Do you consider Ohio "Midwest" or "Back East?" (Cleveland: rating, metro)

[JefferyT]

I guess it depends on what on sees as going into a Southern influence. When it comes to the Mason-Dixon Line, this is just an arbitrary boundary. Baltimore, in my experience, was very much like Philly in most ways. Not just the sound of the speech pattern, but the look of the city with the rowhouses, and Baltimore being an industrial city. Baltimore is also very Jewish/Polish/Italian (Nancy Pelozi and Barbara Mikulski are from Baltimore) like a city in PA. Listen to Barbara Mikulski speak, and you will hear a good Baltimore accent. I don't think anyone, even a Bostonian, would hear this as a Southern sound.

That was my take on Baltimore, too.

I would also put Indianapolis ahead of Cincinnati, if not Dayton also. Those two were about the same.

Living in Dayton there is a local southern accent due to the appalachian migration and a local midwestern accent from people who are from Dayton (the few) or who migrated in from the farming country around city. The midwestern accent here is pretty generic, almost what we understand as the neutral America accent, probably a lot like the Columbus and Indianapolis accent, from what I can tell.

Cincinnatians seem to have maybe a sharper or crisper version of that midwestern accent. There is actually enough of subtle difference between Dayton and Cincy accents to tell the places apart if you've lived in the area long enough.

[WeSoHood]

Originally Posted by Cincy-Rise

We So Hood, what in the hell are you talking about?!

I'm so glad you can be original? Rise up Cinci!

[WeSoHood]

Originally Posted by Neuling

Do people in the States make fun of certain accents and dialects? In Germany there is a dialect called Saxon, which everybody makes fun of

By the way, that should have read: "...dialect that is not their own." in my post above :P

I make fun of Cincinnati accents because they usually argue they DON'T have one. LOL

Originally Posted by shelly1234

I don't know why this whole post is about accents, but I guess I'll give my input to the original question. I'm only 20 but I spent the first 14 years of my life in Youngstown, OH and the past 6 years in a New Jersey suburb of NYC (near Newark). Accent wise, yes it's a lot different. Culturally, however, they are both pretty similar. Both cities are kind of ugly and run down looking, lots of Italians, pizza parlors, etc.

I think it depends on where in Ohio you're talking about. Most people from the Youngstown-Warren area can agree that it definitely has a 'Jersey' feel to it. Cleveland has that vibe too even though I'm not too familiar with it. People from Youngstown and Cleveland are very different than people from Cincinnati and Columbus... in my opinion.

I can agree with that.

[000000]

Originally Posted by MaryBeth2

You're new here, aren't you?

nope. in fact, i'm so old here that my shtick is transparent. i hate youngstown, yeah yeah.

[Cincy-Rise]

We So Hood, don't be mad at the Cincinnatians on here just because we called you out on posting a skyline shot of Atlanta and claiming it was Cleveland! lol

[Orwelleaut]

The "I don't have an accent" thing is, I think, an earmark of the midwest. Ohio natives assume they do not have an accent. Ask a Pittsburgher if they have an accent, and they will say they do. As a Western New Yorker, and they will say they do. Ask an Clevelander, though, where the local accent is very akin to Buffalo, and the answer is usually: "We hee-ave an eee-accent?" Down in Mansfield, one hears: "We dewn't have an accent, dew we?" Head to Youngstown, and you hear: "We do nawwwwt have an accent, nawwwt a chance" as you hear the sounds of Western PA.

The reality is that all speakers of all languages speak in some kind of dialect. Dialects and regional speech are part of the local flavor of an area. No dialect is wrong, but all dialects are unique. Even news broadcasters, if you listen hard enough, have some time of regional dialect. Cleveland would not be as fun without those "ee-ack" sounds and the radio having a "val-yewm" knob, as Western PA would not be as fun without "up 'ere", "n 'at", and "yunz". I can't imagine Columbus and central "Ew-high-ew" without "thewse letter ews". Regional speech is great!!! Yunz enjoy it, 'ere!!

[BelieveInCleve]

Originally Posted by Cincy-Rise

...Cincinnati has 4 - 1 million metros within a 100 miles, and a 5th metro with half a million people. Even Louisville resembles the midwest more so than the south. This can be attributed to its early river/industrial/European beginnings. Indianapolis is right in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by farmland... You do know that we're an hour away, right?

