How Much Northeasterners Pick up the Southern Attitude and Southern Accent (Atlanta: transplants, home)

[NomadicRaider]

I've got a quick question with all the people from NYand NorthEast how many of them pick up the accent and the traditional down south customs.In other words can people tell you from up north just by talking to them.

[TakeAhike]

There are so many people from other parts of the US and world living in metro Atlanta it is rare to hear a Southern drawl.

In parts of North, South and Middle Georgia you will find people who speak in the stereotypical Southern dialect but I don't think that would affect your own speech patterns. According to some reports actors require speech coaches to help them develop different accents or specific speech patterns.

We can all utilize the fundamentals of good grammar.

[gt6974a]

While bhs119 is somewhat correct, I find it pretty easy picking out where people are from. Especially Yanks, there's no mistaken it and from my experience they don't lose it, not all of it. My g/f's parents moved from Long Island 20 years ago and while her Dads' is not as obvious, her Mother's clearly is.

I don't think people really pick up 'Souther' customs, at least not those who live in the Metro area.

They also don't really pick up on Souther Politics, that's why most people costantly direct the Transplants to blue counties.

Other parts of the state will refer to people from Atlanta as Yankees, no matter if you were born here, b/c of the influx of transplants and the way it has changed.

[Prichard]

There really are four Georgia regions: South Georgia (which also includes North Florida); Coastal Georgia (which really goes up through South Carolina); Metro-Atlanta; and the Appalachian regions - which also includes western North Carolina and Nortwest South Carolina.

Three of these regions (except Atlanta) have their own dialects. The Apalachian people don't have typical Southern accents at all. South Georgia, North Florida and Much of Alabama have a similar southern dialect. Coastal Georgia has an even different dialect.

A person from South Georgia who speaks what I call "southern" really couldn't talk like the people native to the North Georgia mountains. So, for a Yankee to pick up on that dialect would be next to impossible. To me (I probably have a slight southern accent), the Apalachian people don't really sound "southrern". Atlanta people sound sort of midwestern, northern, no-accent, and some southern mix.

That's just my inexpert thoughts on this matter of accents.

[JPD]

My parents from MA have not lost their accents in the 35 years they've been here.

[cotton]

Dawn't worry, Sugar, they arin't no dangea of yo losin yo Nawthern accent down yhere. I agree with the others; my children don't even have a Southern accent although they were born and raised here. I am from NW GA, now living in the Piedmont. When I talk with folks from back home, I realize that they do indeed have a different dialect, and I find myself falling back into that manner of speaking. Georgia is a big melting pot and you really don't notice a really Southern accent unless you are in the mountains.

Just keep in mind that you can say anything about anybody down here as long as you include "bless their heart." As in ... "That girl could ear corn through a picket fence, bless her heart."

And ... We are not ignorant. We know better than to end a sentence with a preposition. That's why you hear a lot of folks saying things like, "That's what I want more of, Hon." or "Where are you going to, Hon?"

When you think about it, it isn't the accent, it is the WAY of saying things that you will find different, however a true Southern accent is delightful to hear.

[cotton]

"In other words can people tell you from up north just by talking to them."

Sorry. The answer to this question is "yes." Northerns talk faster than we do and they are usually more direct and abrupt.

[NomadicRaider]

well I am in the North Right now and when I talk to people they ask me where I'm from,are you outta state.I really don't mind losing the accent I have always thought the south as a energetic as much as the city its just the way you look at it.

People say the Atlanta's is slow but then it has alot of traffic,but when they see the traffic they say its congested,they say its full of slow talkin people but has a diverse amount of people,and in the North there is better buisness but they move here to start job promotions.I'm originally from the Mid-ATLANTIC(VA and Maryland)several years ago it VA wa considered the south and Maryland fell into the category of 50% of the time depending on who you talked to.But now its a little bit more devloped and North Carolina and other south east states take our place.I think it may surpass us in the lifestyle department in the next 10 years from now,but I always loved the south I think its unfair for Northerners to live down there and not adapt or even accept their new lifestlyle

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by cotton

"In other words can people tell you from up north just by talking to them."

Sorry. The answer to this question is "yes." Northerns talk faster than we do and they are usually more direct and abrupt.

But if you do talk to them don't assume that direct and abrupt is "rude", either, which is a common misconception here.

I'm originally from middle West Virginia which isn't really what some might call "Northern" but it's definately not deep South, either. In my particular area we actually have a very monotone accent and when I first moved down here people guessed at my being from Wisconsin or some place like that. We do however, speak more quickly than folks down here, and get to the point much quicker (much shorter conversations).

I remember when I first came here it seemed (to me) like it took the natives here forever to get to the point. I was used to going from point A to point B in 15 seconds or less, but here I'd have conversations with people who would stop-off at points D, F, M, and P on their WAY to B. LOL. My first couple of years talking to people here involved me talking to myself in my head while they were speaking... "c'mon.. c'mon... oh dear god get to the POINT already!". I have a coworker now who's originally from South Georgia and I swear to god it takes him 22 minutes to say "excuse me" in whatever way he does it. People usually fall asleep listening to him try to spit out a paragraph. At the same time, a guy who works in our warehouse is from Boston and everyone has to go, "huh? what'd he say? what was that???", as he speak so fast.

I've now been here 20 or so years and when I get home my friends and family can definately hear a slight "twang" here and there with certain words, and I do talk more slowly (compared to them). So while SOME things have rubbed of on me, I still don't and never will sound like a native to here, though. Likewise, you could take someone from Brooklyn New York and stick them in lower Alabama and go back 25 years later and while they won't have the same harsh accent they had originally, they too still will not sound like a native to the new area.

[TakeAhike]

A few years ago I read somewhere that Andrew Young has the 'typical' Atlanta dialect/manner of speaking.

Zell Miller is representative of North Georgia/Appalachia.

Gov. Sonny Perdue--Athens.


Paula Dean--Food Network--Savannah/South GA.