the California accent (apartment, places, working)

[Fontucky]

Listen to Greg Proops speak and try to guess where he grew up. I don't know where he came by his accent, but it sure isn't Northern California. I had him pegged as Balto or Delaware. Boy was I wrong... San Carlos.

[Capt. Dan]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Funny, we always considered the "Okies" and "Arkies" as the transplants with their accents giving them away. Nobody in my family had any noticeable accent but some of us did evolve into "surfer speech" as that developed in the 60s and 70s.

I can spend 3 hours in Bakersfield listening to people speak and I will be able to tell you whose family is from Arkansas or Oklahoma.

[treedonkey]

I didn't scan all the previous pages in this thread, so perhaps this was already posted. In any case, here is a great website that contains many sound files of regional accents from all over the US. There are several California ones under that link, so you can compare the differences for yourself.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

And were these people over the age of 20? I've never heard an adult from here talk like that.

Back in the 80s when I still lived there only surfers and Valley people spoke like that. The adults pretty much spoke the old way. Well, I'm sure the "val/surf speak" has spread since then.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by treedonkey

I didn't scan all the previous pages in this thread, so perhaps this was already posted. In any case, here is a great website that contains many sound files of regional accents from all over the US. There are several California ones under that link, so you can compare the differences for yourself.

The "California" dialects at that site are quite limited, merely variations of the dialect of the "surfer" / "val speak" subcultures. The vast traditional dialects predating these newer ones are ignored by that site.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by psr13

Then let me address this: I used to live in the Midwest. My grandpa is also from Missoura. They do not speak in the Midwest as on TV.

Well, having never even been there, I'll take your word for it. I only read that.

[Gentoo]

San Diegans, I've noticed, seem to have a Midwestern/"Mini-Soda" Viking sound

Um...not really. We know those upper midwesterners when we hear them out here. As I described the vowel merger in the Bay Area before, San Diegans tend to have one of their own; the short vowels 'o' and 'u' often sound the same. Everybody frequently sounds like "everybuddy" here in SD.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

The "California" dialects at that site are quite limited, merely variations of the dialect of the "surfer" / "val speak" subcultures. The vast traditional dialects predating these newer ones are ignored by that site.

Yep and there were none from Northern California

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Jay100

Pauley Shore.... captures it.

But wasn't the way he spoke kind of a spoof?

[Jay100]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

But wasn't the way he spoke kind of a spoof?

Pauly sounds like an Angeleno. Whether he's spoofing or not you would have to ask him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB3ysHT601M

Bill and Ted, give off that LA sound.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijqns...eature=related


Fast Times....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf5rIuJPTt0

Then there's Jack Tripper in Three's Company.

If you hang around average everyday, 3rd/4th gen. Los Angelenos, you will notice a subtle accent. As with the famous New Yorker accent, it's noticeable on long time Brooklynites etc.. It's not even an issue. Just giving my 2 cents.

Peace!