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Im from Columbia, SC, and my parents are from South Carolina, their parents are from South Carolina and their parents are from South Carolina. People outside the South have been surprised that I was from South Carolina. Do people actually think the South is like it is in movies where everyone has an accent?
I live in Louisville and am originally from Chicago. The affluent young people there who are natives definitely have Southern accents.
I have had people tell me in Southern accents that they don't have a Southern accent. This has led me to conclude that Southerners have no idea what they sound like. But that's fair because according to most people who don't study linguistics, nobody seems to have an accent if you ask them personally.
It's relative. I've heard different types of southern accents. What southerners share more in common is manners. Yes mam, no sir, please, thank you, may i. You are out of place if you don't use them occasionally with daily interaction. I'm not saying to your parents, but to regular folks you deal with daily, waitresses, salesman, co workers and supervisors, etc. Not so common in other parts of the country. I always enjoy when people use manners.
It's relative. I've heard different types of southern accents. What southerners share more in common is manners. Yes mam, no sir, please, thank you, may i. You are out of place if you don't use them occasionally with daily interaction. I'm not saying to your parents, but to regular folks you deal with daily, waitresses, salesman, co workers and supervisors, etc. Not so common in other parts of the country. I always enjoy when people use manners.
This is true. I have dealt with Southerners who were ex-cons and they still referred to others as Mister or Missus as well as referring to those in authority as Sir or Ma'am.
That said the only parts of the South where Southern accents don't exist are as follows:
Atlanta (sounds more Midwest)
Charleston (young folks sound like Midwesterners, old folks sound like a weird West Indian dialect)
Savannah (sort of like Charleston)
Baltimore (sound like hicks but without a drawl)
DC (sound like nothing)
Charlotte (sounds kinda Midwest)
Jacksonville (see above)
New Orleans (sounds like a Northeast hybrid accent)
Other than that, I have noticed most areas of the South still have strong accents even if people aren't aware. I swear Southerners love to act like because they don't use Southern expressions that they don't have accents. That's not really how it works.
This is true. I have dealt with Southerners who were ex-cons and they still referred to others as Mister or Missus as well as referring to those in authority as Sir or Ma'am.
That said the only parts of the South where Southern accents don't exist are as follows:
Atlanta (sounds more Midwest)
Charleston (young folks sound like Midwesterners, old folks sound like a weird West Indian dialect)
Savannah (sort of like Charleston)
Baltimore (sound like hicks but without a drawl)
DC (sound like nothing)
Charlotte (sounds kinda Midwest)
Jacksonville (see above)
New Orleans (sounds like a Northeast hybrid accent)
Other than that, I have noticed most areas of the South still have strong accents even if people aren't aware. I swear Southerners love to act like because they don't use Southern expressions that they don't have accents. That's not really how it works.
I live in West Texas right now.. I'd say 1/3 of the people have no accent, 1/3 have a slight accent that you would only notice if you're paying attention or talking to them for a long time, and 1/3 have a pretty distinct accent that you would pick up right away.
I hear that accents are more more common in East Texas than West.
This is true anywhere in the United States. Accents become much thicker the lower you go on the socioeconomic ladder, whether in Boston, Oakland, Georgia or anywhere else.
Do people actually think the South is like it is in movies where everyone has an accent?
It used to be. The South has changed THAT MUCH. My older southern (highly educated) relatives all have a deep accent. With each generation, the accent gets more Northern all because of the influx of transplants over the last 20 years. I only consider the True South to be the Delta region. The rest of the South, especially the East Coast, has become a Northern Suburb. The loss of accent has zero to do with education and everything to do with migration.
I'm from the South. People in the South ask me where I'm from because I don't have a Southern accent to them. But when I was out in Monterey for a conference last month, several complimented me on my charming Southern accent. Everything is relative.
It used to be. The South has changed THAT MUCH. My older southern (highly educated) relatives all have a deep accent. With each generation, the accent gets more Northern all because of the influx of transplants over the last 20 years. I only consider the True South to be the Delta region. The rest of the South, especially the East Coast, has become a Northern Suburb. The loss of accent has zero to do with education and everything to do with migration.
Completely agree. Also I find it ridiculous to refer to "the South" in any sort of homogeneous way. Oklahoma is going to be different from Alabama which is going to be different from North Carolina. Just for a set of random examples. Accents and dialect are just a part of those differences.
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