KPC: 70% General American English 20% Yankee 5% Upper Midwestern (They obviously round off).
KQ: 80% General American English 10% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
65% General American English 15% Dixie 15% Yankee 5% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern
Not bad, though I don't really know where the midwestern bit comes from.
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
60% General American English 30% Yankee 10% Dixie
I didn't know I was such a Yankee. I'll have to go back and look at what I put. Hmm...
This is a cool quiz though. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by pfresh85 (Member # 8085) on :
80% General American English 15% Yankee 5% Dixie 0% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern
Not sure where that Yankee came from, as I've never lived north of the Mason-Dixon line.
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
Your Linguistic Profile: 30% Yankee 20% Dixie 15% General American English 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern
Yup. I'm a British Yankee. As you can probably tell, there were a few questions that didn't apply. It's pretty much what I expected, though.
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
Is one of your parents from the north? That's where I figure my 5% came from -- my mom's from Montana.
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
75% GAE 15% Yankee 5% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern
That's strange, I'm an Upper Midwesterner if there ever was one..
Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
Your Linguistic Profile: 65% General American English 15% Upper Midwestern 10% Yankee 5% Dixie 0% Midwestern
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
65% General American English 15% Dixie 10% Upper Midwestern 10% Yankee 0% Midwestern
My mom's from Upstate New York, and my dad grew up on a farm in North Carolina.
I wish they'd asked about the neutral ground. Which is a neutral ground, not a median. One of the few things I've picked up from living in Louisiana.
-pH
Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :
55% General American English 30% Yankee 10% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern
Well, I live in Maine and we have a dialect all to our own. I can see it being more accurate if they threw in a question about 'wicked'.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
50% General American English 30% Yankee 15% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
75% General American English 20% Yankee 5% Dixie 0% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern
I'm not even sure what "Yankee" means.
Posted by Amilia (Member # 8912) on :
75% General American English 15% Upper Midwestern 5% Midwestern 5% Yankee 0% Dixie
What does "cruller" mean?
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
I was wondering about that too. Posted by Sergeant (Member # 8749) on :
Your Linguistic Profile: 75% General American English 15% Upper Midwestern 5% Dixie 5% Midwestern 0% Yankee
0% Yankee 5% Dixie (I'm sure it was the Y'all that got me the 5%)
Grew up in Wyoming. I guess we are not related to the east coast at all.
Sergeant
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
85% General American English 10% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern 0% Yankee
Odd, I'm from the Mid-West.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
Your Linguistic Profile: 45% Yankee 35% General American English 15% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern
And I'm Australian. Hmmm.
Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :
65% General American English 25% Yankee 5% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern
But numbers ten and twenty didn't have options for me. I've never used any of those terms for easy classes--I call them "cruise classes." And I say "Mary" and "marry" in the same way but "merry" differently.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I thought a cruller was a kind of donut.
-pH
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
Interesting . . . and some of these are really silly, for example:
quote:What do you call the night before Halloween?
Nothing Devil's night Mischeif night
It's spelled mischief, is it not?
quote: You call sweetened, carbonated beverages:
Soda Pop Coke
Where's the "soda-pop" option? Which is what I have always called it . . .
quote: What do you call a traffic situation in which several roads meet in a circle and you have to get off at a certain point?
Rotary Something else like a circle, traffic circle, or roundabout
Hmmmm . . . I have heard these "traffic situations" called many things -- none of them complimentary, either . . .
quote: What do you call an easy class?
A crip course A gut A blow off
Where's the answer, "easy class" or "no brainer" or "sluff-off" class?
quote: If it's raining while the sun is shining, you call it:
The Devil is Beating His Wife A sunshower You have no term for it
Here in the PacNW, we call it a miracle -- especially after weeks of non-stop rain.
quote:Your Linguistic Profile: 60% General American English 20% Yankee 15% Upper Midwestern 5% Dixie 0% Midwestern
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
Your Linguistic Profile: 85% General American English 10% Dixie 5% Yankee
I'm suprised that I don't have more Dixie. Surely calling carbonated beverages "Coke" and regularly saying "ya'll" makes me more than 10%. Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
quote: I can see it being more accurate if they threw in a question about 'wicked'.
