New Orleans: The "Un-South"? (Alexandria, Many: homes, landscaping, gated)

[green_mariner]

Another thing about New Orleans is Mardi Gras. Although Mobile also has one, and was the first to have it, New Orleans is well known for it. New Orleans stands out in that aspect. Mardi Gras is like a variant of Carnival. Carnival is more common in the Caribbean and South America.

[magicoz]

Well OK, maybe old British English didn't sound like General American, but it was like a rhotic NYC/Boston accent. Supposedly the Southern accent originated with the Scottish accent, but the non-rhotic Yankee accents originated with the English accent. And the Scottish accent is rhotic.

[kleinberglowenstein]

I concur with Magicoz that the Philadelphia accent is an abomination. The locals can't say "the" correctly... it comes out sounding like "duh". Perhaps this can be traced to a European language (perhaps Italian) where the equivalent words for "the" mostly start with D? Here is a reason why we would all be better off if this accent died: I met a man at the Philly airport (I don't live in Philly) who told me he was once detained by airport security for this reason: he had some confusion about his flight, asked a receptionist, and she asked for his last name. His last name was "Allegrini" which in Italo-Philly speak sounds like "ALLAH-greeny". Now you are probably wondering why he almost got arrested. The TSA profiles people based on names which are similar to those of terrorists. Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, was once confused with one of these wanted men.

Also, I don't mean to be racist or anything, but a lot of the people in Philadelphia are creepy. One fellow I met on my trip there (a recently retired Italian American) reminded me of the rapist/murderer played by Stanley Tucci from the movie The Lovely Bones, which took place in the Philly area. Maybe mustaches are not yet considered uncool in older Italo-American culture. The guy I met kept talking to himself too. Also, I can't stand the sense of humor that older white Philly people have. They always seem to have an attitude and are sarcastic about everything. Even the way they talk sounds whiny. And they are UNBELIEVABLY rude. An old lady at the airport (a total stranger) started arguing with me when I said no when she asked me to reserve a seat for her in the terminal. I was already busy and lost and that really was asking too much. And an old lady at the supermarket there pushed me out of her way. Didn't even say a word.

[brightdoglover]

I am reading this discussion with fascination. (Disclaimer- do not live in NO, have friends there and an interest in the culture) and am from the Philly/South Jersey area). The Philly/South Jersey accent is ghastly, and yes, "the" is "duh," as in, "We're goin' to-duh mall." Cuppa cawfee. TeeVee. Ceeement. Chawclate. Anything worth saying is worth saying through the nose for that grating sound.
Now that I've lived around Boston for many years, I find the dropped "r" absurd. I think it got dropped into the "Cuber" and such of JFK, at which I always wince. The dropped "r" is a complete working-class accent here.
What is considered a Brahmin accent strikes me as pure affectation. Just my opinion.

[lrmsd]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

I am reading this discussion with fascination. (Disclaimer- do not live in NO, have friends there and an interest in the culture) and am from the Philly/South Jersey area). The Philly/South Jersey accent is ghastly, and yes, "the" is "duh," as in, "We're goin' to-duh mall." Cuppa cawfee. TeeVee. Ceeement. Chawclate. Anything worth saying is worth saying through the nose for that grating sound.
Now that I've lived around Boston for many years, I find the dropped "r" absurd. I think it got dropped into the "Cuber" and such of JFK, at which I always wince. The dropped "r" is a complete working-class accent here.
What is considered a Brahmin accent strikes me as pure affectation. Just my opinion.

That's fine; i'm a MA native, from working class irish folks who do talk like that....i've lived out west in several states for two decades, plus abroad, so mine is completely gone-esp since i left right after high school; it did not stick and in fact, i lost it while at college in boston one year, hanging out with kids not from the area-lol
Anyway, to point out: Accent, class categories and rudeness are different things, and are often mutually exclusive. Sorry if my ancestors sound lame or ugly when speaking [not really sorry], and do not have money, but this does not mean they are a*sholes, per se.....

I cannot speak to PHL at all, but since you brought up Boston and all....why pull another city into this thread? lol.
I'm glad we don't all sound the same, actually, Regional accents abound; what a boring world/language if everyone sounded like a textbook when they talked?

