In what ways is Southern Missouri southern, and in what ways is it not? (St. Louis: areas, cities)

[northbayeric]

Jack Buck, Mike Shannon, Joyce Meyer, the woman who led our tour of Jacob's Cave in Versailles when Mrs. NBE and I were there a couple of years ago who'd answer our questions with the most delightful twangy "I'll tell you what...."--I think they all sound great! (Jack Buck posthumously, but "Heeeere's the pitch....." is forever etched in my hammers, anvils, stirrups and cochleas for all time! )

[OA 5599]

Haha, I did learn all sorts of awesome sayings growing up in the Ozarks...some of which I still use.

"You'ins" = you all, or ya'll (the latter of which I rarely hear in the Ozarks but heard all the time in Texas)
"Over yonder" = some distance in a particular direction (could be 100 yards of 10 miles). I use this all the time.
"I reckon" = I think. I also use this all the time.
"Do what?" = What did you just say?
"I'm fixin" or "I'm a fixin'" = I am about to do __________
"Waur", "Aull", "Tar" = wire, oil, and tire. I've only heard a few old-timers in the Ozarks pronounce these words this way. Not so much in the younger generations.

[Cali BassMan]

Oh yeah my Cousins in SE Missoura have that accent...
You'ins wanna go over yonder to the crik, We's a fixin to go
Oh course they say I talk funny to which I reply " Dude, Like I don't have an accent Man"

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by northbayeric

Jack Buck, Mike Shannon, Joyce Meyer, the woman who led our tour of Jacob's Cave in Versailles when Mrs. NBE and I were there a couple of years ago who'd answer our questions with the most delightful twangy "I'll tell you what...."--I think they all sound great! (Jack Buck posthumously, but "Heeeere's the pitch....." is forever etched in my hammers, anvils, stirrups and cochleas for all time! )

Jack Buck isn't from St. Louis, he's actually from Massachusetts. Not a twang whatsoever. I know that phrase...if you'd call that twanged, I dunno...you must not understand what a twang is. And if you think Mike Shannon sounds Southern, I gotta tell ya that you don't know what a Southern accent is, let alone a twang!

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by OA 5599

Haha, I did learn all sorts of awesome sayings growing up in the Ozarks...some of which I still use.

"You'ins" = you all, or ya'll (the latter of which I rarely hear in the Ozarks but heard all the time in Texas)
"Over yonder" = some distance in a particular direction (could be 100 yards of 10 miles). I use this all the time.
"I reckon" = I think. I also use this all the time.
"Do what?" = What did you just say?
"I'm fixin" or "I'm a fixin'" = I am about to do __________
"Waur", "Aull", "Tar" = wire, oil, and tire. I've only heard a few old-timers in the Ozarks pronounce these words this way. Not so much in the younger generations.

You said you grew up in the far southern part of the state though correct?

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by ajf131

You said you grew up in the far southern part of the state though correct?

Yes. Arkansas is 45 minutes south of here. Springfield is 90 minutes to the west. I'm actually back in my home county right now, relaxing for a few weeks. It is good to be home and enjoying country life again before moving back to the city.

[Orwelleaut]

Originally Posted by OA 5599

Haha, I did learn all sorts of awesome sayings growing up in the Ozarks...some of which I still use.

"You'ins" = you all, or ya'll (the latter of which I rarely hear in the Ozarks but heard all the time in Texas)
"Over yonder" = some distance in a particular direction (could be 100 yards of 10 miles). I use this all the time.
"I reckon" = I think. I also use this all the time.
"Do what?" = What did you just say?
"I'm fixin" or "I'm a fixin'" = I am about to do __________
"Waur", "Aull", "Tar" = wire, oil, and tire. I've only heard a few old-timers in the Ozarks pronounce these words this way. Not so much in the younger generations.

My Grandma, who grew up in Northern WVA near the PA border, used pretty much all of these expressions. She always referred to a fire as a "far", and referred to someone of Irish ancestry as being "arsh". When it came to cleaning the dishes or her clothes, she was doing the "warsh", and that city where the president and all of the other political big shots do their stuff was "Warshington". Do folks around the Ozarks "warsh" their dishes??

[ShadowCaver]

Originally Posted by Orwelleaut

My Grandma, who grew up in Northern WVA near the PA border, used pretty much all of these expressions. She always referred to a fire as a "far", and referred to someone of Irish ancestry as being "arsh". When it came to cleaning the dishes or her clothes, she was doing the "warsh", and that city where the president and all of the other political big shots do their stuff was "Warshington". Do folks around the Ozarks "warsh" their dishes??

Yeap,,, in the crick or in the sank. One way or nuther, they will get warshed and clean.


BTW, spent some time this past week in Minneapolis... and was to hear folks up there telling me that I have an accent, that there is a twang in my voice . lol, one poor lady didn't know what to laugh at me [errrr,,, with me] more about, the request for sweet tea or just hearing me speak.

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by ShadowCaver

Yeap,,, in the crick or in the sank. One way or nuther, they will get warshed and clean.


BTW, spent some time this past week in Minneapolis... and was to hear folks up there telling me that I have an accent, that there is a twang in my voice . lol, one poor lady didn't know what to laugh at me [errrr,,, with me] more about, the request for sweet tea or just hearing me speak.

In Minnesota,they have an accent with some Canadian influences, so to them it probably would sound like you have a twang. My cousin from Cleveland once told me when she was in Minneapolis that they thought she was from the south too. Go figure.

[Orwelleaut]

Minnesota and Wisconsin definitely have a distinctive accent. The accent of the great lakes area that is heard in Chicago and Detroit, with the "ee-ack" sounds, reflects Scandinavian and Germanic influences in these states. The letter "o" is very rounded, words like about and out sound a little Canadian, and "ya" replaces the nasal "yea" of Chicago.

Travel to this Upper Midwest area with any accent different from the local speechways, and locals will notice your accent. They especially notice eastern accents, and will enjoy hearing you talk if your letter "o" sounds have an "ew" sound to them. A Northern Ohio speech pattern sounds eastern to them, though, not Southern. They hear something that sounds like Jersey in the Cleveland accent. If you have a Western Pennsylvania type accent, they will also hear a Jersey type accent.