Yankee Girl Survives First Year at Southern University

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

And if you have a really practiced ear, you can pin down the part of the state. I knew someone once who could peg where in North Carolina someone was from to within about 30 miles. Even today, with more mobility and the neutralizing effects of television, a western NC accent sounds nothing like an eastern NC one.

I don't get a chance to speak to many Eastern Carolinians, but I can definitely tell North from South Carolina accents.

I confuse people, because I've spent about 2/3 of my life in the North (Peoria, IL, where I got accused of having a Wisconsin accent), and 1/3 of my life in the South (Charlotte, NC). Add into that the fact that I'm just as likely to slip into a British accent or Scottish Brogue (albeit a bad one), and I stump even the most finely tuned ear.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I don't get a chance to speak to many Eastern Carolinians, but I can definitely tell North from South Carolina accents.

I confuse people, because I've spent about 2/3 of my life in the North (Peoria, IL, where I got accused of having a Wisconsin accent), and 1/3 of my life in the South (Charlotte, NC). Add into that the fact that I'm just as likely to slip into a British accent or Scottish Brogue (albeit a bad one), and I stump even the most finely tuned ear.

You should really confuse them and throw in some true Down East High Tider brogue.

Anyone who has never heard it really needs to watch this. It's not the same as a Coastal Plains Eastern NC accent.

[ASTalumna06]

Very interesting!

Soda or pop? Coo-pon or cyu-pon? Maps reveal how America speaks:
http://bodyodd.nbcnews.com/_news/201...peaks#comments

And here are all 122 maps! You can select a map and a particular city to find out how a specific region speaks:
http://spark-1590165977.us-west-2.el...tz/SurveyMaps/

[AnchorAlum]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

And if you have a really practiced ear, you can pin down the part of the state. I knew someone once who could peg where in North Carolina someone was from to within about 30 miles. Even today, with more mobility and the neutralizing effects of television, a western NC accent sounds nothing like an eastern NC one.

My Mother, who is from Pitt County NC, calls eastern NC coastal a "tidewater" accent, and she says it goes on up to Virginia.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlum

My Mother, who is from Pitt County NC, calls eastern NC coastal a "tidewater" accent, and she says it goes on up to Virginia.

Yep. Tidewater would be southeastern Virginia and northeastern NC.

[MaryPoppins]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Yep. Tidewater would be southeastern Virginia and northeastern NC.

And it sounds very English like the counties south of London and on westwards. Not a hard accent like Londoners have.

[limegreen]

I just saw my first drive-thru daiquiri stand last summer!

I've been told I pronounce "bag" in a very unique way. I think it sounds completely normal to my ear, but everyone else finds humor in it. Looking at the map for bag, I don't say it like either of those options. Hmmm.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by limegreen

I just saw my first drive-thru daiquiri stand last summer!

I've been told I pronounce "bag" in a very unique way. I think it sounds completely normal to my ear, but everyone else finds humor in it. Looking at the map for bag, I don't say it like either of those options. Hmmm.

I was hoping to find a map regarding the word "both" - for some reason, I throw an L in the middle of it so it sounds more like the word "bowl" with a -th at the end.

Apparently I'm just weird

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I was hoping to find a map regarding the word "both" - for some reason, I throw an L in the middle of it so it sounds more like the word "bowl" with a -th at the end.

Apparently I'm just weird

Do they have a map for Probably? I pronounce it "prolly". I know that's not right, but I say it anyway.

[clemsongirl]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I was hoping to find a map regarding the word "both" - for some reason, I throw an L in the middle of it so it sounds more like the word "bowl" with a -th at the end.

Apparently I'm just weird

I do this too!! And when I went to Clemson people asked me why I put an L in both, when I'd never noticed it before in my life because everyone where I live does it. Southerners pronounce it more like "bowth", which sounds really weird to me; my Georgian boyfriend and I have gotten in bolth versus bowth arguments before. My mom and I also once had a solid minute during a car ride of trying to pronounce both with no L in it, and we ended up sounding wicked silly.

In short, it's not just you!

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by clemsongirl

I do this too!! And when I went to Clemson people asked me why I put an L in both, when I'd never noticed it before in my life because everyone where I live does it. Southerners pronounce it more like "bowth", which sounds really weird to me; my Georgian boyfriend and I have gotten in bolth versus bowth arguments before. My mom and I also once had a solid minute during a car ride of trying to pronounce both with no L in it, and we ended up sounding wicked silly.

In short, it's not just you!

Haha, good to know!

I also was completely unaware of this until I moved out of New England and had it pointed out to me.

Actually, quite a few of these maps (#1, 5, 6, 21, 26, 63, 73, 78, 86, 84, 103...) explain why I get weird looks when I speak

[ASTalumna06]

Also, with #117, I was hoping the question would be, "What do you say when you're going into the level of a building that's partially or entirely underground?"

My answer totally would have been "I'm going down cellar."

(and for those of you thinking I missed a word or two in that sentence... I didn't.)

[naraht]

I found one map where I can actually explain the *really* odd geography for it:

#3. How do you pronounce the first syllable in "Bowie Knife". The areas of the country that pronounce the first syllable like "Boo" are either in
Texas (James Bowie who the knife is named for died at the Alamo and he pronounced is own name "Boo-ie")
or around Washington DC. (there is a large suburb of Washington DC (Bowie, Maryland) pronounced "Boo-ie")

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by naraht

I found one map where I can actually explain the *really* odd geography for it:

#3. How do you pronounce the first syllable in "Bowie Knife". The areas of the country that pronounce the first syllable like "Boo" are either in
Texas (James Bowie who the knife is named for died at the Alamo and he pronounced is own name "Boo-ie")
or around Washington DC. (there is a large suburb of Washington DC (Bowie, Maryland) pronounced "Boo-ie")

I thought that one was interesting, too. I'm from a Bow-ie state, but I pronounce it Boo-ie, because I remember from history class that this is how he pronounced his name, and I did live in Maryland for 4 years.

[limegreen]

I can explain why Wisconsinites call it a "bubbler." Bubbler is a brand name for a type of drinking fountain manufactured by the Kohler Company headquartered in... Kohler, WI.

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I was hoping to find a map regarding the word "both" - for some reason, I throw an L in the middle of it so it sounds more like the word "bowl" with a -th at the end.

Apparently I'm just weird

That reminds me of people who pronounce "wash" as "warsh." I don't do it, personally, but I know several people who do.