Missouri...Southern or Midwestern? (Kansas City, St. Louis: new home, buy, to live)

[mrsgenealogy]

Originally Posted by ajf131

I disagree about the people of Mexico, Missouri, having extremely strong Southern accents. Little Rock has extremely strong Southern dialect....my grandmother, from what I heard from her speech the 16 years of my life she was alive, and her family, according to my father, had accents but they were nowhere remotely close to the Southern speech patterns of Little Rock or anywhere in the South for that matter. I even visited Mexico....in most of Northern Missouri I would still argue that the dialect is far more Midwestern than Southern. I'm gonna be honest about this...the areas of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio which are at the same latitude as all of Northern Missouri have a bit of an accent, but still sound Midwestern to me and fairly similar to Northern Missouri. Maybe your family does sound like it but to say most of that area sounds like Arkansas or any part of the south to me is really stretching it in my opinion. I don't hear any dialects comparable to that of Arkansas in any part of the state except really for Southeast Missouri, in Sikeston and the counties near to it. that dialect does not exist anywhere in Northern Missouri. If it did, Southern dialect would be found in over 50 percent of Illinois and portions of Iowa. plus if you google Missouri dialect you will hear a recording of two different men....one native to Hannibal, and one native to Mexico....that is what Northern Missouri dialect sounds like. If you ask me, these dialects are pretty typical of rural Lower Midwestern dialect. It must be noted that this dialect is not flat...it does twang a bit but is mostly pretty flat and very distinct from Southern dialect to me. I was in Boone County actually several months ago. I didn't hear any Southern speech patterns, not even among the old folks. Little Dixie may once have featured Southern dialect due to the fact the area was settled by Southerners, but you'd never guess that visiting the region today at least if you'd been there when I was there. And actually, my opinions about Springfield I mostly said just not to start up an argument. I actually do agree with you about Springfield. Look at Matt Blunt....I've heard his accent...it actually sounds pretty midwestern to me! Even when i was in joplin, I did not hear any Southern dialect, and my father grew up there and he sounds by all accounts very Midwestern. The only parts where I've heard true Southern dialect spoken from everyone are in the Mississippi Delta region of Missouri. Those people sound exactly the same as people from Arkansas. Most of Missouri from what I've found in general does not have a true Southern accent. I could be wrong about some areas, but my experience and people i've talked with personally suggest nothing but that. That's not to say I haven't heard some Southern speech patterns from individual people, but never have I been to an area in Missouri in which the general population spoke with a true Southern accent other than again, the Mississippi Delta counties of far Southeast Missouri. This was the only place in Missouri where I've heard an accent among the general population which really sounded comparable to that of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas. It's just my opinion and my experience and the general consensus I've gotten from many people I know personally, both from Missouri and not from Missouri. If my personal experience told any different, I'd be whistling a whole different tune on here. Also just to clarify Ozarksboy, we are on the same page now. I don't think people from Rolla have no accent at all, the speech patterns I heard there were mixed...i've heard flat accents, Southern accents...I'm just not sure people from Rolla sound the same as Sikeston, Missouri...if you get what i'm saying. You live there though, so you probably know that answer better than me.

I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I was thinking of when you said, "I have a grandmother who was originally from Mexico, Missouri. She had that twang of which you speak." and didn't retain the rest of your paragraph which explained that it wasn't much after all.

Also, I said that my family had strong accents, "too". That didn't mean that everyone in Mexico or Boone County had strong accents. I was just still mistaken about your comment on your grandmother's twang.

I really was only meaning to comment on my personal experience. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding.

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by mrsgenealogy

I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I was thinking of when you said, "I have a grandmother who was originally from Mexico, Missouri. She had that twang of which you speak." and didn't retain the rest of your paragraph which explained that it wasn't much after all.

Also, I said that my family had strong accents, "too". That didn't mean that everyone in Mexico or Boone County had strong accents. I was just still mistaken about your comment on your grandmother's twang.

