Southern Accents

[Arkansawyer]

Occasionally, I let  "ya'll" slip out too.  But I try to avoid it when possible just because it's not "correct" English.

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As was mentioned earlier, "y'all" is a grammatically correct contraction. I might add that referring to everyone, including females, as "guys" is not correct. That is really grating to my ears when I hear that. First of all, the word "guy" is a word with an originally negative connotation (refers to the infamous Guy Fawkes), and should only be used to casually refer to a group of men.

[johnnydr87]

College grad percentage (far right)

Alabama 2,948 22.7

Arkansas 1,743 17.4 <----lowest (ahhhh)

Florida 11,266 25.8 <--------- second highest among south

Georgia 5,468 25.0 <---over 25

Kentucky 2,673 21.3

Louisiana 2,763 22.3

Mississippi 1,742 19.3

North Carolina 5,409 23.8

Oklahoma 2,214 24.3

South Carolina 2,591 22.3

Tennessee 3,700 23.5

Texas 13,231 24.7

West Virginia 1,222 15.3 (lowest if you consider it part of south)

Virginia 4,623 34.2 <-----highest in south, notice disparity between it and second competitor, florida....due in part to proximity to D.C., which has 46%

Vermont 423 31.3 <--over 30

Connecticut 2,232 33.5 <--over 30

Delaware 531 28.1 <---over 25

Maine 882 23.7 <----lowest, and most rural

Maryland 3,545 37.2 <--over 30

Massachusetts 4,415 37.6 <----highest

Illinois 8,031 28.1 <---over 25

Michigan 6,330 23.3

Minnesota 3,323 32.7 <--over 30

New Hampshire 865 34.0 <--over 30

New Jersey 5,740 33.4 <--over 30

New York 12,636 29.6 <---over 25

Pennsylvania 8,277 24.8

Rhode Island 713 27.6 <---over 25

Unfortunately, the only standardized ACT/SAT scores I have access to are ACT and SAT:

ACT (used most by south): http://www.act.org/news/data/04/states.html

SAT (used most by north): http://www.midwestsites.com/stellent2/grou..._ed_000924.hcsp

Note that the south does better on SAT averages and the north on ACT largely because smaller percentages in the south take the SAT (those more agressive students) and smaller percentages in north take ACT.

[afh]

As was mentioned earlier, "y'all" is a grammatically correct contraction. I might add that referring to everyone, including females, as "guys" is not correct. That is really grating to my ears when I hear that. First of all, the word "guy" is a word with an originally negative connotation (refers to the infamous Guy Fawkes), and should only be used to casually refer to a group of men.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I like using the term y'all. People not from the south use that term and it's becoming quite popular and cool to say it. So Johnnydr87, don't be afraid to use it here and there.

[dromulus]

I agree. The sterotypical hollywood southern accent is an atrocity.

My personal favorite accent is from Charleston. I think that accent is fading away somewhat though.

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I agree. It seems that most of the southern accents of our generation are becoming more "mid-america generic." I guess it has alot to do with the pace of technology and communication, being so wired to the rest of the country. I listen to my father, and even remember the way my grandfather talked, and think that no one will ever speak that way again. I feel we are all going to eventually merge into a common accent (with the exeption of those who purposly try to talk with a certian accent).

[Mith242]

I agree.  It seems that most of the southern accents of our generation are becoming more "mid-america generic."  I guess it has alot to do with the pace of technology and communication, being so wired to the rest of the country.  I listen to my father, and even remember the way my grandfather talked, and think that no one will ever speak that way again.  I feel we are all going to eventually merge into a common accent (with the exeption of those who purposly try to talk with a certian accent).

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You'd think that, but supposedly studies so that accents are still holding their own. Even in today's society.

[ironchapman]

I lost most of mine. That's what a lady from Pennsylvania told me.

I do regain quite a bit of it when I'm tired or angry, though.

[120North]

Southern accents rule. I do not think anyone from the South should be ashamed of their accents. I have a decent accent, coming from the North Florida/South Georgia area. I never lose my accent in conversation but, I will occasionally thicken it just to mess with some Yankee that I'm talking to.

[t7911]

about the SAT scores...

I'd always heard it was the opposite. Everybody takes it here, I thought. The statistics say otherwise though.

[streetscaper]

I hope the South is damn proud of its accents. I was on a tour of Europe just a few weeks ago, and my Miami group was paired up with a group from Nashville Tennessee. And I tell ya, I could've died when I heard there accents. I thought it was the sexiest thing ever, it made my heart ache everytime they talked. Now I'm really gonna try to move to Tennessee (or somewhere in the South) after college. I'm serious!

[I-275westcoastflorida]

Most major cities lack the whole accent thing theyre maybe a few people every once in a while but for the most part major cities are too mixed.

[ATL4EVER]

Sorry New Yorkers but I hate Yalls Accent. I cant help but laugh or ignore a person with a strong NYC accent, it's just all Bulky and ignorant sounding. It bothers me even thinking about it.

[dromulus]

it's funny, but i think it is starting to become "cool" or "hip" to be from the south. we have been made fun of for so many years, but look where every one is moving. nascar (although i'm not a fan) was started by southern bootleggers, and is now one of the fastest growing sports nation wide. people who stay true to the south and are not ashamed of it become the envy in the end.

