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There's a thread that's been going on for a while that's basically asking posters to share where they feel the is the northern-most frontier of the southern accent. Most of the responses have been from northernness who claim they feel they have entered the land of Dixie twang in states such such as Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and even NY on the east coast and Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio in the midwest.
If anyone feels like arguing with those views, please go over to that thread. In this thread, I'd like to hear from those sons and daughters of the South. Let's say you have traveled up north via routes 95, 75, 55 or 35. At what point did you get out of the car to gas up or head into a burger joint for a quick bite to eat and think "Gosh, these folks sure sound like Yankees."
I look forward to hearing about your experiences. And please have fun with the thread!
Not a native Southerner, but it seems the transition zone between Southern and non-Southern accents lies somewhere within 100 miles each way of the Ohio River. Basically, you'll hear both types of accents in southern Missouri, northwestern Arkansas, southern Illinois, northern Kentucky, etc. You'll also get a lot of folks that say "warsh" in those areas (both accents), too.
As a native SC (parents and family originally from NYC) so we go up north often.....but normally I hear a southern accent in Richmond and it dies down when we get to the DMV area......this is my experience on 95....
As far as the Central Midwest goes, many residents of St. Louis have a Northern type of accent .. so start there and smear North and East - then west once you hit Northern Nebraska and the Dakotas.
There are TONS of people living in the South who have "northern" accents or no accents at all. So what you're asking is really impossible to answer. There are no absolutes. There are no definitive lines marking north vs south accents, culture or anything else.
There are TONS of people living in the South who have "northern" accents or no accents at all. So what you're asking is really impossible to answer. There are no absolutes. There are no definitive lines marking north vs south accents, culture or anything else.
While I agree with some of what you say, I can tell you from my experience, I have noticed when I've crossed into an area where the accents become more distinctly northern or southern. Hence the premise of the thread. If you don't have that experience, then of course, it's impossible for you to answer. No harm, no foul.
While I agree with some of what you say, I can tell you from my experience, I have noticed when I've crossed into an area where the accents become more distinctly northern or southern. Hence the premise of the thread. If you don't have that experience, then of course, it's impossible for you to answer. No harm, no foul.
I was in a bar here in Savannah tonight, with people from NYC and Toronto and a few other places, including Tennessee, as well as several locals, and NOBODY had a discernible accent. So yeah ... right ... whatever.
Not a native Southerner, but it seems the transition zone between Southern and non-Southern accents lies somewhere within 100 miles each way of the Ohio River. Basically, you'll hear both types of accents in southern Missouri, northwestern Arkansas, southern Illinois, northern Kentucky, etc. You'll also get a lot of folks that say "warsh" in those areas (both accents), too.
Interesting to get your perspective. I feel quite number of those who identify themselves as northerners in the other thread also identified this area as a transition zone into more southern sounding accents. It's interesting to note that at least one person (you) sees it as true in the opposite direction as a trasiniton zone into more northern sounding accents. Two sides of the same coin!
While there may be other views on the midwest/upper south "accent boundary" that differ from yours, I note more discrepancy in views as to where the the northeast/southeast "accent boundary" lies.
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