Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Lol if Jersey Shore is all you know about the northeast, then your opinion is invalid.
No offense.
None taken, but I only used those Jersey shore people as an example to counter your comment about the folks of the south sounding "uneducated". Ive been to the northeast, know enough about it to have a discussion about the place. Like I said its your right to dislike the accent of the south but the people there are a whole lot more than the stereotypes about them suggest. Just as the people of New Jersey are more than those Jersey shore clowns and mob stereotypes have made them out to be.
It definitely varies. Older people in my community retain strong Boston accents (i live in NH) and my generation does not at all (i was born in 1992). However, I have friends and family my age on Long Island and they have NY accents as thick as anyone. It's odd.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,060,466 times
Reputation: 11862
Judging from spending only about a month travelling around in the US, I noticed teenagers in the rural Deep South and Upper South (LA, MS, TN, western VA) often did have a noticeably Southern drawl/twang, both black and white. In fact, in Washington DC I overheard a family who spoke with such a strong Southern accent - kids and all, that they sounded like cartoon characters! In Boston I met a few my age with the Boston accent but didn't meet enough young people to really gauge how widespread it was. Neither in NY. In general, however, I sensed that Italians, Hispanics and Blacks tended to retain the accent more in NYC than other groups.
I hear people around my age with Philly accents all the time. Youse, cawfee, tawk, wit, shtreet, I hear it all. I think its like that with other northeastern accents too if I'm not mistaken.
None taken, but I only used those Jersey shore people as an example to counter your comment about the folks of the south sounding "uneducated". Ive been to the northeast, know enough about it to have a discussion about the place. Like I said its your right to dislike the accent of the south but the people there are a whole lot more than the stereotypes about them suggest. Just as the people of New Jersey are more than those Jersey shore clowns and mob stereotypes have made them out to be.
Yeah I know what you're saying and I currently live in Atlanta but the stereotype seems to prove itself man. I mean there are smart people here but they aren't from here. The native Atlanta people seem to verify the stereotype. I'm not trying to be mean or offend anyone, but that's honestly how I see it.
It definitely varies. Older people in my community retain strong Boston accents (i live in NH) and my generation does not at all (i was born in 1992). However, I have friends and family my age on Long Island and they have NY accents as thick as anyone. It's odd.
Eyes2theSky, I'd be curious to know how you pronounce the words don and dawn (same or different) and Mary/marry/merry (same or different)? The eastern New England accent is a lot more complex than just Rs. I think the majority of things that determine our accents are things we don't really notice until they're pointed out. This is why experts say that accents are diverging. While the very noticeable differences are often stigmatized and left behind; it's the way we pronounce our vowels that is frequently unnoticed by an untrained ear and causes the greatest divergence.
Just for reference I was born in early 88 and have many of the features of the eastern New England dialect.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
