[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by karibear

Now I'm flummoxed. I finally did some searching on the web, and everything I found says it's chiefly in the Pacific Northwest. I heard it first in Alaska, then in OK, but as long as I lived in the PNW, I never ever heard anyone other than myself use it. Maybe it was brought back here by workers from the North Slope's pipeline days. There were certainly plenty of Okies and Texans up there for the oil boom.

Oh, okay. Well, that would make sense: if it was attributed to workers from here in the South-Central that were in the PNW and then moved back.

[EarthBound?]

ya'all are talkin about the Okie accent, so whats your thoughts a Reba McIntires accent, Real or not, or just a little extra push to it.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by SeabeeBolt

ya'all are talkin about the Okie accent, so whats your thoughts a Reba McIntires accent, Real or not, or just a little extra push to it.

It's the real deal. Some of my relatives are from the area she was raised in....McAlester. I will say that I am not a huge fan of her music, however. I'm more of a Red Dirt guy myself....gimme some Stoney LaRue and Ragweed and I'm cool.

While pretty much all native Okies (with more than a generation or two of living in OK) have a Southern accent, the south-central and eastern parts of Oklahoma generally have a very strong accent. The south-central part of OK (Pauls Valley and below) may actually have the strongest accent of all Okies....perhaps even of those in the far southeastern corner of the state IMO. I have heard some of the SW Okies (from Lawton, Mangum, etc.) and they actually have a relatively strong accent as well.

I live in North Texas right now. I can tell you that the accent is actually stronger as you get closer to the Red River and away from the DFW Metroplex (which could be explained by excessive transplants, of course).

[EarthBound?]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

It's the real deal. Some of my relatives are from the area she was raised in....McAlester. I will say that I am not a huge fan of her music, however. I'm more of a Red Dirt guy myself....gimme some Stoney LaRue and Ragweed and I'm cool.

While pretty much all native Okies (with more than a generation or two of living in OK) have a Southern accent, the south-central and eastern parts of Oklahoma generally have a very strong accent. The south-central part of OK (Pauls Valley and below) may actually have the strongest accent of all Okies....perhaps even of those in the far southeastern corner of the state IMO. I have heard some of the SW Okies (from Lawton, Mangum, etc.) and they actually have a relatively strong accent as well.

I live in North Texas right now. I can tell you that the accent is actually stronger as you get closer to the Red River and away from the DFW Metroplex (which could be explained by excessive transplants, of course).

Hmm? Well then it must just be me. My wife and I were in Oklahoma back in November and I don't really remember much of any accent like hers. We traveled from Tahlequah, Muskogee and all the way down to Ft Sill/Lawton. I guess I just use to hearing folks like that from the far southern reaches of Ohio and yes they do have a twang to thier talk.

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by SeabeeBolt

Hmm? Well then it must just be me. My wife and I were in Oklahoma back in November and I don't really remember much of any accent like hers. We traveled from Tahlequah, Muskogee and all the way down to Ft Sill/Lawton. I guess I just use to hearing folks like that from the far southern reaches of Ohio and yes they do have a twang to thier talk.

I'm with you. We spent most of our time in Tulsa, but also drove to a lot of different areas down the eastern side of the state. Actually, in Tulsa there wasn't much of an accent at all. I don't remember anywhere else (that we stopped at) with excessive accents. And what we heard wasn't really a Southern accent. Seebee, maybe you and I need hearing aids?

[EarthBound?]

Originally Posted by SeabeeBolt

Hmm? Well then it must just be me. My wife and I were in Oklahoma back in November and I don't really remember much of any accent like hers. We traveled from Tahlequah, Muskogee and all the way down to Ft Sill/Lawton. I guess I just use to hearing folks like that from the far southern reaches of Ohio and yes they do have a twang to thier talk.

Ooops! I boo boo'd, the DW just corrected me that we were in Oklahoma in March . Brain F*rt, sorry

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Oh, I think ya'll misunderstood me. I was not trying to say that Reba's accent is the norm in Oklahoma.....her accent is probably an extreme case IMO. Most Oklahoma girls (those born and raised in OK) would talk something like a cross between Carrie Underwood (understated accent) and Reba (overstated accent).

There are others from Reba's area of Oklahoma (south-central to eastern OK) that have a very strong Southern accent. Again, I can say that because I have relatives from that area and some friends from the south-central and eastern parts of OK. Many of them speak with a strong accent.....of course, to me it sounds quite normal. Yet, having lived on the East/West coast and spending time in the Midwest (Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, for example), I can say that, in general, most Okies (again, if they are not 1st or 2nd generation transplants) will have an accent in comparison to the Northern, Midwestern, and Western states.

I think a lot of times, moreover, the media does a poor job of really capturing the culture of the South. It's usually overstated. Hence, people from other parts of the country come to a countrified/Southern place like Oklahoma and they expect a "true" (read non-existent) Southern accent to be in the likeness of Gone With the Wind characters or something. Not realistic........even for the majority of the Deep South.

[BornToFly]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

I think BornToFly was saying it is kinda pitiful that she likes the Okie accent so much....as in infatuated with Okie culture. That's how I read it, but I could be wrong.

Exactly. Infatuated is a good word for it.

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

It's the real deal. Some of my relatives are from the area she was raised in....McAlester. I will say that I am not a huge fan of her music, however. I'm more of a Red Dirt guy myself....gimme some Stoney LaRue and Ragweed and I'm cool.

I <3 Stoney LaRue!! And by Ragweed do you mean Cross Canadian Ragweed? I don't know what all they have for songs, but out of the ones I have heard I think the song "Boys From Oklahoma" is HILARIOUS, listen to it all the time... and I really like "After All" too.

[J double R]

Originally Posted by SeabeeBolt

Ooops! I boo boo'd, the DW just corrected me that we were in Oklahoma in March . Brain F*rt, sorry

I know it feels like forever, but dang! it's only been a few weeks.

[_redbird_]

I know someone said it before, but if you live in a small town and are around people from a small town a lot, you notice the accent a lot more. And they talk slower which makes the accent come out more.

Try talking real slow and see what happens. It is kind of strange when we go to OKC.

It's almost repulsive to see so many people and bldgs and cars. LOL. I don't mean literally, but if you live in a rural area like I do, commute to work via rural hwys, work in a rural area, then come home without ever going into or through any towns, you get used to NOT being in a city.

Then you run into people who also tend to stay away from OKC and other cities, you pick up on the accents easier.