Do people in RI know they have accents? (Newport: buy, movies)

[telephony]

I was just wondering if the people in RI actually know they have different accents? I ask this because of tv and movies where people talk with normal US accents. I mean you don't hear most celebrities say things like "get in the caaa, go to the storWAA, and buy a QwatA milk." I visited RI from CA and people knew I was not from there. Even this cop on the beach heard my voice and then commented to the other cop about all the out of towners. You guys have to know you have these accents, right?

[elfyum]

Originally Posted by telephony

I was just wondering if the people in RI actually know they have different accents? I ask this because of tv and movies where people talk with normal US accents. I mean you don't hear most celebrities say things like "get in the caaa, go to the storWAA, and buy a QwatA milk." I visited RI from CA and people knew I was not from there. Even this cop on the beach heard my voice and then commented to the other cop about all the out of towners. You guys have to know you have these accents, right?

Some probably don't!
I have talked to so many people with southern accents, however slight yet still noticeable to a Noo Yawka, & they're like, "what accent?"
I love those RI accents! I think they're cute as hell!

[Sparky34769]

The accent makes it easier for us to find each other down here in FL! LOL
(transplanted New Englanda)

[traceyr13]

Not all native Rhode Islanders have the accent. My huband was born and raised in RI, all of his family has the accent, but my husband doesn't have a trace of it. He likes to say they knew he was destined to leave RI when he was just a child since he "never sounded like them". I moved RI from MA when I was in 7th grade and lived there (with the exception of college) until 2 years ago, and I don't have the RI accent or the MA accent.

Now that we're in TX, people can tell we're not from TX, but can never place it. I don't know what our accent is, lol!

I don't know if anyone watches Big Brother, but last night they had a blip about the RI accent - one of the girls is from RI and another person was trying to get her to say water correctly. It was pretty funny.

[emilybh]

Having summered in Newport, RI since I was born and lived there year round after graduating from college ----(notice I did not say "graduating college" like most Rhode Islanders say-- which is INCORRECT ENGLISH. Think about it, the college did not graduate YOU did.)-----I also think the Rhode Island accent is unfortunate. It makes them sound dumb. Also it is challenging if you have kids that don't have an accent and they try to take a spelling test given by a teacher with a Rhode Island accent who slaughters the phonetics of each word she is testing the kids on. As a parent, you almost have to learn the accent yourself so you can prepare your child for how the teacher will most likely INCORRECTLY pronounce it.

My father had a Boston accent (which is similar to a Rhode Island accent) when he entered college and his fraternity brothers at MIT made him stand up every night and recite something until he got rid of his accent. He was happy to have done that.

I think at least half upper middle class Rhode Islanders, unless they are Neuveaux Riche don't have Rhode Island accents. many more of the middle and lower classes will.

[GermanSpy]

Originally Posted by emilybh

I think at least half upper middle class Rhode Islanders, unless they are Neuveaux Riche don't have Rhode Island accents. many more of the middle and lower classes will.

If you want to go on about people sounding dumb because of how they pronounce words I'd suggest the next time you use foreign terms to sound sophisticated at least try to spell them right instead of butchering them.

It would be the nouveaux riches you're talking about.

[Rnrboy]

Zing!

[ljd1010]

I definitely have a RI accent - not quite as thick as my husband but it is still prominent. I am neither dumb nor unsophisticated. Despite a graduate degree and having lived in several states over the years, I still pahk my cah and drink cawfee. Oh, and BTW - I can spell and I've NEVER said "graduating college".

[backdrifter]

Oh snap!

[HoneyRyder]

Yes, there is a RI accent. Different from the New England accent. More whiny, less rough. LOL

Waduhhh....yeah I've been watching BB 10 also. Go Michelle! Did you hear Dan's pep speech? Put RI on the map!

I honestly don't really have too much of an accent but it's there. I never really knew I did all these RI-specific things. I'm kind of oblivious and never thought I followed any sort of common behaviors. Then I looked up this 100 ways you know you are from RI list and I did like half of those listed items regularly.