I completely agree. Wicked is an essential part of my dialect.
And yes, a cruller is type of donut. Instead of being circular, it is twisted. Like this: Cruller Posted by Amilia (Member # 8912) on :
quote:I thought a cruller was a kind of donut.
Thanks, pH! Edit: And Evie! :-)
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
[Addit: Beaten! And with the same picture! ]
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
50% General American English 25% Dixie 25% Yankee 0% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Foster's here sells kreullers (crullers) under the name "old-fashioned kreullers". But we don't say kreuller; everyone around here calls them "old-fashioneds". A chocolate frosted chocolate old-fashioned from Foster's is my favorite donut in the world!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
(Oh, and I call an easy class a "sleeper." Go figure!)
Posted by Nell Gwyn (Member # 8291) on :
Your Linguistic Profile: 65% General American English 15% Yankee 10% Dixie 5% Midwestern 5% Upper Midwestern
My speech is a bit confused because I grew up in the Midwest, but my dad is from Texas and my mom's native language isn't English (although she is fluent in it). So I have a thoroughly Midwestern accent, but I also say things like "y'all" and "critters", both of which came from my dad. However, I did not pick up his use of "over yonder".
I took a different quiz like this a while back that actually narrowed its results to different regions within regions, which was really interesting. I can't find the link for it, though.
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
Crullers are incredible. I think I like even more than normal donuts. You can find them all the time at Dunkin Donuts, and being from Massachusetts, you can find them on every street corner. They're almost like Starbucks in Seattle.
Posted by rCX (Member # 8503) on :
60% General American English 25% Yankee 10% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Well, I had to make up answers to a couple. For example,
quote:6. You drink from:
A water fountain A drinking fountain
Duh. You drink from either a bubbler or a beer bottle. Gosh! Idiots!
Anyhow, the results.
70% General American English 10% Dixie 10% Upper Midwestern 10% Yankee 0% Midwestern
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
75% General American English 20% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern 0% Yankee
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
75% General American English 10% Upper Midwestern 10% Yankee 5% Dixie 0% Midwestern
Posted by prolixshore (Member # 4496) on :
55% General American English 30% Dixie 15% Yankee
That sounds about right. Grew up in Houston, went to middle and high school in Pittsburgh, college in South Carolina. Yup, sounds just about right.
--ApostleRadio
Posted by dawnmaria (Member # 4142) on :
Your Linguistic Profile: 65% General American English 25% Dixie 10% Yankee 0% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern
Being from Biloxi, I really thought I'd have more Dixie! I guess being up here in the North has rubbed off on me! They tell me this is still the South(Virginia), but it doesn't feel like it! Nobody has real sweet tea and the grits suck! Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
80% General American English 10% Yankee 5% Midwestern 5% Upper Midwestern
But when I say I use Y'all (which I do only in certain situations) I'm also 5% Dixie.
Posted by Advent 115 (Member # 8914) on :
65% General American English 25% Yankee 5% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern
Hmm, I can't believe that I am even part Dixie....
Glad to see that being born in Oklahoma hasn't affected me.
Oh well, at least my english is good. Posted by MandyM (Member # 8375) on :
60% General American English 30% Dixie 5% Midwestern 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Yankee
Look at my zero yankeeness! That is not surprising since I am born and bred Texan!
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
70% General American English 15% Dixie 10% Upper Midwestern 5% Yankee 0% Midwestern
I get the General American English, and Dixie makes sense because my mother is from the South originally. But where the heck did the Upper Midwestern and Yankee come from. I grew up in southern California and my father was born in Germany but his family came straight to California when he was two and a half years old.
Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
75% General American English 20% Upper Midwestern 5% Yankee 0% Dixie 0% Midwestern
Like Carrie, I had to make something up for the drinking fountain/water fountain question. It's called a bubbler!