One thing I've noticed after a decade in CA-which is a state I love in many ways-is that, at least in MA, people were educated. you know, they could read, write, spell-even if they went to 'techie school' and fixed cars; they knew how to run their business. In CA, I actually have grown friends who are ashamed of the lack of education they received growing up in CA. [obviously, this is not everywhere-my spouse managed to do well, but he agrees that new england is far better as far as schools, even WITH said accent.] So, once again, you cannot judge a book by it's cover.....

I recently saw that DDD food network show, and was struck by one chef with a pure NO accent. I LOVED it. It's very sexy and almost disconcerting.

That is all. Carry on.

[brightdoglover]

"Accent, class categories and rudeness are different things, and are often mutually exclusive. Sorry if my ancestors sound lame or ugly when speaking [not really sorry], and do not have money, but this does not mean they are a*sholes, per se.....
I cannot speak to PHL at all, but since you brought up Boston and all....why pull another city into this thread? lol."

I am honestly confused by the previous response. The OP brought up Philly/NO, and other people posting what seemed to be fairly technical discussions of language and accents brought up Boston. I utterly fail to see where I expressed any disrespect for the previous poster's ancestors. The dropped "r" is a working-class accent around Boston. No mention of rudeness of lack of education or whatever. Same for the Philly accent, which my relatives have and which I can hear in anyone in one sentence, and they are educated, not educated, and in between.
If it's worth it, I'd appreciate the previous poster explaining the post. If it's not worth it, then I remain confused.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

I am reading this discussion with fascination. (Disclaimer- do not live in NO, have friends there and an interest in the culture) and am from the Philly/South Jersey area). The Philly/South Jersey accent is ghastly, and yes, "the" is "duh," as in, "We're goin' to-duh mall." Cuppa cawfee. TeeVee. Ceeement. Chawclate. Anything worth saying is worth saying through the nose for that grating sound.
Now that I've lived around Boston for many years, I find the dropped "r" absurd. I think it got dropped into the "Cuber" and such of JFK, at which I always wince. The dropped "r" is a complete working-class accent here.
What is considered a Brahmin accent strikes me as pure affectation. Just my opinion.

That is your opinion and you're entitled to it. However, I don't find the Philadelphia/New Jersey accent grating.

[brightdoglover]

I guess I do- it's so nasal.
In ninth grade, our chorus class was singing "This Land is Your Land" and the way the "a" sounded in "land" broke the teacher's heart- I can't figure out a way to write the way it sounded, but he sure wanted he less nasal.
I meant no rudeness.

[kleinberglowenstein]

Strangely, "Italy" becomes a two-syllable instead of three-syllable word in Philadelphia. At least among the people with the most intense accent it does. And as Magicoz said before, they make an A sound when there should be an E sound. "It-lay" is what "Italy" becomes. This almost makes their accent sound Australian! Ironically, the name of Acme (a LOCAL supermarket chain) becomes "Ack-a-may". Australians also add extra syllables to words. This happens to "beer" in their dialect, and of course it also becomes non-rhotic. "Bay-uh". That sounds just like how the Germans pronounce "Bayer"! And back to the Philly accent, "crayon" becomes "crown". "Jerry" becomes "jury". There was another strange trend I meant to point out here but I forgot what it was.

[cowpunkrva]

New Orleans is the classic urban South. While obviously unique in a lot of ways, the cities that it has most in common with are Richmond, Charleston, and Savannah (and of course Biloxi and Mobile but that's a regional connection). French are common throughout the deep South. Charleston has America's oldest Jewish community, and Richmond has a synagogue from 1790. Savannah has a lot of Irish. As for the rhotic/non-rhotic accents, the traditional Virginia and eastern North Carolina accents are extremely non rhotic. A deep south country accents doesn't have the obvious non-rhotic, but there is still muthuh bruthuh and rivuh. The majority of New Orleans accents do not sound like Brooklyn. They are Southern in an unusual way. One thing's for sure. Don't say that it's like a Northern city with the implication that Northern "better." That will not be considered a compliment to most NOrleanians, or anywhere in the South. The South is diverse. There are plenty of tolerant people down here, but they do not like their region insulted.