Our accent... (Louisville, Somerset: store, suburban, best)

[missymomof3]

vasinger how do you even hear the local accents? My husband is Irish and I don't hardly hear his accent anymore. I would think you would get used to it?

[vasinger]

Originally Posted by missymomof3

vasinger how do you even hear the local accents? My husband is Irish and I don't hardly hear his accent anymore. I would think you would get used to it?

I know a lady from Louisville, KY who has a very cultured accent that is similar to what you hear in Richmond, minus the "oot" "aboot" and "hoos".

Then I also realy like how Naomi Judd speaks. Her voice is very soothing to my ears.

In Richmond, its much like any other area in the South . You really only hear the accent among the elderly. The middle aged have somewhat , but its just not as distinctive as it used to be. A smattering of young people have the Tidewater accent. Most sound like Californians, or "Southern-Lite".

[think.reciprocity]

Originally Posted by kimmieyky

A question to those of you who have lived here all your life or at least for a long while...

How often are you teased or made fun of because of your accent?

I think about this because when I get back to my home county (Henry Co.), or when I am with my friends who live south of Louisville - it is not very long before my true self comes out and I throw the "ya'll's" and "reckon's" like wild fire. I have learned to flip it back and forth as the need arises - but sometimes I forget.

Why do I even feel the need to control it? Because working in Louisville for doctors, and interviewing for new careers has put me in a position to speak differently - and I hate it! I just want to be me - But my accent only highlights my blond hair, and I am automatically 'categorized' - if you know what I mean.

So - just curious if you guys feel the same need to tone it down on occassion - or if you even worry about it at all! I guess Louisville is so different because it is 'north' and has become a melting pot of immigrants from other states and countries - I truly feel the pressure to speak differently there.

My kids tease me about my 'phone voice' when they have called me at work - I turn the accent on and off like a switch!

What about ya'll?

KimmieyKY

Alright - well, I'm from Minnesota & my daddy was from the south - Georgia & South Carolina. But, this topic definitely is not exclusive to y'all in the south. I seem to adapt my speech, accent, language, vernacular depending upon the situation I am in & I definitely do not do it on purpose. Although I do find myself struggling somewhat when I go to visit my family in the "country" when I am most comfortable with a lot of urban vernacular. Every now & again folks will look at me like I'm crazy & I'll have to scramble to figure out what I said to perplex them.

I went last year to visit my friend in North Carolina & it actually took me about 2 weeks to re-acclimate my accent & speech. I have mastered the phone voice & always get comments from people about it. The concept seems fake to have a "phone voice" - but people always comment at how natural, pleasant, & genuine I sound on the telephone. It kicks in automatically & is simply one more facet of my multiple personalities... !!!

I can go anyplace & speak to anyone on any level & be as real & genuine as I was in the last. I don't think you should ever have to feel you must change your accent to please others - I would never do that for anyone. If you have a heavy southern accent & love it - more power to you - just be sure to enunciate your words so that folks can still understand regardless of the accent.

I rather appreciate my adaptability & consider each way I speak to be naturally a part of who I am. In all that you do - be authentic & all will be well.

My 50 cents worth...

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by vasinger

I know a lady from Louisville, KY who has a very cultured accent that is similar to what you hear in Richmond, minus the "oot" "aboot" and "hoos".

Then I also realy like how Naomi Judd speaks. Her voice is very soothing to my ears.

In Richmond, its much like any other area in the South . You really only hear the accent among the elderly. The middle aged have somewhat , but its just not as distinctive as it used to be. A smattering of young people have the Tidewater accent. Most sound like Californians, or "Southern-Lite".

Oh, I see. Thank you.

[gr8tobemom]

You are exactly right!LOL! I try to keep my accent in the scope of good grammer with a southern twang. My daughter is reading "Huckleberry Finn" in school. I was surprised how much I understood because it's written phonectically. She had some good stories to tell her classmates about southern sayings.

[Hogston]

i had to post in this thread cause i was explaining the "turning the accent off/on" to a friend of mine that is from california


He used to make fun of me so bad when we met in military tech school and call me a hick all the time, but over the years of living here in the midwest *kansas now* i have pretty much completely lost my "twang"

whats funny though...when i come back to pike county I get made fun of cause of the way i talk now....tables are turned..lol....i would never make fun of the southern accent...i love it and i miss it....but when i talk, people from around that part of kentucky always as me if im from Ohio...with a really sarcastic demeaning tone.....and i always reply nope...im from right here..lol...doesnt really help the situation but ...happens all the time when i come home...

i too hate how bad people talk about us because of the way we talk....i get aggravated when people think the accent makes you ignorant......NOT TRUE in the least....

if anything the people who think this are the ignorant ones.....they sure are missing out on some good, down to earth folks i can tell ya that

[leonard]

[quote=Hogston;1615290]i had to post in this thread cause i was explaining the "turning the accent off/on" to a friend of mine that is from california

I get in trouble with this all the time, but for just the opposite reason. I am from California where we actually do not have an "accent" as such (OK Spanish is beginning to be a common accent), but we do speak very fast. I unfortunately have a habit of, unconsciously, mimicking accents when on the phone or in person.

If speaking to my business agent in England I sound like I am from Liverpool. In Australia from Sydney. If I talk to a customer in Texas I speak of "fixin" to do something. I do not do it on purpose, I just fall into it. Those who do not know me think I am making fun of them, when I am not.

Now if I move to your neck of the woods, I will probably do the same thang.

Y'all will unner'stan, .......... I hope.

[Louisvilleslugger]

YouTube - Shatz on Trading Spouses

Watch this trading spouses episode in which a Jewish bostonian family switches wives with a Christian Kentucky family. The contrast is hillarious!!

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by Louisvilleslugger

YouTube - Shatz on Trading Spouses

Watch this trading spouses episode in which a Jewish bostonian family switches wives with a Christian Kentucky family. The contrast is hillarious!!

I watched that one... it was funny!

[gr8tobemom]

We are now living in the Chicago area. Everyday someone asks me where I'm from. When they say I have an accent I am always tempted to point out their accent too. The few times that I have they are surprised when I say that. It's putting the accent on certain parts of a word like "Minna-SO-ta. I'm proud of my accent although I do love the Southern drawl accent better.

It's also funny how people say "You must be a good cook if you are from the South!" I wish I could say that but my mom was from Indiana. She didn't cook Collard Greens and Grits.

Have any of you noticed that certain foods are called different things too. I noticed that a local Irish Pub calls grilled cheese, "Cheese Toasties". That's what we called them growing up. My mom also called Sloppy Joes, Gom. rhymes with mom. My great grandmother called cookies-"kookas".

They also call the bathroom the washroom here. I'm enjoying it so far.

Pam