The Boston Accent (rated, area, places)

[readymade]

It's interesting that most people think of the Boston accent as dropping the Rs. As I said above, I don't really have an accent, but I do ADD Rs ocassionally. i.e. "I sawr it."

My husband thinks this is adorable and makes fun of me all the time over it. "Did you sawr it? Do you need to go through your pocketbook?"

("pocketbook" is another thing we Bostonians say. I've had MANY people say "You're from Boston, aren't you?" when I've said something like "I need to grab my pocketbook." heh)

I've also been known to drop my Rs when I've had a lot to drink. The night I met my husband was one such night when I said something about it being a "cool pahty." He died laughing and called me Cliff Clavin all night. Hee hee. He's convinced that I secretly have a Boston accent and spend lots of energy keeping it supressed. He's worried that it will come out in full force when we move back.

[Cliff Clavin]

Originally Posted by readymade

He died laughing and called me Cliff Clavin all night. Hee hee.

Wait. What?

[readymade]

Originally Posted by Cliff Clavin

Wait. What?

HAH! Your forum name always makes me think of my husband making fun of me lo those many years ago .

[moonshadow]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

Im a native of Southeastern Mass some 35 miles south of Boston. My accent now has diminished but is still there on some words at times.
When I hear the Mass or Australian accent, I hear some of the same dropping of the letter r at the end of words. There must be a somewhat similiar sound in these 2 accents, that confuses some people on a persons nationality. When I lived in Japan I was asked numerous times by Americans and Canadians if I was Australian. This was on American Air Force Bases as well as in Tokyo. I didn't really know why I was asked at the time, but eventually after listening to a Mass acccent and Australian the letter r is dropped.

I've often noticed when reading around that people comment on how Bostonians (and folks from Mass) end words with a or ah instead er (r is pronounced aah) and I do have a giggle because that's exactly the same comment levelled at Aussies.

MM sent me a youtube yesterday of Ben Affleck () talking about Boston accents and I've been studying it in preparation.


YouTube - Ben Affleck teaches Jimmy Kimmel about Boston accents

And Jimmy's right, Ben is adorable.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Ben was so right, there isn't just ONE Boston accent. But I love them all because they remind me of a very happy childhood, growing up just outside Beantown.

[maggiekate]

Boston is the city and wherever I do go!
I am Boston except in Boston! Then am I from Ireland or New York?
CA Boston all the way!

[Cliff Clavin]

Originally Posted by moonshadow

I've often noticed when reading around that people comment on how Bostonians (and folks from Mass) end words with a or ah instead er (r is pronounced aah) and I do have a giggle because that's exactly the same comment levelled at Aussies.

A woman here at work thought I was Australian. She kept commenting how she liked my accent. I never gave much thought to it, until one day she said I sounded like Mick Dundee. I kind of scratched my head for a moment, then another guy pipes up..."He's not Australian!". She didn't believe him, and asked others if I sounded Australian. Of course everyone thought she was crazy.

To this day she yells out "Dundee!" every time she sees me. It's a little embarrassing.

[j33]

I'm a Chicagoan, but my family is from the Boston area, and I grew up listening to people say things like "sawr" etc. and I occasionally catch myself doing that too. I've been called on that little 'intrusive r' thing by more than a few of my Midwestern friends.

[justNancy]

The poll doesn't have enough choices. One should be "what Boston accent?"

Nancy
born in the Boston Lying Inn

[Jimrob1]

I don't know what its like now in the Boston area with different accents. I know when I was a kid my parents called soda, tonic. My parents moved to the southeastern end of the state from Boston via Ireland and everyone in Boston seemed to call it tonic. I found it very confusing but I was a little kid at the time. I remember kids in grade school would laugh at me when I wanted tonic to drink. Does that still go on. Is Boston terminoloygy tonic or has it changed to soda? Or better yet was the word used so long ago, that no one even knows what I'm talking about.