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I have two great aunts who married into the family. One of them is from England, one is from Alabama. They have lived in Philadelphia now for...40-50 years now, I think.
While the accent of both of them has softened, you wouldn't confuse either one for a Philly native.
Maybe some times. But in general. When Southerners move North, its amazing how quickly they can lose their accents . But you hear Northerners living in Georgia or TN and they still talk like Yankees. And they've lived there for years. You'd think living there their accents would at least soften up a bit. I hear people in Colonial Williamsburg. The Northern accents from the retirees there always jump out like a sore thumb. The worst part is they still seem think they speak better than Southerners. Its kind of insulting. But they don't understand how bad they sound to our ears. Why is this?
I had to laugh at this, but if anyone doesn't see the truth of this both ways is too chicken to say so. It's meaningless and stupid, but it exists.
I've lived in Boston my entire life. I've had my accent made fun of countless times. But I amongst many other northerners feel the same about the southern accent. I've travelled to the south plenty of times, and I find the southern accent to be totally annoying
Why would anyone expect an accent to change just because someone relocates?
I've seen it happen on both sides.
To the OP:Honestly what I've notice is because of southerns buying into the stigma, a lot of them move up north and mysteriously some how have northern accent, sometimes in less then one year, it's just them putting on.
When Northerners move down here, not having a stigma, are not incline to try and put on accent, but over time find themselves saying words and phrases they would not say, if they had not spent time in the south.
When I was a corporate trainer, I traveled all over the US training large and small groups of people, and leading classes of often 200 or more people. I have a Southern accent that I am not in the least bit ashamed of and I have never felt stigmatized because of it. And it certainly never held me back professionally.
People from north of the Mason Dixon line used to always compliment me on it. Maybe they were being insincere and maybe they were really thinking, "Wow, she sounds like a hick," but if so, well, all I can say is that I was crying all the way to the bank.
I was going to give you an actual reason why but then you went ignorant at the end so I won't bother wasting the keystrokes. What the real question should be is why are (some) Southern natives SO beyond obsessed with South vs North.
To the defense of the OP, honestly I've seen plenty of threads, where Northerner's are bashing the south, even more so than the reverse, and I've met plenty of Northerners that upon first meeting them bashed everything from the way people talk, dress, their education, etc etc. So a thread like this is not surprising.
All this being said most negative interactions are on city-data and not real life.
Maybe some times. But in general. When Southerners move North, its amazing how quickly they can lose their accents . But you hear Northerners living in Georgia or TN and they still talk like Yankees. And they've lived there for years. You'd think living there their accents would at least soften up a bit. I hear people in Colonial Williamsburg. The Northern accents from the retirees there always jump out like a sore thumb. The worst part is they still seem think they speak better than Southerners. Its kind of insulting. But they don't understand how bad they sound to our ears. Why is this?
Who do you think we are? Hillary Clinton? You know, that lady in politics who changes her accent to suit the crowd she's rambling to.
In all honesty, all southerners I met who moved north kept their accents, but Ive known several yanks who moved south, then moved back north, and picked up a slight drawl.
I had to laugh at this, but if anyone doesn't see the truth of this both ways is too chicken to say so. It's meaningless and stupid, but it exists.
I've lived in Boston my entire life. I've had my accent made fun of countless times. But I amongst many other northerners feel the same about the southern accent. I've travelled to the south plenty of times, and I find the southern accent to be totally annoying
Most people I know Northerners and Southerners alike find the Boston accent totally annoying, so it goes both ways.
They simply want to project their own superior existence to the native rubes.
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