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St. Louis actually has adopted the Northern Cities Shift. Has long been an area of Northern linguistic influence. I'd also disagree about Southern accents becoming much more common south of the 40 degree North latitude line. I'd argue more for them becoming much more common south of U.S. Highway 50. I don't hear any southern accents in the Northern half of Missouri period. If they exist they are not natives to the area.
My favorite Midwestern saying is "go pound sand" -- equivalent to "get lost" or "shut up."
Other peculiarities generally confined to upper midwest: "bubbler" for drinking fountain; "stop and go light" for stop light. Come to think of it, that's actually a more accurate description of the thing...
Heh. New Glarus Brewing Co. in Wisconsin make a beer called Uff-Da Bock. One of the best bocks made in the U.S. actually -- and better than a few German ones.
EnjoyEP: "These are from the MILWAUKEE or the WISCONSIN area:
(Annunciation) -
-Creek is pronounced "crick"
-Roof is pronounced "rough"
-Bag is pronounced "beg"
-Root is pronounced "rut" "
These are exactly how my father pronounced these words. He was a native of Western NY. My mother, also an WNY native who grew up in a neighborhood 2 miles from my dad's, didn't. Wonder if it's a German thing?
EnjoyEP: "These are from the MILWAUKEE or the WISCONSIN area:
(Annunciation) -
-Creek is pronounced "crick"
-Roof is pronounced "rough"
-Bag is pronounced "beg"
-Root is pronounced "rut" "
These are exactly how my father pronounced these words. He was a native of Western NY. My mother, also an WNY native who grew up in a neighborhood 2 miles from my dad's, didn't. Wonder if it's a German thing?
Interesting. Yep, I would guess then it may have a German influence. It always drives me up the wall (even though I love my WI) because usually in WI, the accent tends to heavily STRESS vowels and syllables....for example, the town of "Waukesha" (which most would pronounce "Wa-ki-shaw") in Wisconsin is heavily pronounced "WAH-KEE-SHAW"). Yet, creek where you'd expect us Wisconsinites to really stress the "EEK" they change it to "crick"...just weird.
I also notice in Wisconsin...especially many kids...pronounce "Milk" as "Melk"....
Peculiar to the Cincinnati area is "Please?" when you want someone to repeat what they just said. Kinda like the rest of the nation says "Excuse me?" or "Huh?"
That also comes from the German use of "Bitte?" to mean excuse me as well as please.
Me: I'll have a five-way, please.
Waitress at Skyline: Please?
Me: I said I'd like a five-way. With extra cheese. Thanks!
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