

Al Roker, Dan Rather, Anderson Cooper, the women on "the view," Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman

the characters on: Beverly Hills 90210, Growing Pains, The Cosby Show, Modern Family, Breaking Bad

also HGTV remodeling shows... I believe many of them are set in Toronto but I have a hard time figuring out where the people are supposed to be from or where the show is filmed, when they don't name the city.

A lot of famous people with "neutral" accents. I have no idea where they are from by listening to them

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by andrew61

Hanging around Chinatown I have heard older Chinese guys speak with a very thick "Sout' Side" Chicago accent. When I first heard this, I found it very jarring. I figure it must've been Chinese whose families had been in Chicago for several generations.

Did they have an actual accent? Because there are many east Asians who don't pronounce "th" sound all the time - just the "t." Like my ex from SE Asia (Chinese descent) would say Sout (South), Tree (Three), etc. It had nothing to do with Chicago at all as she'd only been in the US for 3 total years, and only a little over 1 was in Chicago.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by rzzz

I would say it's accents like:

Al Roker, Dan Rather, Anderson Cooper, the women on "the view," Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman

the characters on: Beverly Hills 90210, Growing Pains, The Cosby Show, Modern Family, Breaking Bad

also HGTV remodeling shows... I believe many of them are set in Toronto but I have a hard time figuring out where the people are supposed to be from or where the show is filmed, when they don't name the city.

A lot of famous people with "neutral" accents. I have no idea where they are from by listening to them

Dan Rather is from Texas, and he retained more than a few Texan idioms even though he anchored a major network's news desk...

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Did they have an actual accent? Because there are many east Asians who don't pronounce "th" sound all the time - just the "t." Like my ex from SE Asia (Chinese descent) would say Sout (South), Tree (Three), etc. It had nothing to do with Chicago at all as she'd only been in the US for 3 total years, and only a little over 1 was in Chicago.

No, this was definitely a South Side Chicago accent I heard. You had to have been there, I guess.