1st of all explain to what this has to do with anything. Then explain to me what the "4 - 1 million metros" are and "5th metro with half a million people" within 100 miles. Then explain to me what that has to do with anything.

Cincinnati only has three 1 million+ metro within 100 miles, Louisville, Columbus, and Indianapolis. Also Columbus, and Indianapolis are barely within 100 miles, only the outskirts of the metro areas. I have no clue what the other "1 million metro" your talking about. Dayton could be the 500k+ metro your talking about. Lexington is not even 500k. Chicago only has one 1+ million metro and no 500k+ metros within 100 miles, and that hasnt stopped it from becoming more northern, less rural, and more important than Cincinnati. So I dont see where your going with that.

[Cincy-Rise]

Originally Posted by Cle440

1st of all explain to what this has to do with anything. Then explain to me what the "4 - 1 million metros" are and "5th metro with half a million people" within 100 miles. Then explain to me what that has to do with anything.

Cincinnati only has three 1 million+ metro within 100 miles, Louisville, Columbus, and Indianapolis. Also Columbus, and Indianapolis are barely within 100 miles, only the outskirts of the metro areas. I have no clue what the other "1 million metro" your talking about. Dayton could be the 500k+ metro your talking about. Lexington is not even 500k. Chicago only has one 1+ million metro and no 500k+ metros within 100 miles, and that hasnt stopped it from becoming more northern, less rural, and more important than Cincinnati. So I dont see where your going with that.

My point is that we're in an urban metrololis. Re-read my points on living in a rural area and an urban one and how this effects accents. When the Creation Museum was asked on my they picked the Cincy region to build the museum here, their answer was because 2/3 of the nation's population can drive here comfortablty within a day. Greater Dayton is roughly one million people. C'mon man, you didn't need to ask that stpuid question, you have access to a map just as quick as I do.

I can drive from greater Cincinnati to greater Cols, Indy, Dayton, L'ville, and Lex within an hour. I'm not sure what your point is? As of 2003, Lex has 480,000 people ... Dude ... seriously, research.

You mention Chi-town's neighbors:

... but how many people are in greater Chicago??? Thank you. You can go 40 miles out of Chicago's city center and maintain the Chicago accent. What happens if you travel 40 miles outside of Indy? No need to apologize here.

[BelieveInCleve]

The truth is that you had a lot of false information in your last post. I called you out on it because I had done the research, and you obviously had not. As far as me asking you to explain it, its called sarcasm. I knew what you said was not true.

Dayton metro has 830k people. Since when is it okay to call 830k: 1 million? Lexington metro is 450k, not half a million. There is no way that your getting to Columbus, Louisville, or Indianapolis from Cincinnati within an hour driving. Unless of course your talking about driving from the very edge of one metro into the very edge of the other metro. And being as those areas are farms/undeveloped land that have barely any relation to the major city, that ends whatever point you were trying to make right there.

A lot of farms and tiny villages are within 1 days driving from 2/3 of the US population too, does that make them special? Your making up/exaggerating stats to get them to prove your nonexistent point. Your logic is beyond ridiculous and your making no sense.

[Cincy-Rise]

Originally Posted by Cle440

The truth is that you had a lot of false information in your last post. I called you out on it because I had done the research, and you obviously had not. As far as me asking you to explain it, its called sarcasm. I knew what you said was not true.

Dayton metro has 830k people. Since when is it okay to call 830k: 1 million? Lexington metro is 450k, not half a million. There is no way that your getting to Columbus, Louisville, or Indianapolis from Cincinnati within an hour driving. Unless of course your talking about driving from the very edge of one metro into the very edge of the other metro. And being as those areas are farms/undeveloped land that have barely any relation to the major city, that ends whatever point you were trying to make right there.

A lot of farms and tiny villages are within 1 days driving from 2/3 of the US population too, does that make them special? Your making up/exaggerating stats to get them to prove your nonexistent point. Your logic is beyond ridiculous and your making no sense.

Dayton has 835,537 and Lex has 447,173 ... so you're wrong. There's no reason why you should have exaggerated those numbers here.

... and your driving comments just prove what has been proven time and time again. You have a major lack of knowledge of SWOH altogether.