[J&A'sMOM]

What a refreshingly fun thread! I just read the whole thread. OK - I'm 43 so my 1st time I lived in CO (when I was 18) some people would say you're from MI and I was shocked - I thought I DO NOT HAVE AN ACCENT. Like it was a put down or something. lol 2nd time I lived in CO at 20 I was more accepting. Now I've lived in CT for the last 3 years and I go back to visit MI frequently and I laugh and think Oh My do I sound like that?? Some people around here ask me if I'm from Minnesota which makes me laugh. I think geeze I'm not that bad am I? Actaully it's pretty funny - I'm not sure how my DS & DD will sound when they are grown??? I'm always correcting their pronunciations. lol Maybe I shouldn't do that. Anyway Great Thread - very enjoyable - nice break from the poliitcs and wall street woes.

[lilbear]

Originally Posted by RJ17015

When we moved to CA, I learned quickly to not call soda pop - pop, because most people would say "what?" I started to call it soda, and have continued to call it soda to this day.

Where in SC are you located? We just moved here from MI, and are in the Charleston area.

I laughed - I do hear the t's sounding like d's, especially when I say "little" it comes out "liddle" when I force the t sound, my son - said that doesn't sound right, stop saying lit (tuh)le... too funny!

I'm no where near Charleston. I'm in the Golden Corner as they call it. The way tippy tip NW of Greenville where GA and NC both meet SC.

I think because of people getting confused with the word 'pop' is why I started saying soda too, but I don't wanna be losing my old ways of talking either so, its soda pop now lol.

[intelfan11315]

I lived my whole life in michigan not thinking I had an accent, now I'm in florida and its the first thing everyone asks me.

[northstar22]

Originally Posted by lilbear

I'm no where near Charleston. I'm in the Golden Corner as they call it. The way tippy tip NW of Greenville where GA and NC both meet SC.

I think because of people getting confused with the word 'pop' is why I started saying soda too, but I don't wanna be losing my old ways of talking either so, its soda pop now lol.

I don't see what's so hard about "pop." How do you not know what pop is? It's POP, not soda.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by RJ17015

When we moved to CA, I learned quickly to not call soda pop - pop, because most people would say "what?" I started to call it soda, and have continued to call it soda to this day.

Where in SC are you located? We just moved here from MI, and are in the Charleston area.

I laughed - I do hear the t's sounding like d's, especially when I say "little" it comes out "liddle" when I force the t sound, my son - said that doesn't sound right, stop saying lit (tuh)le... too funny!

I call it pop and always will. To me soda is the carbonated water that tastes bitter. And "soda pop" sounds like something someone from 1900 might say.

I hear the Michigan accent now but I like how it sounds, I think people should try to keep it if they have it. One thing I haven't paid attention to but someone I know went to Michigan from Texas and he commented that everyone seemed to throw the word "quick" into sentences. Such as "quick grab it", and "lets have a quick lunch", "come here quick" or "quick look at this" and he thought it was strange.

[lilbear]

Well, my grandmother who was born in 1910 did help raise me so that could've had some effect. lol I'm just joking around. But I do mix southern accent with my normal (lol I just called it normal) MI accent.

[dkf747]

I just asked my daughter if I speak with an accent. I grew up in Michigan, but she is growing up in Maryland. Her answer was "yes". I can tell you that I was surprised by that. I shouldn't have been, since, to me, Marylanders have an accent.

[jaynarie]

I live in NC but am from Michigan. People know I am not southern, but they are never sure where I am from. One person told me I am from the "Great Lakes area" but this person was from Ohio.
To me, we (Michiganders) sound exactly like people on TV. Therefore, we do not have an accent

[malamute]

Originally Posted by jaynarie

I live in NC but am from Michigan. People know I am not southern, but they are never sure where I am from. One person told me I am from the "Great Lakes area" but this person was from Ohio.
To me, we (Michiganders) sound exactly like people on TV. Therefore, we do not have an accent

But Michiganders don't sound exactly like people on TV. It's kind of a subtle accent so it takes a while to hear it if you have it. You have to be away from Michigan for a while and then some day when you go back to visit you will hear it. And if you still have the accent, you might begin to hear it in your own speech.

It's definitely an accent because people in other places can spot it immediately. It's definitely a Michigan accent and the only ones they mix it up with is the Minnesota accent but I think that one is a bit more pronounced.

I think it's interesting because many people can hear a southern drawl and not be able to pinpoint the state like they can with the Michigan accent.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by GoGators1

I'm trying to think of how to explain the accent, but it's hard because when I write out my examples I think you'd just read it the way you say it, and vice versa if you explained my accent to me, haha.

The thing that stands out the most is how you say your vowels. Especially A's and O's sound like some whole new vowels that Michigan (and the mid-west) invented A good example would be if you said "I'm walking around the block" it sounds to me like "I'm whacking around the blaaack"...like you're holding your nose or something.

Because I mostly hang out with 21 year old silly college girls when I'm there (our friends) another phrase that immediately comes to mind is when they say "Oh my God". It comes out "OOOOhhh(similar to how the owl says "Whoo") my GAAAAd". The AAA in God there is like the AAA in Apple...except the way you all say apple sounds like it starts with an e. "Eaapple". Haha. It's really hard to explain, hope that makes a little sense

I've never heard that here in Grand Rapids. I'm not originally from here, but I haven't noticed a noticeable accent. There might be a slight tinge of that Northern Canadian/Wisconsin thing, but just slightly. Not saying you're wrong, but it would be interesting to hear some different examples.

Here's a video interviewing a bunch of GR people:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrV6vu29hTs

From my college studies, I learned that national news channels model their speaking style and coaching after the Great Lakes region. It has the least bit of "drawl" out of the entire country. That might be why we don't think we have accents. We think we sound like all the TV news pundits.

I can easily tell the difference between a Florida accent and a North Carolina accent. Arkansas too.