Discussion (Argument) on Dialects/Accents

[econophile]

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This is why Jersey girls have such pleasant accents.

Ditto Worcester.

NT

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Jersey girls would still fit my theory as long as they are from, for example, central newark instead of the outskirts of newark.

[CCass]

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...Anyway, the jist of my argument was that people from areas like Seattle, Minneapolis, LA, San Diego, Phoenix, Madison, WI all kind of sound the same. Basically, I argued Midwest and West Coast dialects are fairly similar...

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Seattle/Phoenix - don't know if they have an accent or not.
Minneapolis - people from Minnessoooota have a very definitive accent
LA/San Diego - not so much an accent, but I can usually spot a West Coaster by their dialect/mannerisms when they speak
Madison/WI - one of the most nasal accents I have ever heard

[acoustix]

I think people in CT have no real accent as we tend to pronounce every thing like reading it from a dictionary. This is really odd though because every state that borders us has it's own distinct, thick accent (RI, MA, NY). I kind of feel we got robbed on the whole accent thing.

[Elevens]

I'm from a Chicago suburb, and I'd like to think that I don't have any particular accent. However, I know that's not the case. I think many people are similiar in this and don't think they have any sort of accent, when in fact, they do.

[faded]

I'm from Cincinnati, we have no accents. The only other place I've heard of that doesn't have accents is the West Coast...

[Elevens]

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I'm from Cincinnati, we have no accents. The only other place I've heard of that doesn't have accents is the West Coast...

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See what I mean?

[Mrs. Utah]

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...Anyway, the jist of my argument was that people from areas like Seattle, Minneapolis, LA, San Diego, Phoenix, Madison, WI all kind of sound the same. Basically, I argued Midwest and West Coast dialects are fairly similar...

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Minneapolis - people from Minnessoooota have a very definitive accent

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Nooooo we dooooon't [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[acoustix]

Picture all the news anchors and sportscasters that have non-regional, bland dialects. This is exactly how we talk. If you want to get nitty, then I guess you can say that no accent is our accent.

[Elevens]

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Picture all the news anchors and sportscasters that have non-regional, bland dialects. This is exactly how we talk. If you want to get nitty, then I guess you can say that no accent is our accent.

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What I'm saying is that many people believe that they sound like this (news broadcasters), but they really don't.

[Mrs. Utah]

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i'm from minneapolis suburbs. we have accents. not as exaggerated as Fargo, unless you go to "outstate" (read- not the metro area) then it sounds like this:

behn, the phoaan's fer youuuu.
Yah, I left my coaat on yer boaat ya know?

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I agree with Ben here...the farther outside the Minneapolis/StPaul area you go, the more pronounced the accent.
I also think that a lot of people who live in the merto areas have cabins and lakehomes in northern Minnesota and just from exposure pick up the heavier accent.