Posted by Geekazoid99 (Member # 8254) on :
60% General American English 35% Yankee 5% Dixie 0% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern
Where in the world did the Dixie come in
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
Your Linguistic Profile: 70% General American English 15% Upper Midwestern 10% Yankee 5% Midwestern 0% Dixie
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
45% General American English 30% Yankee 15% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern
I had to leave some questions blank, because the correct answer wasn't among the listed choices.
I am generally American, so OK. Born and raised in New York, so OK. Went to school and got married in Georgia, OK. But Upper Midwestern? I could barely find that on a map. Never been there.
Posted by clod (Member # 9084) on :
110% General American English 30% Fraud 25% Good Neighbor 10% Lottery-ticket buyer 5% Unflappable Mystic.
0.02% Incorrigible Commentator.
Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :
80% General American English 10% Upper Midwestern 10% Yankee 0% Dixie 0% Midwestern
I've lived in Iowa more than any other place - next would be Chicago. I always considered myself Midwestern. Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
70% General American English 20% Upper Midwestern 5% Midwestern 5% Yankee 0% Dixie
I've been true my Minnesota roots. Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I remembered some things I USE to say when I lived in MI, so I went back to take it again...and it got it right, saying I was 65% upper midwestern. Posted by Stan the man (Member # 6249) on :
65% General American English 15% Upper Midwestern 10% Dixie 5% Midwestern 5% Yankee
I've lived in a lot of places, so I am not suprised.
Posted by Kitsune (Member # 8290) on :
Fun! I only lived in southern California my whole life, so I don't know how I got Yankee or Dixie o_o.
65% General American English 20% Yankee 15% Dixie 0% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
kq, you may already know this, but an "Old Fashioned" is a type of mixed drink. So, people telling me they had an Old Fashioned for breakfast would amuse me to no end.
Posted by Dav (Member # 8217) on :
45% Yankee 40% General American English 10% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern
I've always lived in New England, so this mostly makes sense. I guess a tiny bit of Dixie and Upper Midwest somehow snuck in though.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:14. You work out in...
Tennis shoes Sneakers
Um... "gym shoes". I'm surprised they didn't have that.
60% General American English 20% Yankee 15% Upper Midwestern 5% Midwestern 0% Dixie
When I was younger, I'm told I used to have some southern-ness in my speech when I was sleepy. I'm guessing that it came from having lived on an Air Force Base in Louisiana when I was 2-3 years old.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
70% General American English 20% Yankee 5% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern
Some of them I had to pick the best choice, though. Like I say ya'll a little bit...but it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. And I say Aunt both ways, depending on which aunt I'm talking about. Some names just go better with a specific pronunciation.
Posted by Crotalus (Member # 7339) on :
Your Linguistic Profile: 45% General American English 40% Dixie 5% Midwestern 5% Upper Midwestern 5% Yankee
Where those last 15% come from I have no idea. If you could hear me talk you'd agree. But I have noticed that after my 4 years in the Navy my drawl is not as pronounced as my parents' anymore. Now those folks are Country!
Edit to say: maybe I answered my own question. I did spend 4 years after all with midwesterners, yankees, and even folks from L.A.
Posted by SC Carver (Member # 8173) on :
55% General American English 45% Dixie 0% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern 0% Yankee
I think I have the highest "Dixie" rating so far. Don't know if that is good or bad. It probably makes y'all think I'm not that bright.
It seems like most of the time anyone on TV or in the movies has a southern accent, they are also portrayed as stupid. That goes hand in hand with how bad most actors do a southern accent. Believe or not there are more than two southern accents. We don't all sound like we were in Gone with the Wind, or are the biggest rednecks on the planet.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
55% General American English 25% Yankee 10% Dixie 10% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern
Merry, marry, Mary . . . 3 totally different pronunciations. I grew up on Long Island and was amazed when I moved out West and people couldn't even HEAR the difference when I pronounced them.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
Intelligence has nothing to do with accent. It is a sad stereotype that southerners are stupid because they "talk funny." I say this as a former northerner... turned into a southerner by time and marriage.
I have been here long enough that I do believe my accent is a blend of southern and northern. The result is that everyone thinks I have an accent. But as my results show, I'm still only %5 Dixie. That's kinda disappointing.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
I try SO hard to hear the difference in Merry, Mary, and Marry.
