Anyone know any born'n'bred Ohioans with a very strong Southern accent? (South Point: cities, difference between)

[Orwelleaut]

Very true, Colts!!! Michigan, especially, gets that raspy "pirate with a head cold" twang that has a country sound to it. The vowel pronunciation is definitely not Southern, but there is a strong twang to the speech that does sound very down home. Those long "a" sounds like in "Gree-and Ree-apids" could, I suppose, sound Southern to a New Yorker or New Englander. To a fast-talking New Yorker, maybe the "ee-ack" thing sounds rather drawed.

[brian515]

In SE Ohio near West Virginia there's a lot of people with southern style accents.

[MaryBeth2]

I was born in the North and spent the last 20 years in the South. Down here, people will say they pick up a NY accent, but when I talk to folks back home, they say they hear a southern accent. Go figure. I dont think I have an accent at all.

[monkeycookie]

The Portsmouth area has a lot of unessary R's like Warshington D.C or will you warsh the dishes.

[ShermanJoe]

There are some strong accents in southern Ohio, but I wouldn't call them southern. Maybe closer to what you'd hear in West Virginia? I'm from Portsmouth, btw. Some of my family have strong accents.

[Bobilee]

Well, the linguists at the Univ. of PA consider the WV accent to be southern.
South Regional Map

[ShermanJoe]

Since there's no one southern accent....it might be more correct to call the type of accent I'm familiar with as South Midland or Highland Southern.

[RememberMee]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

...they were portraying these people are rednecks with a racial prejudice against black people. A lot of them said they wouldn't vote for him for no other reason than he was black, even if he was probably the better bet to improve their ailing town.

"Redneck refers to a person who is stereotypically Caucasian and of lower socio-economic status in the United States and Canada, particularly referring to those living in rural areas." The definition is misleading since high social status is impossible without high economic status. There are plenty of Ph.D.s lecturing for $10/hr, no benefits, no hope for a "real job". Times are changing.

Most satisfaction in life comes from feeling superior to other people

[RememberMee]

I have a girlfriend born and raised in central Ohio, when she gets angry her well defined southern drawl magically appears. BTW, finding Southern accent is becoming a challenge even in the deep South. Desire to jump "better oneself (children)", TV, mass cult, mass education, corporate uniformity kills Southern accent right as we speak. In 20 years it may be gone.

[htlong]

theres is a difference between a southern accent and a west va accent and the southern Ohio accent reeks of ramps ! no offense!