I really was only meaning to comment on my personal experience. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding.

it's ok i didn't mean to come across as hostile, I apologize. Your personal experience is certainly valid and I respect it

[mrsgenealogy]

Originally Posted by ajf131

it's ok i didn't mean to come across as hostile, I apologize. Your personal experience is certainly valid and I respect it

Hey, ajf! I just saw that you responded here, too. I didn't want anyone to think I ignored you here so I just wanted to say, "No problem! Thanks! I totally forgive you. I'm sorry if I made too much of it, too." Okay, everyone...break it up...go on home...there's no news here! Hahaha! Seriously, goodnight everyone!

[dxiweodwo]

Originally Posted by mrsgenealogy

Good point, JohnKing!

I agree that a big town vs a small town can make a big difference in accents. I went to Atlanta, GA for the Comdex convention back in '93 and was amazed at how few of the people that visited our booth had an accent! That was before the Olympics were there but I learned Atlanta is quite a big business mecca and people have moved there from all over the country.

Besides that, the convention was the largest computer convention in the U.S. at the time and probably drew people from all over the east and south since the second largest at the time was the Comdex Convention in Las Vegas.

You know since St. Louis truly was the gateway to the west back when the west was new, I have found that most people I've met through genealogy have MO ancestors in their family roots.

that's simply beacuse atlanta is a HUGE city and people don't have a country accent there. i live in McDonough, ga about 30 minutes from ATL and people have a huge southern accent.

[mrsgenealogy]

Originally Posted by dxiweodwo

that's simply beacuse atlanta is a HUGE city and people don't have a country accent there. i live in McDonough, ga about 30 minutes from ATL and people have a huge southern accent.

Isn't it funny how that happens in big cities? Do you think it is partly because people come from all over to live and work in the big businesses? I wasn't sure if it was because of the convention attendees being from all over or if it was also because it is such a business mecca, drawing people from all over.

Whatever the reason, it was sure beautiful down there!

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by dxiweodwo

that's simply beacuse atlanta is a HUGE city and people don't have a country accent there. i live in McDonough, ga about 30 minutes from ATL and people have a huge southern accent.

I agree with Atlanta and Georgia. In fact even though I hear plenty of people that don't have SOuthern accents in Atlanta, I've heard more than enough Deep South and Georgia accents in Atlanta. Atlanta experienced a large influx of Northerners...but there are PLENTY of Southerners in Atlanta.

[dxiweodwo]

on your thing about missouri being southern or midwestern, i'd say it's midwestern.

[mrsgenealogy]

Originally Posted by ajf131

...you actually reside in the few parts of Missouri that have sweet tea, which I love to death. I always stop at Lambert's Cafe there whenever I pass through that area on I-55 on the way to Memphis. SE Missouri is beautiful from what I noticed, very flat and the sky seems big. Hopefully it will stay that way as long as the New Madrid fault remains quiet. Here in St. Louis, Cracker Barrels are the only place to get sweet tea. Sweet tea needs to become available I think everywhere. Splenda and Equal, or any type of sugar put in cold iced tea just doesn't get that sweet mouthwatering flavor...oh well...probably will take another drive down there this summer

So, THAT'S where the other Lambert's in Sikeston is! Aha! Just above the boothill area! We've got a Lambert's here in Ozark, too! You get a lotta food and a lotta tea for your buck there, too! Now, if we could just do something about those loooong lines...!

We haven't been to the Cracker Barrel in Springfield, yet. We'll get there soon. I'm gonna try their grits (first time for me!) and now, their sweet tea! We went to the Cracker Barrel in Joplin last year when we were looking to buy and loved our meal! We didn't even know there was one in Springfield since it is "off our beaten path" but someone here in the forum mentioned it and I've since learned it is on Glenstone. I don't usually go up very far north on that street so hadn't seen it...or noticed it when I did. Anyway, thanks for the reminder!

Also, I think we're all in agreement with you in hoping that the New Madrid fault remains quiet! Some of us are even praying that it will!

MrsG

[ShadowCaver]

lol - sweet tea, oh my... love that brew. Only ~4 locations that have found so far that carry it up here in NE Indiana , but , we make it here at home, ~1.5 gallons a day. ajf131 - you are so right, poor waitstaff,,, whenever I ask for sweet tea, and they just don't understand the look on my face when they say that there is sugar/sweetener on the table...

