Minnesota Slang (Bemidji, Mora, Cleveland: movie theater, shop, farmer)

[xandrex]

Originally Posted by northstar22

"Ooooo-fer . . ." is definitely a Minnesotan thing. You don't hear that anywhere else except MN and the Dakotas, possibly Manitoba.

I'm guessing everyone talking about the Northern Cities Shift accent is from the Twin Cities, or places very near the Cities (Northfield, etc.). You don't hear that accent in most areas of the state, where people tend to sound more Canadian or Western.

Ohio is a "pop" state. Clevelanders have an almost identical accent / dialect as Twin Cities residents. The Shift stretches all the way from Syracuse, New York to Minneapolis, passing through Rochester (NY), Buffalo (NY), Cleveland, Toledo, lower Michigan, NW Indiana, Chicago and Wisconsin before ending in the Cities metro area. It's not a Minnesota accent at all.

I think it's a bit of a stretch to say that everyone outside the Twin Cities has a different accent that is either Canadian or western. In fact, I'd think that would be fairly unlikely as dialects are typically spread through people dispersing to new areas. We hardly ever had a Canadian influx (or "western" for that matter) outside the metro.

I've noticed when I go home to Duluth (having spent the last couple of years down in the Twin Cities), the Minnesota accent is definitely stronger. But there are also specific strange quirks. The Iron Range ("Da Range") accent is its own crazy thing. Also, there's a fairly heavy Finnish influence up in the Arrowhead region (hence why everyone around Duluth - and only Duluth, it seems - says the word sauna like "sowww-nuh". It's definitely a weird world, but not Canadian or western. Even northern Minnesotans can recognize a true Canadian - they really do end nearly every sentence with "eh".

[northstar22]

I never said the MN accent was identical to Canada or the West, but it definitely has some strong commonalities with those regions. The way Minnesotans pronounce "cot" and "caught" the same is a feature held in common with the West and Canada. Minnesotans traveling south are often assumed to be Canadian, because people not from this region literally cannot tell the difference.

The Arrowhead definitely has a Finnish influence, like the U.P. of Michigan. The accent is basically the same; Yoopers say "sowna," too. The Cities' accent has far more in common with Buffalo, New York than Duluth. Duluthians have true Minnesota ("North Central") accents, which are influenced by Scandinavian, Scottish, and Canadian dialects.

[Globe199]

Also, too.

Oh wait, that's Sarah Palin.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by Radical_Car

hotdish
Not sure if this is exclusive to Minnesota but i've heard that he word "pricey" was from Minnesota... No clue to be honest though

I've heard pricey in other states I've lived in, but the synonym I'd never heard til I moved here was "spendy".

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by northstar22

Ohio is a "pop" state. Clevelanders have an almost identical accent / dialect as Twin Cities residents. The Shift stretches all the way from Syracuse, New York to Minneapolis, passing through Rochester (NY), Buffalo (NY), Cleveland, Toledo, lower Michigan, NW Indiana, Chicago and Wisconsin before ending in the Cities metro area. It's not a Minnesota accent at all.

I disagree that the Twin Cities has a Great Lakes accent. I'm from Western NY and I definitely hear the GL accent in Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee, but not the Twin Cities. While it has a few similarities, they are less pronounced, the accent is more neutral. You think MNn's pronunciation of "pahhhp" sounds obnoxious, go the Rochester or Buffalo and listen to how they say it, it'll knahhk yer sahhcks off! Also, the "pop" thing doesn't exactly correlate with the GL accent. Milwaukee is a "soda" town.

[M74]

These are all too funny. They bring back memories of my Dad and his Dad. Grandpa was Swedish, Grandma was Norwegian, Dad was both and raised in MN. I used to hear some of the funniest things:

O'fer Pete's sake
O'fer cryin out loud wouldja look at that!
I'll be god D***ed and beat it all ta hell.
Pound it to fit and paint it to match. That oughta do er.

[Radical_Car]

Originally Posted by M74

These are all too funny. They bring back memories of my Dad and his Dad. Grandpa was Swedish, Grandma was Norwegian, Dad was both and raised in MN. I used to hear some of the funniest things:

O'fer Pete's sake
O'fer cryin out loud wouldja look at that!
I'll be god D***ed and beat it all ta hell.
Pound it to fit and paint it to match. That oughta do er.

I hear those a lot, are those Minnesotan or Midwestern?

[M74]

Radical car,

I believe they are Minnesotan as my Dad and his parents were from there. Since I have only been there a a couple times, although my wife, two kids and I are working to relocate there, I will not assume I am an authority on Minnesotan slang. My wife and in-laws are from Madison and get a kick how I'm up on some of the vernacular. I just got a big kick out of reading some of the posts as they brought back some funny memories.

[northstar22]

Originally Posted by Radical_Car

I hear those a lot, are those Minnesotan or Midwestern?

I never heard them in Michigan, so I assume they're a MN thing.

[MSMCGirl]

Originally Posted by west336

Why is the "northern" accent so hated? I kinda like it, at least, in its less stronger forms.

I can't speak for everyone, but I don't think it's "hated"? I like to think we're all affectionately mocking it. Trust me, when I go home for a few days and my California "Valley Girl" dialect comes back, it ain't so pretty either...and probably MUCH more deserving of mockery!