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It depends on what you're definition of "Southern" is. Do I make the presumption that they're smarter than Southerners with an accent? Yes. I do think that Southerners who are quick to lose their accents are probably less giddy with "Southern" pride and culture than the rest of their counterparts.
I am always delighted when I meet a Southerner with no discernible accent. That says to me that they're more interested in trying to fit into general society than to sound as though they have a mouthful of grits and super glue.
Is there something wrong with speaking a dialect learned from birth? I have a Southern accent and while I am not a backwards hick, I am quite proud of my region and where I come from. If someone jumps to conclusions and believes I am unintelligent simply because of where I grew up and the mannerisms I've picked up, they are no better than the backwards trash they insult.
The Southerner with no accent either has not picked it up yet, just moved here, or is ashamed of themselves and their region. I will keep my mouthful of grits and super glue thank you very much.
even in major cities in the south, anybody that isn't a transplant more than likely has a southern accent, even if you guys won't admit it.
to YOU, you might not hear it. to US we hear it. things like ya'll, own (instead of on), owl (instead of all), gown (instead of gone), etc. are dead giveaways.
LOL, you're right there, but if I tried to say those words the way "non-Southerners" say them I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face. It just doesn't sound right coming from these Southern lips.
IMO many people without Southern accents pronounce 'on' as "ahhn", and 'gone' as "gahn".
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Quote:
Originally Posted by southernnaturelover
LOL, you're right there, but if I tried to say those words the way "non-Southerners" say them I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face. It just doesn't sound right coming from these Southern lips.
IMO many people without Southern accents pronounce 'on' as "ahhn", and 'gone' as "gahn".
Standard American is a pretty goofy accent, but I appreciate it like I appreciate all accents.
Is there something wrong with speaking a dialect learned from birth? I have a Southern accent and while I am not a backwards hick, I am quite proud of my region and where I come from. If someone jumps to conclusions and believes I am unintelligent simply because of where I grew up and the mannerisms I've picked up, they are no better than the backwards trash they insult.
The Southerner with no accent either has not picked it up yet, just moved here, or is ashamed of themselves and their region. I will keep my mouthful of grits and super glue thank you very much.
>>>>>
If someone jumps to conclusions and believes I am unintelligent simply because of where I grew up and the mannerisms I've picked up, they are no better than the backwards trash they insult.
<<<<<
Some of the most intellegent and highly educated people I've ever met had a southern accent and many had another. This whole thread is nonsense. This is just another elitist " southernerns are inferior" thread with no real rational arguments to support that opinion and needs to end here.
My experience has been that the more educated southerners speak with no accent, or at least are able to "turn off" their accents (mostly, anyway) for doing business. I'll never forget how this Southern girl I worked with, who had worked hard to lose or at least suppress whatever accent she had, got so furious with this older lady from Texas who would refuse to pronounce "insurance" correctly in her presentation for their group. She kept saying "IN-shur-ance", and I have to admit, it sounded very uneducated. The younger girl later was venting to us, saying "What was she doing, auditioning for the Grand Ole Opry?? 'Well y'all, y'all kin git this here IN-Sher-ance ya'll'...ugh, how did she get on this project???"
I think a southern drawl can sound OK but all too often they incorporate a lot of ignorant colloquialisms like mispronunciations or "y'all", and that's where they lose a lot of credibility and come off as ignorant. That's why so many of them work hard to lose their accents or to at least suppress them for business purposes. And they're wise to do that.
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Originally Posted by BergenCountyJohnny
My experience has been that the more educated southerners speak with no accent, or at least are able to "turn off" their accents (mostly, anyway) for doing business. I'll never forget how this Southern girl I worked with, who had worked hard to lose or at least suppress whatever accent she had, got so furious with this older lady from Texas who would refuse to pronounce "insurance" correctly in her presentation for their group. She kept saying "IN-shur-ance", and I have to admit, it sounded very uneducated. The younger girl later was venting to us, saying "What was she doing, auditioning for the Grand Ole Opry?? 'Well y'all, y'all kin git this here IN-Sher-ance ya'll'...ugh, how did she get on this project???"
I think a southern drawl can sound OK but all too often they incorporate a lot of ignorant colloquialisms like mispronunciations or "y'all", and that's where they lose a lot of credibility and come off as ignorant. That's why so many of them work hard to lose their accents or to at least suppress them for business purposes. And they're wise to do that.
What a charming story. That girl should have the snot slapped out of her for showing that kind of disrespect for an elder. I can't believe she was Southern.
And when did 'y'all' become an 'ignorant colloquialism'? I actually find the word to be quite efficient and a throwback to the days when our language included usage of the plural 'you' tense.
I suppose that in comparison, 'youse' is the King's English.
Last edited by Iconographer; 04-07-2010 at 09:47 AM..
I think a lot of people who've spent little time in the South are unable to differentiate between a mild regional accent that shapes certain vowels and the full blown grits and sweet tea stereotypical antebellum accent that you hear in parodies or satire.
I do agree that certain colloquialisms probably make southerners seem less intelligent and refined in the eyes of an outsider. I mean, starting your sentences by addressing someone as "Sugar" "Honey" "Baby" and the such seems infantile to me.
Also, when southerners use a lot of slang and throw out sloppy sentences like "Hey ya'll, what time we s'posed to be gittin down to tha skooooool? My boys is rarin' to go and we fixin' to be late!", it leads northerners to assume that the person speaking is totally unaware that their English isn't "correct". That sentence is not an exaggeration by any means, simply an attempt to phonetically translate the accent of most of the people that live in my area. That's just the way they talk. Much of my family sounds like this.
My experience has been that the more educated southerners speak with no accent, or at least are able to "turn off" their accents (mostly, anyway) for doing business. I'll never forget how this Southern girl I worked with, who had worked hard to lose or at least suppress whatever accent she had, got so furious with this older lady from Texas who would refuse to pronounce "insurance" correctly in her presentation for their group. She kept saying "IN-shur-ance", and I have to admit, it sounded very uneducated. The younger girl later was venting to us, saying "What was she doing, auditioning for the Grand Ole Opry?? 'Well y'all, y'all kin git this here IN-Sher-ance ya'll'...ugh, how did she get on this project???"
I think a southern drawl can sound OK but all too often they incorporate a lot of ignorant colloquialisms like mispronunciations or "y'all", and that's where they lose a lot of credibility and come off as ignorant. That's why so many of them work hard to lose their accents or to at least suppress them for business purposes. And they're wise to do that.
I see you've branched out from comedy to fiction. What a vivid imagination!
I think a lot of people who've spent little time in the South are unable to differentiate between a mild regional accent that shapes certain vowels and the full blown grits and sweet tea stereotypical antebellum accent that you hear in parodies or satire.
I do agree that certain colloquialisms probably make southerners seem less intelligent and refined in the eyes of an outsider. I mean, starting your sentences by addressing someone as "Sugar" "Honey" "Baby" and the such seems infantile to me.
Also, when southerners use a lot of slang and throw out sloppy sentences like "Hey ya'll, what time we s'posed to be gittin down to tha skooooool? My boys is rarin' to go and we fixin' to be late!", it leads northerners to assume that the person speaking is totally unaware that their English isn't "correct". That sentence is not an exaggeration by any means, simply an attempt to phonetically translate the accent of most of the people that live in my area. That's just the way they talk. Much of my family sounds like this.
This is horse ****. I live in the deep south and have rarely heard anyone speak like this.
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