I just can't.
Posted by Artemisia Tridentata (Member # 8746) on :
A cruller is a fritter that has been frosted. But, I never use the word. I was surprised at the results given the forshortned test. But, In my case it seemed to be right on.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
quote:Originally posted by Katarain: I try SO hard to hear the difference in Merry, Mary, and Marry.
I just can't.
Well, you would only hear it if it's pronounced differently--what I learned was that most of America uses the same vowel sound for all three. Maybe someday we'll meet and I can say them for you! ;-)
Posted by Pelegius (Member # 7868) on :
60% General American English 20% Yankee 15% Dixie 5% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern
Interesting.
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
quote: I only lived in southern California my whole life, so I don't know how I got Yankee.
My Georgia born and raised grandfather (mother's dad) insists that Californians (my dad) are just another type of Yankee. Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
Well, I've had other people say them. For instance, my husband swears that he can hear and say a difference in all three, but when he says them, they all sound the same to me.
Occassionally I can hear a difference involving the "air" and "eh" sounds.
Edit: In THOSE words. I can hear a difference in air and eh themselves just fine.
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
75% General American English 15% Yankee 10% Upper Midwestern 0% Dixie 0% Midwestern
I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy...
Posted by oolung (Member # 8995) on :
35% General American English 35% Yankee 30% Dixie
Which is pretty interesting, since I'm not a native speaker (lol). But I was particularly pleased to see the word cruller: I found it in a John Irving's book some time ago and I thought I'd never have a chance to actually make any use of it Cool!
Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :
Makes sense; I never have much of any kind of accent, but I grew up in the South with Yankee parents. So I do say "Y'all" but I can also hear the difference between Marry, Mary, and Merry.
Y'know, in the South they can't hear or pronounce the difference between short E and short I. So they always have to explain when they use the word "Pin" whether they mean a pen you write with, or a pin you stick yourself with. And they always call me Jinna.
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
Your Linguistic Profile: 65% General American English 20% Yankee 15% Dixie 0% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern
Jenna, or should I say Jinna, I've never noticed that before, but it's definately true.
Just out of curiousity, who pronounces Wash with an R? Warsh is how it would spell I guess. My aunt and grandma both do that and I just can't figure out where they get it from. There is no R!
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
45% Dixie 40% General American English 10% Upper Midwestern 5% Yankee 0% Midwestern
Pretty accurate, I suppose.
quote:Y'know, in the South they can't hear or pronounce the difference between short E and short I. So they always have to explain when they use the word "Pin" whether they mean a pen you write with, or a pin you stick yourself with. And they always call me Jinna.
Yep. When I first moved to NYC, people would give me weird looks when I asked for a pen. Or they would tell me that they didn't have one.
I find that the biggest indicator of how Southern you are is how you pronounce the word "greasy." Deep Southerners pronounce the "s" like a "z."
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
My brother has the same accent I do, except for some minor weirdnesses. Like he pronounces "milk" as though it's spelled "melk". Actually, I'm not sure he does anymore, but he did when we were growing up, and it drove me to distraction.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
Mrs. M, I was just reading your blog and I have to admit that, having grown up on Long Island, "Happy Hanukah, ya'll" made me do a double take! ;-)
starLisa, I have a friend who pronounces pillow as "pellow." I don't think it's regional because I've never heard anyone else say that--I think it's the weirdest thing! The funny thing is, she's a "creative" speller and one time I saw her write the word, and she actually spelled it "pellow."
Posted by SC Carver (Member # 8173) on :
Greasy doesn't have a "z"?
Next thing you'll tell me is the university of Clemson isn't pronouced "Clemp-son". Just about everyone in this state adds the invisable "p".
Posted by Avatar300 (Member # 5108) on :
Your Linguistic Profile: 70% General American English 20% Upper Midwestern 5% Midwestern 5% Yankee
My grandmother says "warsh." She grew up on a farm in Iowa (which she says like "Ioway"). She also shops at Tarshay instead of Target.
Posted by oolung (Member # 8995) on :
Since we're at it... can anyone tell me what axtually IS a Dixie accent, please? I'd like to know what I've 30% of...
