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Try being moved from South to North back to South and then back to way up North as a small child.
My dad always said I sounded like a 'yankee' to him, but to me I sound southern. My friends say that I do have a Northern twang to my speech, and I talk really fast. Go figure, I am a Tween!:P
The best story I've heard is of a French exchange student who picked up a Southern accent to accompany his Parisian accent. Apparently it was hard to listen to and keep a straight face.
Being from a once rural part of MD I actually slipped right in here in eastern NC. I have an aunt who's husband is from SW Virginia and he brought a whole lot of southern accent to our family. To hear my aunt speak you would never know she was from MD. I do have some people who say they can hear my Northern accent and others who are surprised that I'm not from here. I guess you could say that I speak a hybrid of Baltimore-ese and Southern.
When I moved from NJ to SW VA in 1997 I didn't have much of a problem,the only thing I had to deal with was every other person asking me where I was from.
I also noticed people telling me I had an 'attitude'(which meant I still had that impatient northern attitude). I didn't know what they were talking about at first because of course I really didn't notice it. But I found that once I went back to NJ in 1999 I noticed that I was more laid back(and my blood pressure was way down!). I also noticed,and others did as well,that I talked slightly different.
But after that it was all downhill unfortunately after I had regained my 'attitude' and then some
But it was good while it lasted and I hope to one day get back to VA!
it's funny, i just moved from NJ, and i dont think i will ever pick up a southern accent. but my DH, who has only been in this country for for about a dozen years sometimes talks with a twang! to me its like bringing a child down, since he hasnt spoken the language as long as i have, he could more easily pick up the local accent. also he works with and around southerners, so he is around it more.
it's funny, i just moved from NJ, and i dont think i will ever pick up a southern accent. but my DH, who has only been in this country for for about a dozen years sometimes talks with a twang! to me its like bringing a child down, since he hasnt spoken the language as long as i have, he could more easily pick up the local accent. also he works with and around southerners, so he is around it more.
Bringing a child down? Why should he be forced to pick up a NJ accent if you won't pick up a southern one? I can tell you're definitely from NJ but where do you live now?
Bringing a child down? Why should he be forced to pick up a NJ accent if you won't pick up a southern one? I can tell you're definitely from NJ but where do you live now?
hold it! what are you talking about? i never forced him to pick up a nj accent! he came from another country to NJ. he learned to speak english in NJ,therefore, he may have a NJ accent. if person is young enough to still pick up an accent ---like children are likely to do...that is what i meant. since he has only been speaking english a fairly short time, he is more likely to be able to change and pick up the local accent.
also, he works outside of the home and is around people with southern acents, and is therefore more likely to pick up on their accent.
i didnt say i would never because i didnt want to. i meant that because i am already in my early thirties, i am a sahm and i am not around southerners as much as he is, i will probably not pick up their accent
P.s. you are not allowed to bash NJ unless you are from thereyourself--are you??
I know my accent is not gone. You can take the girl out of NJ but you can't take NJ out of the girl. LOL
I may sound from NJ (not the accent where you chop half the word off.. like Staw (store) and words of that nature. But I do have the northern sound overall. I have however acclimated to the customs. I am not into sweet tea as my only source of liquids (man the dental bills must be terrible in some homes), but I have found a great sense of faith and love. Its a great place to be!
Bringing a child down? Why should he be forced to pick up a NJ accent if you won't pick up a southern one? I can tell you're definitely from NJ but where do you live now?
How can one tell they are from NJ? Is there a code in the words? I am sorry but being from NJ is not a bad thing and you implied that to be the case in your post. Sure there are less desirable people in this world that might be from NJ but why does NJ get such a bad reputation?
I dislike NJ for its high taxes and car insurance and the pace is a bit too fast for me now that i am here I can see how I like the NC pace better. But still... NJ is not just a bunch of bad breeders.
thanks Linda for some backup.
i am from NJ, but i dont really have an accent i dont think. i have a northern way of speaking, like you described.
and i think that people from NJ are real, and kind. they are upfront and honest. and most of us can say what we feel and still remain freinds.
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