Where does the Midwest start and end? (neighborhood, oil)

[Kaszilla]

I definitely hear southern accents in Enid.





Not the strongest southern accents but still southern.

[IowanFarmer]

Originally Posted by Kaszilla

I thought Nebraska and Iowa were known for their neutral newscaster accents?

In places. I've got a lot of friends from Southern Iowa who's accent while not explicitly southern has a twang that takes it beyond neutral. Of course, they think I have a Minnesota/Wisconsin accent (which I do).

That guy barely registered to me as having an accent. There's a little something there, but it's absolutely nothing like I've heard in the real south. It's barely distinguishable from Southern Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, etc. IE parts of the Midwest.

The neutral thing you really hear in the cities. Des Moines, Omaha, Cedar Rapids, Lincoln, Sioux City. None of those towns have real distinct accents. Go 40 miles south of Des Moines or Cedar Rapids, and you'll hear something different.

[Craziaskowboi]

With regard to accents, bear in mind that Midland accents by definition feature elements of both Northern and Southern accents, so hearing a "twang" doesn't necessarily make an accent Southern.

[Bicala]

I have friends in Omaha who sound Southern to me. Not all, but some. There is an accent there, to someone who doesn't live there.

[Kaszilla]

Originally Posted by Craziaskowboi

With regard to accents, bear in mind that Midland accents by definition feature elements of both Northern and Southern accents, so hearing a "twang" doesn't necessarily make an accent Southern.

What's the difference between a midland accent and a light southern accent? There are people in the Deep south who have light accents. Are their accents midland? There's not that much difference between the accents in the videos I posted and the accents I hear in Georgia.
This is an older guy from Jefferson City which is firmly in the midland region. There may be a slight twang but he doesn't sound southern compared to the accents in northern Oklahoma.

[tlarnla]

I've heard 2 definitions of "Midwest".

I know a lot of people who use it to refer to the 5 state area of WI, MN, IA, and the Dakotas.

But I know that some people have a wider definition that includes states like NE, KS, MO, IL, and out as far east as OH.

[TheTimidBlueBars]

Originally Posted by tlarnla

I've heard 2 definitions of "Midwest".

I know a lot of people who use it to refer to the 5 state area of WI, MN, IA, and the Dakotas.

But I know that some people have a wider definition that includes states like NE, KS, MO, IL, and out as far east as OH.

What are IL and OH if not the Midwest? The "Heartland"?

[IowanFarmer]

Originally Posted by tlarnla

I've heard 2 definitions of "Midwest".

I know a lot of people who use it to refer to the 5 state area of WI, MN, IA, and the Dakotas.

But I know that some people have a wider definition that includes states like NE, KS, MO, IL, and out as far east as OH.

IL, NE, and KS are completely Midwestern. MO is mostly. OH is partly.

[Craziaskowboi]

Not too many Italians west of Youngstown, OH.

[IowanFarmer]

Originally Posted by Craziaskowboi

Not too many Italians west of Youngstown, OH.

I'd be curious to hear the story behind that Colorado county on the high plains.