Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That's interesting. When I was a teenager, I had a friend whose mother was from Germany. I once said that I loved her mother's accent. She said, "My mother has an accent?" On the other hand, I have a friend with a Cuban mother, and when she's repeating something her mother said, she says it in her mom's Cuban accent and it's hilarious.
It's so funny that you say that. My father's parents were from Ireland. Growing up in the Bronx, I guess my father never really noticed they had a distinct Irish brogue until one day his coach from school called home. The next day the coach mentioned that his mother had a lovely accent and my father was surprised to hear his mother had an accent at all!
My coworker from the Bronx doesn't have a New York accent.
A Russian girl I knew in California had what I thought was a slight Russian accent, but then I found out she was from Queens and realized it was a New York accent.
My little sister who was born and grew up in California had a New York accent when she was very little. When I asked my mom why she was talking like that (I thought maybe she was channeling some New York past life), she said it was because of Sesame Street!
I am a native of Brooklyn and until recently I spoke with a strong Puerto Rican accent since most of my family came to New York from the Puerto Rico slot of second generation still accents from their parents particularly if English is not the first language spoken at home. I have met many Dominicans, and also West Indian native new Yorkers who have the accent of their families native lands.
A language teacher I had said that most area accents can be detected by saying the three words: merry, Mary and marry. He said VERY few people say all three distinctively different.
I did, but only because of a SLIGHT accidental cheat.
Some friends of mine from college say all 3 of them differently.
Quote:
I had a freshman roommate from Northern new Jersey who pronounced LORE and LAW exaclty the same. and he denied it saying over and over: "One is pronounced lore and the other is pronounced lore." I think I made him do it 500 times, I got such a kick out of it.
Worse is those who pronounce caught and cot exactly the same, they really can't make them sound differently. Occasionally, I'll get confused and not recognize a word the speaker is saying.
People I know from Manhattan usually don't have much of an accent. The people I know that are from the boroughs usually do have a pretty noticeable accent.
^ lol not really. how many people from
other states do you know of use the
word 'vernacular'? ny has lots of words
that people from other towns never use.
I get this all the time. Born in CT, so not a native, but my family and I moved to Queens when I was 12. Grew up in South Ozone Park. No one believes me because I have ZERO accent. It's actually a problem,because people think I'm lying about my background. When I'm in Cali, everyone thinks I'm FROM Cali. *Smh
I say YO a lot but otherwise people ask me what country I am from because I don't have a NY accent.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
