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Re: American Accents
Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:59 pm
by muy_thaiguy
Fircoal wrote:muy_thaiguy wrote:btownmeggy wrote:Guiscard wrote:I take it you generally mean the Queen's Enlglish-type accent (think Hugh Grant)...
However, there are myriad accents throughout England. I doubt someone from Birmingham sound intelligent, and no-one can understand Newcastle accents unless you live withing a mile of the Tyne! And thats not getting started on the Scouse or those int yarksha...
Yes yes, yes.
Also:

Once again, San Fran set's itself apart from the rest of the West.
That's cause we're too awesome for them.

I was thinking it was the oddball of the West myself.
Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:47 pm
by InkL0sed
Fargo, ya!
Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:50 pm
by Kaplowitz
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:53 pm
by daddy1gringo
Mjolnirs wrote:Stymie wrote:Someone mentioned the word y'all...
What is wrong with that word?
Not a thing, especially when spelled correctly.
y'all=correct
ya'll=wrong
Actually, though it's not proper english, the word "y'all" is an attempt to fill a legitimate need. Modern English is the only language I know of that doesn't distinguish between singular and plural in "you". That is, "you -- one person" and "you -- more than one person". Even older English, like Shakespeare and the King James Bible, made a distinction. "you" was singular, "ye" was plural.
Now some people use "youse" or "yuz" but "y'all" sounds better.
I met one guy from Texas who says that nowadays there "yall" is singular; the plural is "all yall". Any Texans want to comment?
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 6:01 pm
by daddy1gringo
unriggable wrote:daddy1gringo wrote:You can tell a midwesterner if he says the words "root" or "roof." He will pronounce the "oo" like "foot" where the rest of the English-speaking world pronounces it like "moon" or "dude." He ill also call "pop" what everybody else calls "soda", except the greater Boston area, where it is "tonic".
Who the hell calls it tonic?
Ham wrote:The person who does his research on wikipedia.
Wikipedia?

A pox on you. You've got the wrong guy. I've lived in the greater Boston area. People there call it "tonic".
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 6:24 pm
by InkL0sed
I thought y'all was considered proper English.
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:29 pm
by btownmeggy
daddy1gringo wrote:I met one guy from Texas who says that nowadays there "yall" is singular; the plural is "all yall". Any Texans want to comment?
Some people use it this way, but for most people y'all is always plural. "All y'all" is indeed frequently used, but tends to refer to a somewhat larger number of people that just plain old "y'all".
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:40 pm
by Stymie
daddy1gringo wrote:Mjolnirs wrote:Stymie wrote:Someone mentioned the word y'all...
What is wrong with that word?
Not a thing, especially when spelled correctly.
y'all=correct
ya'll=wrong
Actually, though it's not proper english, the word "y'all" is an attempt to fill a legitimate need. Modern English is the only language I know of that doesn't distinguish between singular and plural in "you". That is, "you -- one person" and "you -- more than one person". Even older English, like Shakespeare and the King James Bible, made a distinction. "you" was singular, "ye" was plural.
Now some people use "youse" or "yuz" but "y'all" sounds better.
I met one guy from Texas who says that nowadays there "yall" is singular; the plural is "all yall". Any Texans want to comment?
I am not from Texas, but I have the accent of a Texan. I have never heard anyone say all y'all. It is kinda of silly to put the word all in front because y'all means more than one. What is the point? What part of Texas is the guy from?
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:49 pm
by Serbia
Here in Detroit, we use "all y'all" when talking Southern.
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 8:03 pm
by Stymie
Serbia wrote:Here in Detroit, we use "all y'all" when talking Southern.
Like a mentioned earlier what is the point in putting all in front of y'all?
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 8:17 pm
by Ham
Y'all sounds better than You guys
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 8:19 pm
by Serbia
My Serbian grandmother used to say "yous guys".
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 8:28 pm
by static_ice
Over here its "you guys"... or just "guys". Aren't those the only other options?

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:37 pm
by Mjolnirs
All y'all is redundant, but I've heard it used.
eg:
Person to a group - "y'all need to quiet down."
person in group - "Who?"
person go group - "all y'all!"
I don't know if y'all is considered proper, but if you want to see an English teacher have a seizure ask them what the possessive of it is.
y'all's?
Regarding the map, I'm a #21, but hear some #22 around. Someone speaking true Gullah can be very difficult to understand.
Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 1:44 am
by Stymie
The map - I am #16, and people are always making fun of my accent a lot.
People usually call me a hick or a redneck.
Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 2:15 am
by muy_thaiguy
On the map, I'm # 13.
As for "y'all," we use it just as often as "you guys," and other such things. Mainly depends on what click you are in, but most people will say "y'all."
Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 2:38 am
by gryffin13
daddy1gringo wrote:dcowboys055 wrote:Hitman079 wrote:what about midwest accent?
Midwest is supposedly the "cleanest" US accent, or the easiest to understand. I agree but I'm from the midwest so I'm biased. One funny thing I've heard is that Wisconsinites (me) speak really fast? Anyone else ever heard that, doesnt seem like it to me.
You can tell a midwesterner if he says the words "root" or "roof." He will pronounce the "oo" like "foot" where the rest of the English-speaking world pronounces it like "moon" or "dude." He ill also call "pop" what everybody else calls "soda", except the greater Boston area, where it is "tonic".
I am from colorado, but my parents are from california and connecticut, so maybe i'm somewhat balanced, but do other people think that coloradoans have accents?
I say r
oof like t
ooth but some of my friends say it like r
ookie. And I say soda, but I know people that say pop.
So what is a Colorado accent?
Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:47 am
by muy_thaiguy
gryffin13 wrote:daddy1gringo wrote:dcowboys055 wrote:Hitman079 wrote:what about midwest accent?
Midwest is supposedly the "cleanest" US accent, or the easiest to understand. I agree but I'm from the midwest so I'm biased. One funny thing I've heard is that Wisconsinites (me) speak really fast? Anyone else ever heard that, doesnt seem like it to me.
You can tell a midwesterner if he says the words "root" or "roof." He will pronounce the "oo" like "foot" where the rest of the English-speaking world pronounces it like "moon" or "dude." He ill also call "pop" what everybody else calls "soda", except the greater Boston area, where it is "tonic".
I am from colorado, but my parents are from california and connecticut, so maybe i'm somewhat balanced, but do other people think that coloradoans have accents?
I say r
oof like t
ooth but some of my friends say it like r
ookie. And I say soda, but I know people that say pop.
So what is a Colorado accent?
Similar to mine, Wyoming.

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 10:28 am
by Norse
I want to have a voice like Bob Bubka, the golfing commentator.
His voice is as low as my bollox on a bad day.