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Merry rhymes with Berry Mary rhymes with Airy Marry rhymes with Barry
And if you think that Airy rhymes with Berry and that Berry is a homophone for Barry, well, you are beyond hope, my friend, and no Yankee.
Posted by Avatar300 (Member # 5108) on :
All those words rhyme.
Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
40% Yankee 35% General American English 15% Upper Midwestern 5% Dixie 0% Midwestern
#10: A cake course
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Was it just my neighborhood growing up, or did anyone else call the night before Halloween "Gate Night"?
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by Avatar300: All those words rhyme.
Nuh-uh!
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
75% General American English 10% Dixie 10% Upper Midwestern 5% Yankee 0% Midwestern
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Artemisia Tridentata: A cruller is a fritter that has been frosted.
But fritters aren't sweet! See here. Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Marry and Mary are the same but merry is different.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by breyerchic04: Marry and Mary are the same but merry is different.
Nuh-uh!
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
quote:Originally posted by breyerchic04: Marry and Mary are the same but merry is different.
Well, to quote the sage Tante Shvester, "Nuh-uh."
[edited to say, I didn't mean it to be THAT much of a quote -- I was referring to her earlier post but slow on the draw!!]
Posted by ctm (Member # 6525) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tante Shvester: Was it just my neighborhood growing up, or did anyone else call the night before Halloween "Gate Night"?
Cabbage night. Don't know why. I grew up in Vermont.
40% Yankee 35% GAE 20% Upper midwestern
Adds up to 95%, but I did leave a question blank.
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
65% General American English 25% Dixie 5% Yankee
I left the "what do you call an easy class" one blank, since I've never heard one called any of those terms.
quote:Merry rhymes with Berry Mary rhymes with Airy Marry rhymes with Barry
Okay, I can see how you could possibly pronounce merry and berry differently from the others (although I don't myself), but how could airy and barry be pronounced differently from each other?
quote:Y'know, in the South they can't hear or pronounce the difference between short E and short I. So they always have to explain when they use the word "Pin" whether they mean a pen you write with, or a pin you stick yourself with. And they always call me Jinna.
I had a conversation about this with one of friends once when I was away at college in New York. He insisted the letter n and the word inn were pronounced differently. I insisted they weren't.
Posted by Avatar300 (Member # 5108) on :
"n" sounds like "n"
"inn" sounds like "in"
"N" and "in" are not pronounced the same.
Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :
65% General American English 15% Upper Midwestern 15% Yankee 5% Dixie 0% Midwestern
This was right on for me; I was raised in the Philadelphia area (Yankee) but my parents are from Michigan (Upper Midwest). Where Dixie came from, I'll never know.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
55% General American English 35% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 5% Yankee 0% Midwestern
Why am I not more Dixie? I mean, it's hard to get more southern than I am?
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
quote: how could airy and barry be pronounced differently from each other?
'Cause Airy is pronounced 'Ay-ery' and barry is pronounced 'bahrry'. If you're me. Of course, according to my housemate, I also pronounce duck 'dak' instead of 'dook' and bath 'barth' instead of 'baaath', so what do I know?
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
quote:"N" and "in" are not pronounced the same.
They are in my world. :P
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
quote: Okay, I can see how you could possibly pronounce merry and berry differently from the others (although I don't myself), but how could airy and barry be pronounced differently from each other?
If you pronounce the a in Barry like the short a in cat, and not like the long a in care.
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
As long as you don't pronounce cat 'caayat'. In which case, it's just hopeless.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by Uprooted: pronounce the a in Barry like the short a in cat, and not like the long a in care.
Precisely!
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
but then the people I know named Barry would be confused
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
quote:If you pronounce the a in Barry like the short a in cat, and not like the long a in care.
Huh. I have no idea how you're managing to get the a in cat in front of an r, 'cause it's not working for me.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
How do you say Harry?
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka: How do you say Harry?
Is that directed at me? If so, the same as mary, marry, merry, berry, barry, and airy. Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
"Harry"
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
How do you pronounce 'car'?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
So Harry and hairy sound the same?
