The Chicago accent: it exists but none of US have it (Madison: fit in, transplants)

[EddieOlSkool]

This is a very interesting phenomenon I have seen in this city. I am from here and have lived nowhere but here. Grew up on the South Side.

Now one thing I notice about Americans in other regions such as the South and the Northeast is that they will gladly admit to a presence of a regional accent. Chicagoans seem to be the quickest to admit that a Chicago accent, while existing, is something that can only be found in old people and that they don't have it.

Usually Chicagoans will reply with something along the lines of "I don't say 'tree' instead of 'three'!" and act as if this fake Saturday Night Live accent is accurate to how we talk (hint: most of the actors on Superfans were not from Chicago).

One way to tell if you have a Chicago accent (even if you admit it to no one) is reading this WikiHow. I read it and thought it was quite accurate to how everyone I know speaks. Interestingly the article cites Dennis Farina as a good example of a Chicago accent which is telling because most people I know never thought the guy had an accent (again, shows that we DO have accents but that we aren't aware of them). Farina doesn't sound like a Superfan nor does he say things like "brudder" or "da" with a harsh D sound. We more so use soft d sounds for "th".

How to Fake a Chicago Accent: 12 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

Anyway, why do you guys think that Chicagoans seem to not want to admit that they personally don't have accents? I think it's because our accent is misrepresented (like how some think that we say "youse" as often as New Yorkers do).

I also think it's because our accent is as close to Standard American English as it can get, aka, the "non-accent" accent that is an accent (called "American").

[Vlajos]

I don't know how anyone could think Dennis Farina doesn't have an accent.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

This is a very interesting phenomenon I have seen in this city. I am from here and have lived nowhere but here. Grew up on the South Side.

Now one thing I notice about Americans in other regions such as the South and the Northeast is that they will gladly admit to a presence of a regional accent. Chicagoans seem to be the quickest to admit that a Chicago accent, while existing, is something that can only be found in old people and that they don't have it.

Usually Chicagoans will reply with something along the lines of "I don't say 'tree' instead of 'three'!" and act as if this fake Saturday Night Live accent is accurate to how we talk (hint: most of the actors on Superfans were not from Chicago).

One way to tell if you have a Chicago accent (even if you admit it to no one) is reading this WikiHow. I read it and thought it was quite accurate to how everyone I know speaks. Interestingly the article cites Dennis Farina as a good example of a Chicago accent which is telling because most people I know never thought the guy had an accent (again, shows that we DO have accents but that we aren't aware of them). Farina doesn't sound like a Superfan nor does he say things like "brudder" or "da" with a harsh D sound. We more so use soft d sounds for "th".

How to Fake a Chicago Accent: 12 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

Anyway, why do you guys think that Chicagoans seem to not want to admit that they personally don't have accents? I think it's because our accent is misrepresented (like how some think that we say "youse" as often as New Yorkers do).

I also think it's because our accent is as close to Standard American English as it can get, aka, the "non-accent" accent that is an accent (called "American").

Close, but I think that the Mountain West/West Coast are closer to being "accent-neutral"..

By the way, George Wendt was from Chicago, and Chris Farley was from Madison, WI..

The way Dennis Farina said " Chicago Police Department" when acting in CRIME STORY was very Chicago..

[marothisu]

As a transplant to Chicago, I've definitely heard people with the accent. I have a few friends who grew up here and the only time any part of an accent comes out is when they've had too much to drink. On the other hand though, it's not as rampant in my experience as people may think. It's funny how people from other places do think that everyone in Chicago talks like "Da Bears!" skits.

[rzzz]

I had an ex girlfriend who had (maybe still has) a super intense Chicago accent. The female version of the accent is more painful than the male version. It's very nasal. Nothing compares, though, to the Minnesota version of the trixie accent. It's like Fran Drescher meets Sarah Palin meets Valley Girl. UGGggggghh.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Close, but I think that the Mountain West/West Coast are closer to being "accent-neutral"..

By the way, George Wendt was from Chicago, and Chris Farley was from Madison, WI..

The way Dennis Farina said " Chicago Police Department" when acting in CRIME STORY was very Chicago..

Well, the accepted Standard American English is "accent-neutral" is believed to be dead center in the country, around Iowa, Kansas, etc. The idea of accent neutral is weird; go to England talking like that and see if people can't tell you're a Yank.

I do agree that the West Coast is close to Midwest English but that's probably because many West Coasters were generations old transplants.

Though I do feel that the Southern tip of Cali has some odd pronunciations like "cahr" for car or "bahr" for bar. I have seen it in some surfer types that talk slower and have the more laid back personalities.

By the way, notice I said "some" of the actors in the Superfan skit were not from here. I didn't say all of them.

Wisconsinites in my opinion sound more Upper Midwest with more of a resemblance to Minnesota. Like a diluted Minnesota. Still closer to our accent though than say, New York's.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by rzzz

I had an ex girlfriend who had (maybe still has) a super intense Chicago accent. The female version of the accent is more painful than the male version. It's very nasal. Nothing compares, though, to the Minnesota version of the trixie accent. It's like Fran Drescher meets Sarah Palin meets Valley Girl. UGGggggghh.

I don't know, I feel like Chicago accents on women sound very pleasant. To me the Chicago accent sounds friendly. New York accents are annoying and harsh and Southern accents can work on women most times, in my opinion. Anything Midwest sounds cute as it is less abrasive than the East, but again, just subjective.

Minnesotan accents are cute, too. They remind me of Swedish girls. But again, very subjective.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by marothisu

As a transplant to Chicago, I've definitely heard people with the accent. I have a few friends who grew up here and the only time any part of an accent comes out is when they've had too much to drink. On the other hand though, it's not as rampant in my experience as people may think. It's funny how people from other places do think that everyone in Chicago talks like "Da Bears!" skits.

Well, certain areas of the city that have more transplants are less likely to have the accent, true.

It does exist, but like New York's accent it isn't as super exaggerated as people imagine. Jerry Seinfeld is a good example of a New York accent that isn't stereotypically harsh but definitely there. Same with Jason Alexander.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

I don't know how anyone could think Dennis Farina doesn't have an accent.

He sounds like everyone I grew up with and currently know. So to me he's a normal sounding American fellow.

Funny how when I saw him in Snatch I thought "this normal sounding guy playing a New Yorker sure isn't trying in the LEAST to fit into his role!"

[marothisu]

^ My dad is from SoCal and says "Pellow" for pillow and "Melk" for milk.