[WildWest]

I cant help but laugh or ignore a person with a strong NYC accent, it's just all Bulky and ignorant sounding. It bothers me even thinking about it.

I agree. I think New York, New Jersey, Boston accents, etc are the ones who really suffer from sounding uneducated and ignorant, not the southerners. And certainly no one EVER thinks a southern accent sounds rude or hostile. Friendly and hospitable is what a southern accent brings to mind.

[ironchapman]

it's funny, but i think it is starting to become "cool" or "hip" to be from the south.  we have been made fun of for so many years, but look where every one is moving.  nascar (although i'm not a fan) was started by southern bootleggers, and is now one of the fastest growing sports nation wide.  people who stay true to the south and are not ashamed of it become the envy in the end.

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I watched the Comedy Central Roast of Jeff Foxworthy (who may be one of the people responsible for making the accent "cool") the other day, and some rappers that appeared on the roast said he has "Country Cred" .

[satalac]

well hot damn, i got a 95% dixie rating.

[EvanK]

I'm not ashamed of my Alabama foothills accent, but there are some words that people will say around here that make me cringe. A few examples.

ahunnered = 1 hundred

tar = tire

far = fire

aig = egg

warsh = wash

crick = creek

upare = up there

ig'nunt = ignorant

emere = them there

upare = up there

downare = down there

feesh = fish

comin' a cloud = thunderstorm

tawanader = tornado

chivalay = Chevrolet

... many more.

One local one that bothers me is, the county I live in is Etowah. Pronounced Eta-wah but local people have a bad habit of pronouncing it eddy-waw and it drives me up the wall.

Another one that bothers me is the pronunciation of Birmingham. It is NOT Bur-mun-hayum!

Atlanta = Ad-lanner

Chicago = She-cargo

[Rock2uf]

Ha Ha, aight, I'm fixin' to go eat supper.

[Miesian Corners]

Well, I'm fixin to go git in my car, crank it up, and drive up to Warshington.

[A2]

I'm not ashamed of my Alabama foothills accent, but there are some words that people will say around here that make me cringe.  A few examples.

ahunnered = 1 hundred

tar = tire

far = fire

aig = egg

warsh = wash

crick = creek

upare = up there

ig'nunt = ignorant

emere = them there

upare = up there

downare = down there

feesh = fish

comin' a cloud = thunderstorm

tawanader = tornado

chivalay = Chevrolet

... many more.

One local one that bothers me is, the county I live in is Etowah.  Pronounced Eta-wah but local people have a bad habit of pronouncing it eddy-waw and it drives me up the wall.

Another one that bothers me is the pronunciation of Birmingham.  It is NOT  Bur-mun-hayum!

Atlanta = Ad-lanner

Chicago = She-cargo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you forgot yander.....

(Used in a sentence, it would be: The road that you are going to take is down yander.)

[Mith242]

How about jeet? I was around central Arkansas a while back and saw a billboard for some restaurant. But in big letters was Jeet yet? Took me a sec before I realized they were playing off of southern slang of 'Did you eat yet'.

[afh]

Y'all ain't right! How about when someone uses geet. Geet = get. Now I'm fixin' to get back to work.

[EvanK]

I think you forgot yander.....

(Used in a sentence, it would be: The road that you are going to take is down yander.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Blast! How could I forget that one.

[Mith242]

Just out of curiousity just where do you see southern accents going in the future? Will they become more accepted or as the south becomes more 'educated' will they be relegated to almost a 'second language' used only at home?

[ironchapman]

That's a good question, Mith.

I think it will become more respected as time goes by, because the South is becoming more educating and forward moving each day.

[Spartan]

I think they will still be around. Its already evolving. Texans have a unique Southern accent.

I have had people tell me I don't have a strong accent. I question that though.

I have a tendency to run long words I say frequently together. For example, Lexington = Lexntin. I have heard many others do this too.

I think the best contribution that the South has made to the English languange is "y'all." Its a great word, and it makes the 2nd person plural more distinctive. I use it all the time It also helped me understand French verb conjugations.

Another thing we do that I like is say "I" like "Ah" -- "Ah went to the store." for example. Plus I like a girl with a good southern accent.

In my area we tend to say "yonder" as opposed to "yander"

And jeet? I say that often. Jeet yet?

We can't for get "aight" (alright): Jeet yet? Naw. Y'awnt to? Aight. (I spelled all of that correctly)

I have heard this werid phraseology around before--- instead of saying something like "I'll see you at the house" people will say "I'll see you to the house." I haven't picked up that one up though

I find the NY accent abriassive and annoying, but the most annoying accent to me is that upper Mid-west accent.

What the non-Southerners and Yankees who are reading this need to understand is that there is a sort of ill-defined uneducated accent, and then an educated one. The uneducated one is thicker and tends to use words similar to those in that list above. I have noticed this more and more I as travel. This is certainly not all inclusive. Just an obvservation I had

I can see our accents in America becoming much like those of the British. If you are unfamiliar, they are weird with their accents. They can be placed to specific regions with ease (to them) and sometimes to cities. They also define a certain class of people. The upper class is more in tune with "the Queen's English." They ahve just had about 1000 more years to evolve theirs

Oh and have you ever heard a redkneck's famous last words? :: "Hey y'all, watchiss!"