Yea, actually the Lamberts there in Sikeston is the original [well, its the town w/ the original, as they've been in I think three locations there over their span]. LOL - makes me recall that time I took a coworker [he being plant manager and sales manager], from the concrete jumble of NJ/NYC, with the accent, clothes, and all. Picked him up at StL airport, took him to his first ever Steak 'n Shake { - my fav fast food joint}, and then the ride down I-55 - OMG!, that poor guy - he had never been in the country before; for the next few hours during our ride, as the sun was setting, he could NOT believe the lack of civilization, the sparse lighting, all the trees/green, no homes/buildings for miles and miles, etc. So durn funny - he was so out of his habitat! Anyhow, we spent some time in the New Madrid area for business, and of course I just had to take him to Lambert's also... He loved it - to this day, we still laugh and talk about that trip [~5 years ago]. I even had the honour of totaling the company van during the end of that trip, after he'd flown out, but,, that is another story...

MrsG - I think that there is also a Steak 'n Ale on Glenstone too? If recall correctly; good salad bar/steaks there... But, its on southern part, whereas Cracker Barrel is up northern area,,, I think... Good used CD store near the Steak 'n Ale area too, opposite/east side of the street. Sorry,,, getting bit off topic...

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by ShadowCaver

lol - sweet tea, oh my... love that brew. Only ~4 locations that have found so far that carry it up here in NE Indiana , but , we make it here at home, ~1.5 gallons a day. ajf131 - you are so right, poor waitstaff,,, whenever I ask for sweet tea, and they just don't understand the look on my face when they say that there is sugar/sweetener on the table...

Yea, actually the Lamberts there in Sikeston is the original [well, its the town w/ the original, as they've been in I think three locations there over their span]. LOL - makes me recall that time I took a coworker [he being plant manager and sales manager], from the concrete jumble of NJ/NYC, with the accent, clothes, and all. Picked him up at StL airport, took him to his first ever Steak 'n Shake { - my fav fast food joint}, and then the ride down I-55 - OMG!, that poor guy - he had never been in the country before; for the next few hours during our ride, as the sun was setting, he could NOT believe the lack of civilization, the sparse lighting, all the trees/green, no homes/buildings for miles and miles, etc. So durn funny - he was so out of his habitat! Anyhow, we spent some time in the New Madrid area for business, and of course I just had to take him to Lambert's also... He loved it - to this day, we still laugh and talk about that trip [~5 years ago]. I even had the honour of totaling the company van during the end of that trip, after he'd flown out, but,, that is another story...

MrsG - I think that there is also a Steak 'n Ale on Glenstone too? If recall correctly; good salad bar/steaks there... But, its on southern part, whereas Cracker Barrel is up northern area,,, I think... Good used CD store near the Steak 'n Ale area too, opposite/east side of the street. Sorry,,, getting bit off topic...

Yea, lol one of my best friends lives in Ithaca, New York. He used to live in St. Louis and he continuously talks about how badly he misses Steak 'n Shake. Steak 'n Shake is still attempting to spread out of the central United States. Pretty much the only places in the U.S. you will find it are obviously in the Midwest since that is where it originated (in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois), maybe the Easternmost Great Plains states, and of course, the mid-South. Steak 'n Ale?? i've never heard of the place...what is it, a Steak 'n Shake that serves ale instead of shakes? Cracker Barrels are everywhere now. The lower Midwestern states have had them for quite awhile and they exist as far north as Minnesota now. Waffle Houses have made it up to Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Illinois has only two and they are in the St. Louis metro area. Strange how Waffle Houses are so numerous now throughout all of Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri yet Illinois has none. In Northeast Ohio there are five waffle-houses surrounding Cleveland and several more in Toledo, and they are on the verge of spreading into Michigan now. Most of the historically Southern chain restaurants are also in the Midwest now. Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Kansas City now all have between 10 and 17 immediately surrounding them in their metro areas. And again, Cleveland and Toledo have between 3 to 5 in their metro areas. Yet almost of all of Illinois has none....don't you find that strange when so much of Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio contain them? I know I do...