Weird. Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
quote:How do you pronounce 'car'?
This would be so much easier if I'd paid attention in linguistic anthropology. Um... with an ah as in ave maria.
quote:So Harry and hairy sound the same?
Weird.
Yes. You're the weird one. Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
quote:Originally posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan: Huh. I have no idea how you're managing to get the a in cat in front of an r, 'cause it's not working for me. [/QB]
I know. It's a regional thing for sure. Like rivka said, listen to how the actors say the name "Harry" in Harry Potter. (especially think of Hermione exclaiming "Harry!" in exasperation.) It doesn't rhyme with hairy. That's similar to how some of us New Yawkuhs and other Northeasterners say the a in Barry/marry/carry. Although our r sound is different.
I don't really even have a NY accent anymore, so I probably don't sound so much like that in everyday conversation. But I can. And I certainly hear it.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka: Harry and hairy sound the same
Well that's just wrong. Although, once, when I was on the job, I heard one of the other nurses paging a doctor "Harry Busch". But she pronounced it "Hairy Bush". I managed to sputter out an inquiry as to what his specialty was. I would have fallen over laughing if it was OB/GYN.
It wasn't.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
RRR, do you pronounce the "r" in car? Or are you of the "pahk yaw cah in Hahvahd Yahd" school?
Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
Harry, hairy, berry, Barry, airy, merry, Mary, and marry all definitely rhyme. I have been trying to say Barry with a short a for the last few minutes, and can't do it.
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka: RRR, do you pronounce the "r" in car? Or are you of the "pahk yaw cah in Hahvahd Yahd" school?
I do, and I guess the r changes the vowel sound in car slightly so it's not quite like the ah in ave, but that's the closest approximation I could think of. Or maybe the r doesn't change it. I've managed to confuse myself with all the vowel sounds now. I'm not really sure how I pronounce anything at all anymore. :P
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Clearly, we need to have another big Hatrack get-together.
That way, we can make ourselves nuts about pronunciation where everyone can hear us. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
If the "a" in car can be like that, why can't the "a" in Harry and Barry?
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jeni: I have been trying to say Barry with a short a for the last few minutes, and can't do it.
Say "Hat" Now, say "Hatty" Now, say "Haddy" Now, say "Haddy" without letting your tongue touch the top of your mouth. Now do all that while allowing your lips to form the "r".
Did you do it?
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Now rhyme "Barry" with that.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:Well that's just wrong. Although, once, when I was on the job, I heard one of the other nurses paging a doctor "Harry Busch". But she pronounced it "Hairy Bush". I managed to sputter out an inquiry as to what his specialty was. I would have fallen over laughing if it was OB/GYN.
It wasn't.
(That's how I would pronounce it... But on to my amusing name anecdote.)
My mom worked at a hospital once with a Dr. Richard Dick. His nickname as a child was Dicky. So he was Dr. Dicky Dick. His specialty was-- what else?-- urology.
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka: Clearly, we need to have another big Hatrack get-together.
That way, we can make ourselves nuts about pronunciation where everyone can hear us.
Definitely.
quote:If the "a" in car can be like that, why can't the "a" in Harry and Barry?
I think it's the double r. If I say just har or bar I use the same a as in car, but it just won't work with harry or barry.
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
You could try sticking a 'y' on the end of 'car' Like 'car-y' and then stick a 'b' or an 'h' in front.
Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
Tante - If I say it very, very slowly with the first and second syllables very disconnected - though even then it's very unnatural. I just can't combine them without it turning into something that rhymes with airy.
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bella Bee: You could try sticking a 'y' on the end of 'car' Like 'car-y' and then stick a 'b' or an 'h' in front.
Okay, I can pronounce that, but I don't think I'd recognize those pronunciations as being the words "harry" and "barry" if someone were to pronounce them that way. I don't remember ever hearing them pronounced that way. I thought that you all were saying that the a in barry and harry was like the a in cat, though. I use a completely different a in cat than I do in car.
Posted by Amilia (Member # 8912) on :
quote:You could try sticking a 'y' on the end of 'car' Like 'car-y' and then stick a 'b' or an 'h' in front.
