Do most young Texans in the cities still have Southern accent? (Houston: school, company)

[Fire and Ice]

Wow I would have been offended. So everyone in Texas has to sound only one way? Ignorance at its finest because I am one of those that was born and raised in Texas and I do not have the southern drawl either. Oh well, that's how I would have taken it.

[radiolibre99]

Accents are fading all over the country. Sometimes when I meet a young person who has an accent I wonder if they're trying too hard to sound regional. I think who really talks like that? When I went to NYC I thought good lord young ppl actually sound "Brooklyn"? When I hear a young Texan try to deepen his voice to give that commanding "yessir" response, I wonder how much of that is a bit of an act.

There are certain words, maybe a twang, or a slight manner of speaking I can understand but a full blown accent, I think is suspect (if they grew up in a large metro area).

[Gunion Powder]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

Accents are fading all over the country. Sometimes when I meet a young person who has an accent I wonder if they're trying too hard to sound regional. I think who really talks like that? When I went to NYC I thought good lord young ppl actually sound "Brooklyn"? When I hear a young Texan try to deepen his voice to give that commanding "yessir" response, I wonder how much of that is a bit of an act.

There are certain words, maybe a twang, or a slight manner of speaking I can understand but a full blown accent, I think is suspect (if they grew up in a large metro area).

I can say with absolute certainty that that is not the case. Plenty of young native residents of Houston and Dallas have genuine southern accents. I've even heard accents amongst small children, so it probably won't be disappearing any time soon.

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by mega man

I can say with absolute certainty that that is not the case. Plenty of young native residents of Houston and Dallas have genuine southern accents. I've even heard accents amongst small children, so it probably won't be disappearing any time soon.

But full blown? I could understand a slight twang but not full blown among youth in the metro areas. Maybe out in the smaller towns.

[Gunion Powder]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

But full blown? I could understand a slight twang but not full blown among youth in the metro areas. Maybe out in the smaller towns.

Yes, full blown accents. Some so thick you can barely understand them. It all depends on which part of the city they're from.

[soletaire]

Originally Posted by mega man

Yes, full blown accents. Some so thick you can barely understand them. It all depends on which part of the city they're from.

I actually fully agree with this...I can only speak for houston, but thick, VERY southern accents are definitely still abundantly present in much of houston..its so funny because there is such a stark contrast between the young "trendy" houstonians who are pining to be undistinguishable from any other generic big city...and the ones who stay true to texas' identity. I remember this older lady was speaking on the phone one day at work with her full blown, southern fried molasses drawl..and the one young hipster type chick balked saying "god she sounds SO country..hahaha"...and I told her "well this IS Texas after all...love it or hate it, thats a big part of what we do here....surely you have gotten accustomed to hearing those thick country accents by now"...but shes one who desperately wants Houston to seem like a generic L.A/Seattle/Portland 2.0...whereas the old lady damn near reminds me of Huckleberry Hound with the way she talks...its a funny pairing to watch

[radiolibre99]

A lot of those drawls are very charming but I think the point is that the youth and young adults don't seem to carry the accent as much. The only ones I've seen that have any accents are people out in the country or inner city lower income folk. They're not as prevalent among younger people in the burbs and the gentrified newer areas of town.

If someone (younger) had a really think southern accent, like full blown, to where they'd sound like a King of the Hill character, it would stand out a bit in Houston. Not out as though no one would believe what they were hearing but some people might think the person was raised out in the sticks. A slight drawl, some of the Texan vernacular, sure, in spades. The Wilson Brothers come to mind.

But seriously, what is with the hardcore keep Texas Texan mentality? The only thing I care to keep that's Texan to the core is the open friendliness, the live and let live attitude and the utter lack of pretentiousness that characterizes other "worldly" cities. I could live with or without the hardcore holding on to every historical tradition. In fact the downright insistence by some of the natives to keep that historical tradition at any cost, has actually made some too bitter which cuts into the aspects I love about Texas mentioned above.

[Gunion Powder]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

A lot of those drawls are very charming but I think the point is that the youth and young adults don't seem to carry the accent as much. The only ones I've seen that have any accents are people out in the country or inner city lower income folk. They're not as prevalent among younger people in the burbs and the gentrified newer areas of town.

If someone (younger) had a really think southern accent, like full blown, to where they'd sound like a King of the Hill character, it would stand out a bit in Houston. Not out as though no one would believe what they were hearing but some people might think the person was raised out in the sticks. A slight drawl, some of the Texan vernacular, sure, in spades. The Wilson Brothers come to mind.

But seriously, what is with the hardcore keep Texas Texan mentality? The only thing I care to keep that's Texan to the core is the open friendliness, the live and let live attitude and the utter lack of pretentiousness that characterizes other "worldly" cities. I could live with or without the hardcore holding on to every historical tradition. In fact the downright insistence by some of the natives to keep that historical tradition at any cost, has actually made some too bitter which cuts into the aspects I love about Texas mentioned above.

Well they are just as much a part of the city as anyone else aren't they? Certainly more than someone from the burbs is.

Personally I think Houston has a good balance between being cosmopolitan and genuinely Texan. It doesn't need to be Huntsville but it doesn't need to be Los Angeles either.

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by mega man

Well they are just as much a part of the city as anyone else aren't they? Certainly more than someone from the burbs is.

Personally I think Houston has a good balance between being cosmopolitan and genuinely Texan. It doesn't need to be Huntsville but it doesn't need to be Los Angeles either.

Of course they are a part of the city, more so than the burbs, I fully agree. I never meant to marginalize them. But their drawl is urban much like the urban Brooklyn accent is to NYC. I wouldn't call it "country".

Houston has a great balance. And trust me, after living in LA for quite some time, LA is only half a stereotype. The other half is a genuine down to Earth city full of hard working class folk. If anything Houston is exhibiting some of the stereotypes LA used to exhibit in the 80s and 90s, with all of it's gentrification and high end retail going up due to the boom. LA is a city humbled by the bad economy (outside of the few rich enclaves of course).

[llmrkc07]

Of course in the city the accents are fading but it all depends on where you are. I live on the south side of Houston and I have family that stay on the East and Northern parts of town and they all have accents.

Most folks who come to the South/Texas want to be in the nice, hip and upcoming area of the cities but the folks that live there for the most part or non natives, they lack accents and the Texas culture/vibe. So of course one would assume the accents are fading, but come to the South, East or North side of Houston, or go to the South side of Dallas or East Austin, Beaumont/Port Arthur and pretty much all of East and Wet Texas. I bet you'll hear them...

Hell, most natives don't even realize they have a accents until they leave Texas....