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Old 12-26-2011, 11:31 PM
 
Location: Aloverton
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Everyone has a regional accent to the ears of people from other regions, so surely we do as well. The dumbest statement in linguistics, for my money, is: "I don't have an accent." Accent is a matter of perspective. I would be interested in knowing what our accent sounds like, so that I could experiment with masking it just for fun.
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Old 12-27-2011, 01:23 AM
 
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When I was in 9th grade, we had a student in one of my classes who had just moved here from Kentucky. Someone said something about his accent and he responded with "I don't have an accent, ya'all have accents".

So yeah, probably.

The only people I have heard say "warshington" were originally from elsewhere (one person was from montana).
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Old 12-27-2011, 02:01 AM
 
Location: Arvada, CO
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Seacove View Post
Okay, how are we saying bag wrong? Sounds right to me.

I deleted it last night but the only time I've heard Warshington was once in Missouri, not that I'm picking on Missouri, it's just the only place I've heard it. I've never heard Warshington here.
Some Washingtonians say bay-g, with the "a" long instead of short. Heard it that way growing up in/around Everett, have heard it in Spokane. I, from CA, say it with a short A, as do many other people from other areas.

I've never heard "Warshington" in Washington either. However, I do know a guy from Nebraska who says it that way.
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Old 12-27-2011, 09:02 AM
 
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Okay, now I'm going to have to think about how I say bag. Hmm. I'm sure we probably do have accents but don't realize it.

We have family that moved to Minnesota a couple of decades ago and they sound like the movie Fargo now. It's funny how that happens.
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Old 12-27-2011, 09:05 AM
 
Location: Arvada, CO
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Seacove View Post
Okay, now I'm going to have to think about how I say bag. Hmm. I'm sure we probably do have accents but don't realize it.

We have family that moved to Minnesota a couple of decades ago and they sound like the movie Fargo now. It's funny how that happens.
LOL. I like to say that I now sound more bored since I moved to Colorado.
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Old 12-27-2011, 09:10 AM
 
Location: PA
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Born in Yakima & raised there for 12 years, then spent 5 in Spokane, then 1 back in Yakima, then just over 1 in Seattle. I say bag w/ a short 'a' and never in my life have I heard any Washingtonian say Washington with the dreaded 'r' in it. Only transplants have been heard pronouncing it thus.

I have also lived in several others states, and many times have been asked where I was born & raised because I have no accent. Their wording not mine. I believe it to be as another poster already stated, that the PNW is known for the standard American accent.
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Old 12-28-2011, 12:21 AM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,711 posts, read 58,042,598 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by j_k_k View Post
Everyone has a regional accent to the ears of people from other regions, so surely we do as well. ...
When our family was residing in UK, our kids were always getting asked to speak in their Washington (PNW) accent. Of course, it was often tough to understand what the Brit kids were asking them to say. Do they speak English?

yep, we'all have regional accents. I am still trying to figure out what the soda fountain clerk in SC was asking me (32 yrs ago).. You wont "nits" on your sundee?

I think the e-generation must also have an accent, as they speak at 2.8gig baud rate, which usually sounds as 'mumble' to me.... Too many yrs running chainsaws I guess...
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Old 12-28-2011, 03:58 AM
 
Location: Arvada, CO
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Originally Posted by StealthRabbit View Post
I think the e-generation must also have an accent, as they speak at 2.8gig baud rate, which usually sounds as 'mumble' to me.... Too many yrs running chainsaws I guess...
It probably sounds like text talk (lol jk omg etc).
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Old 12-28-2011, 10:53 AM
 
4,483 posts, read 9,292,219 times
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Originally Posted by Ancalagon View Post
Ask someone to say 'roof' or 'ruff' as my wife pronounces it.

Does vocab count as an accent? B/c everyone refers to any type of cooking on an outdoor grill as BBQing, even if it's not BBQ.

Are you from the South? I don't think barbecuing is northwestern. Western, maybe - it's definitely the same in California. I'm from the West Coast, and after 4 years in NC, when I hear "barbecue," my first thought is, "barbecued what? (I hope it's chicken.)"


My grandmother lived in Portland all her life, as did both of her parents. I think she said "Warshington." Her paternal grandfather came on the Oregon Trail, so maybe it is an old-time pioneer thing. Or maybe she just heard it somewhere and liked it. I've heard my dad (Portland born and raised) say, "Warsh your hands."

I usually say roof to rhyme with goof, but I think when I was a kid I pronounced the oo like the oo in good. I probably was exposed to both.
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Old 01-04-2012, 09:23 PM
 
Location: God's Country
611 posts, read 1,204,920 times
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I rarely hear Warshington but I have heard it from natives but none of them were from urban areas. I think a few intentionally talk that way to match the Confederate flag bumper stickers and naked woman mudflaps on their jacked up trucks.
I did a short stent in Iowa and they all said Warsh and crik instead of creek. Go figure.
I am from the South originally but my son was born and raised here. I think he talks like a Californian surfer. In fact, I would say the Western Washington dialect consists of a lot of "Hey, man" or "'Sup, Dude?".
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