Do you have an accent?

[Meenah]

Re: Do you have an accent?

I have a slight accent but most people have no idea where I am from. I grew up in Mississippi, moved north to Atlanta for 5 years, then to New Jersey. I have been here for 20 years.

Re: Do you have an accent?

JennP - I'm not sure if this is what Cassie is talking about, but here's a Cleveland accent...

http://web.ku.edu/idea/northamerica/usa/ohio/ohio2.mp3

This man is from the WEST side of Cleveland, IMO the east-siders are even more pronounced. Notice the way he says happy, daily, face, and palm.

That guy just strikes me as really nasal. :huh: I'm sure I do have an accent ... but to me it doesn't seem that way.

[ides]

Re: Do you have an accent?

I mostly lost it the PNW which is an accentless culture.

...or IS it?!

http://www.artsci.washington.edu/nwenglish/index.asp

I've filled out the form to join the study; my parents both grew up in the PNW, and I've lived there all my life till 6 months ago. I remember being made fun of in college for how I said "bag".

HA! Me too! When I first moved to ny state from Washington everyone thought I was from Canada. My parents say warsh in stead of wash as well. I also have a tendicy to say boughten. DH said it wasn't a word, but low and behold it's a regional dilalect in Washington. HA!

[MissCrabette]

Re: Do you have an accent?

Could it be that I'm really one of the few people here without a US accent? Vishenka has probably lived here for too long to have any kind of noticeable accent and our Australian, Irish, and Canadian contingent seems to have taken a leave of absence.

I can hear crickets...

Re: Do you have an accent?

Vishenka still has an accent. I probably wouldn't have known where it was from -- my guess is it gets heavier when she's ticked or drinks. Plus now it's Russian/New Yorker.

[Momo]

Re: Do you have an accent?

Bug/Kirsty has a charming accent & British vernacular.

Re: Do you have an accent?

Cali girl here, although I don't think I sound like a valley girl. I rarely say "like" in the middle of my sentences but I do use "gag me with a spoon" "dude" and other silly phrases from the 80's in hopes of bringing them back. Silly, I know.
My cousin, a southerner says I "sound like TV people" and makes fun of me bc of the way I say the words, pie, tire and you guys instead of y'all. Ti-yer not ti -er. Pie, with an enunciation on the ie and and not the quick pi, as most southerners say.
My DH, a foreigner has very little accent at all.

[DCJenn]

Re: Do you have an accent?

My husband can slip in to So. Cali very easily with enough wine in him. Someday I'll post the high school graduation picture. White blond surfer cut.

Jenn

[alison]

Re: Do you have an accent?

Dh has a German accent. I don't hear it anymore, but others do!

[Vishenka69]

Re: Do you have an accent?

Very few people pick up on my Russian accent, but I do sound very NY'ish, especially to the folks here. Although I can hear it go away and then come back after spending a day in NY. It was much worse when I lived in Brooklyn but toned down after going to college and moving to other boroughs. DH has a much heavier Russian accent and always gets upset when people pick his out but not mine.

Interestingly enough, my Russian accent came out very heavily when I took Italian in college. Whenever I tried speaking Italian I had a horrible Russian accent. It made me very self-concious and I never took another language class after that.

[Meenah]

Re: Do you have an accent?

When we met I could hear a slight accent, but if I didn't know where you were from/lived I would not have been able to pinpoint it. More like Manhatten to me.

Re: Do you have an accent?

Cali girl here, although I don't think I sound like a valley girl.

I don't, either. My accent is more in line with the South Bay/West LA area....very similar to American Broadcast English, but more laid back.

[Vishenka69]

Re: Do you have an accent?

When we met I could hear a slight accent, but if I didn't know where you were from/lived I would not have been able to pinpoint it. More like Manhatten to me.

That's usually the reaction I get unless someone knows my background. Although people at my old job couldn't believe that I can't tell the difference between Kerry and Cary or merry and marry.

Re: Do you have an accent?

When we met I could hear a slight accent, but if I didn't know where you were from/lived I would not have been able to pinpoint it. More like Manhatten to me.

That's usually the reaction I get unless someone knows my background. Although people at my old job couldn't believe that I can't tell the difference between Kerry and Cary or merry and marry.

that's what I thought, too. If you're like others I know, then the accent will intensify if you're mad or drinking ...

[Vishenka69]

Re: Do you have an accent?

Next time we visit, we'll need to get drunk together so you can test your theory.