Does Seattle have a hybrid accent? (Bellingham, Blaine: school, live, places)

[MimzyMusic]

Between American and Canadian? Does Bellingham? Blaine?

[NCWmark]

Personally I have always thought Seattle is too much of a melting pot to have an accent, but people never think they or those around them have an accent... those are only things people from other places have

[TXperson]

The people I've met from Washington state (and I mean outside of Seattle) sort of had an accent going on, but it was no where as strong as the accents of the people I've met from Minneapolis or Milwaukee.

[Ira500]

There does seem to be more of a distinct accent from eastern Washington, which sometimes is pronounced there as War shington.

[70Ford]

To me, coming from a good part of my life in Georgia, it's like a distinct lack of an accent. There's almost a lilting cadence to a Seattleite's pronunciation. I think it's neat. People thing my ack-cent is neat, too. It's just a whole wheelbarrow full of neat.

[seattlenextyear]

The natives I've met sound mostly Canadian to me. In fact, I often guess they are Canadian until they tell me they've lived here their whole life.

[LongDawson]

Old school Seattle people like me and my family like to use Canadian style when we want to sound like true natives. Just throw in an "Eh" here and there, for fun, that's all. You had to have grown up doing soccer exchanges with Canadians in order to get it right. That, and a lot of skiing in Whistler where you date the local girls. Do soccer teams still do weekend exchanges with Canadians any more? I've had the impression that Seattle families were not falling for the government "terror alert" stuff where they get pull a phony arab out of their costume closet as they push for more police at the Peace Arch. You never know. My kids don't play soccer unfortunately.

[70Ford]

Originally Posted by LongDawson

Old school Seattle people like me and my family like to use Canadian style when we want to sound like true natives. Just throw in an "Eh" here and there, for fun, that's all. You had to have grown up doing soccer exchanges with Canadians in order to get it right. That, and a lot of skiing in Whistler where you date the local girls. Do soccer teams still do weekend exchanges with Canadians any more? I've had the impression that Seattle families were not falling for the government "terror alert" stuff where they get pull a phony arab out of their costume closet as they push for more police at the Peace Arch. You never know. My kids don't play soccer unfortunately.

I read that as phony crab. Which mad it like, 2 X the funny. My first thought was a guy in a long, black overcoat whipping out a 2 foor diameter red foam crab.....and shaking it at someone. Man, that's funny. Ok. Sorry for threadjack.

"Don't make me pull out my crab."
Your what?
"THIS!" ***Shakes crab violently******
"YEEEEEUUURGH>>>>RUN>>>HE'S PACKING A CRUSTACEAN!!!!"""

See? Hilarious.

[David Aguilar]

Expect some longing of short a's in/around Seattle or anywhere in western WA, for example:

Baig for bag
Gaig for gag
Saig for sag
Etc.

Also soda is pop there.

Expect a few other word substitutions as well.

WA-ians don't sound Canadian/Northern IMO. I didn't notice a different accent in Bellingham either.

[toughguy]

It is really weird, there really doesn't seem to be much cross border bleeding of the Canadian accent. You are in Bellingham and everyone sounds normal, you cross the peace arch and bam everyone sounds like Hockey Night In Canada.