1957 Demonstration of American Dialects/Accents

[stlcatfan]

Found this on YouTube and thought it was pretty interesting. I grew up in central Kansas, but have lived in St. Louis for quite some time. Even though they are not very far apart geographically, there is some definite differences in pronunciation of certain words. For instance, the utensil I eat with I call a "fork." Older folks in St. Louis, however, will sometimes pronounce it as a "fark." I heard my wife (a St. Louis native) one time call a fork a fark and then she immediately corrected herself. She seemed embarrassed that she called it that originally. Interstate 44, which runs through St. Louis, is sometimes pronounced "farty-far" by the locals.

Another example: I say I wash my dishes in the sink. Some older St. Louisans might say I "warsh" my dishes in the "zink." I have heard some Kansans say this, too. Occasionally, my wife will hear me say a word that I pronounce differently than her.

These days, everything is becoming more homogenized (especially for the younger folks), but it is still interesting to hear local accents and how we pronounce certain words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8ZNnlYvXw0

[RichardZ]

My wife grew up in Kansas and Texas. Me from the East Coast.

She never heard the word 'stoop' ie going into one's home.

Me it was 'soda' not 'pop or a 'hero' not a hoagie or sub.

So, it is not only pronunciation.

[stlcatfan]

My wife grew up in Kansas and Texas. Me from the East Coast.

She never heard the word 'stoop' ie going into one's home.

Me it was 'soda' not 'pop or a 'hero' not a hoagie or sub.

So, it is not only pronunciation.

That's another good example. Growing up in Kansas, I called it "pop." Here in St. Louis, it is called "soda." People here look at you funny if you say pop. I've been here long enough now that I call it soda, too.

[PurpleWildcat]

I know that this is a dialect/accent thread, but who else puts peanuts in their pop (ha ha), Pepsi or Coke. It seems like that is a mid west thing only. I know my grandfather did, my father did and I do. I’ve ran into a few people out here in Colorado that grew up in Kansas or Oklahoma and they said they remember people doing it.

[ToledoCat#3]

My first job out of KSU was in Oklahoma. My boss was from extreme SE Oklahoma -- known as Little Dixie.

He spoke with such a pronounced southern drawl that my five years with him stamped his dialect in my speech pattern and word pronunciation. When I worked in Washington state, folks thought from my talking that I was from Texas.

[stlcatfan]

Yeah, I have had people tell me I have a southern accent, even though I grew up in the Midwest. My mom lived in North Carolina for part of her childhood so maybe that is where I picked it up. I don't remember her having a southern accent, though.

Years ago, I visited my aunt and uncle who live in Lafayette, Louisiana in Cajun country. My uncle is a great tour guide and took me to some places where there were lots of authentic Cajuns. One old timer who found out that I was from Kansas asked me, "How things be in dat der nort?" I assumed he was asking me how things were up north in Kansas.

[ChemEngCat]

My first job out of K-State was also in Oklahoma. People would talk about a town over by Tulsa and call it Broken Era, or so I thought. Turns out they were talking about Broken Arrow.....

[stlcatfan]

One of the words my wife gives me a bad time about is how I say the word "ruin." She pronounces it, roo-in, while I tend to pronounce it, roo-een. I imagine most people pronounce it like she does. She says my step mom says it the same way I do so maybe that is a Kansas thing.

[RichardZ]

Years ago we were in Pittsburgh, PA We were asking directions and the guy says "Make a right on Wishton street. We road up and down the avenue looking for Wishton street.

Turns out it was ...Washington Street.

Different places also come up with their own unique references to more than one person.

On the East Coast it is ...You guys
Texas...Y'all
PA....Youins

Any others?

[ToledoCat#3]

Funniest thing about Okie language. A district administrator for the Oklahoma FFA chewed 'baccer and spoke with a pronounced drawl. He told his new secretary to send a letter out to the FFA teachers in his district and announce the date of the upcoming 'barer' show. So his secretary dutifully sent out a letter with the date for a "bear" show. Of course, the guy said "barrow" show in Okiespeak.