Do people in RI know they have accents? (Providence, Newport: university, living)

[CoventryDude]

Originally Posted by westcoastbound

A Roh Dighland accent?! No suh! You kiddin? I need a drink from da bubbla befowa I think some mowa bout dis. Weah naught from Boston, dat's fa shuh. Mowa like New Yawk. I'll ask my bruddah Pooawlie bout dis.

LOL, perfect!

[surfer1280]

I don't understand why a Rhode Island accent would differ from a Boston accent AND be more like a NY/LI/NJ accent.
That defies logic since Rhode Island is right next to Boston and tied culturally to Boston NOT New York.
Can someone explain.

Originally Posted by aphorista

This has been very interesting. I lived in Pawcatuck CT until I was 6 yo and then moved to outside of Hartford and went into speech therapy to learn to say my Rs. However, I still say tomarra instead of tomorrow and put an R into soda. Guess it is that Rhode Island R.

Were in CT do they begin to drop their R's and have the Rhode Island accent?
How far from Rhode Island does it begin?

[Daniel L.]

Speaking of Rhode Island accents and colloquialisms, there's a new vendor in the Providence Place Food Court named... "J'EAT?" LOL. They sell "Gagga's", and other Rhode Island favorites.

[aphorista]

Originally Posted by surfer1280

I don't understand why a Rhode Island accent would differ from a Boston accent AND be more like a NY/LI/NJ accent.
That defies logic since Rhode Island is right next to Boston and tied culturally to Boston NOT New York.
Can someone explain.


Were in CT do they begin to drop their R's and have the Rhode Island accent?
How far from Rhode Island does it begin?

We lived in Pawcatuck but I was born in Westerly RI because it was the closest hospital. My dad was a cop and said that when he would direct traffic, he would back it up into the Rhode Island side of the intersection. That is how close we were to RI.

[Rnrboy]

Originally Posted by surfer1280

I don't understand why a Rhode Island accent would differ from a Boston accent AND be more like a NY/LI/NJ accent.
That defies logic since Rhode Island is right next to Boston and tied culturally to Boston NOT New York.

The reason you don't understand is because it's an entirely faulty premise. (As I'm sure you suspect.) I moved here from out of state 6 years ago, and the first thing I noticed is there is no universal Rhody accent. In fact, I would say almost half the people here sound normal!

The other half, however, are divided into about 3 or 4 different accents. The areas around Providence definitely have more of a New York tinge to them, but there is also clearly a Boston influence. (Which is probably stronger.) Outside of the Providence area, the accent can become far more coastal New England. I have heard some people from South County who practically sound like they are from Olde England.

Either way, I'd say it's correct to believe that Rhode Island culture - including its accent - is far more associated with Boston than it is with New York.

[westcoastbound]

Except that they seem to be evenly (sometimes bitterly) divided as either Red Sox or Yankees fans.

[Rnrboy]

There are definitely way more Red Sox fans here. I'd say two to one, easy. Yankees don't start to dominate until you get into western CT.

[westcoastbound]

Well, several of my friends dressed their kids in Yankee uniforms for holiday photos. Guess I need to be more selective about choosing friends

[1979]

Originally Posted by surfer1280

I don't understand why a Rhode Island accent would differ from a Boston accent AND be more like a NY/LI/NJ accent.
That defies logic since Rhode Island is right next to Boston and tied culturally to Boston NOT New York.
Can someone explain.

Were in CT do they begin to drop their R's and have the Rhode Island accent?
How far from Rhode Island does it begin?

The accent from the Boston metro area is strikingly different from a Rhode Island accent, you notice it particularly if you are a native. The people, the culture, the attitude, the sophistication level are totally different between the two areas. The native Rhode Island accent is very similar to a Brooklyn accent, it could have to do with the large inner city working class background specifically with a large Italian population.

[1979]

Originally Posted by westcoastbound

A Roh Dighland accent?! No suh! You kiddin? I need a drink from da bubbla befowa I think some mowa bout dis. Weah naught from Boston, dat's fa shuh. Mowa like New Yawk. I'll ask my bruddah Pooawlie bout dis.

Precisely!