But then it sounds like Hari.
Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
I am in the same boat as RRR. I thought I was trying to use a short a, not a car type a.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bella Bee: You could try sticking a 'y' on the end of 'car' Like 'car-y' and then stick a 'b' or an 'h' in front.
No, car has a different vowel sound. I can't really think of any simple one-syllable "ar" words that you can just add "ee" to and come up with the same sound. I still say listen to the Brits say "Harry" and that's pretty close.
But I could open up a whole other can of worms by mentioning the different pronunciation of, say, horrible. The "or" sound for NYers is the same as the ar in "car." For most of the rest of the country, the first syllable is the same as "whore."
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
I've got a Sprint cell phone. I have free phone calls to any other Sprint cell phone. Give my your phone number, and I'll call you and say "Marry me Mary and make me merry!"
Posted by Joldo (Member # 6991) on :
I really don't see the "marry" difference yet . . .
Mine: 50% General American English 25% Yankee 15% Dixie 5% Midwestern 5% Upper Midwestern
Right, Dad's German, Ma's a Carolina girl, and I first learned English from books and from living in Wisconsin.
Posted by Amilia (Member # 8912) on :
Or you could sing, Tante!
quote: Mary Mack's Father's making Mary Mack marry me My Father's making me marry Mary Mack And I'm going tae marry Mary tae get Mary tae take care o' me We'll all be makin' merry when I marry Mary Mack.
Posted by Avatar300 (Member # 5108) on :
But then I'd have to say, "I'm sorry but you've got the wrong number, Mary doesn't live here."
But if she did live here, she would pronounce her name just like merry.
Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
This is a neat site with sample clips from different dialects in the US. Sadly, merry, marry and Mary are not in the clip, but it's still fun.
Posted by EarlNMeyer-Flask (Member # 1546) on :
85% General American English 10% Upper Midwestern 5% Yankee
I'm from the west, and I watch a lot of tv and read books.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Amilia:
quote:You could try sticking a 'y' on the end of 'car' Like 'car-y' and then stick a 'b' or an 'h' in front.
But then it sounds like Hari.
Precisely!
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
Here's a site where you can listen to Mary, merry, and marry. (However, I don't think the "merry" one is going to be a distinct enough difference for those of you who aren't accustomed to it to hear the difference. I think you'll hear it in "marry," though.)
Turns out it also has the "horrible" pronunciation I mentioned.
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
You could try watching some clips from Harry Potter and try doing an immitation of how the actors pronounce the word 'Harry'. And then say it the same way but with a 'b' rather than a 'h'.
Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
I can hear the difference in marry and can even say it, but it doesn't sound anything like the a in cat or car.
I can't hear merry vs Mary though.
Edit: After about five more listens I can hear it, but I don't think I can duplicate it.
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
quote:But I could open up a whole other can of worms by mentioning the different pronunciation of, say, horrible. The "or" sound for NYers is the same as the ar in "car." For most of the rest of the country, the first syllable is the same as "whore."
I pronounce it with ar from car, too.
I really need to get the sound fixed on my computer.
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
Okay, I switched to my computer that has sound. I can hear the differences between Mary, merry, and marry in those sound clips, but I don't think I can reproduce them. I say all of them like how the guy says merry, although on the page it says that in the US the other vowels have merged with the vowel from Mary. To me it sounds like the guy has some kind of twang when he says Mary, pushing the vowel toward the one in may.
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bella Bee: How do you pronounce 'car'?
Like this:
Cahhhrr.
*grin*
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
quote:Originally posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan: Okay, I switched to my computer that has sound. I can hear the differences between Mary, merry, and marry in those sound clips, but I don't think I can reproduce them. I say all of them like how the guy says merry, although on the page it says that in the US the other vowels have merged with the vowel from Mary. To me it sounds like the guy has some kind of twang when he says Mary, pushing the vowel toward the one in may.
Yeah, he says it like May-ree. My pronunciation is probably more like Mair-ee (or mair-ree). Which is, I think, how most Americans pronounce the vowel sounds in all three of those words, and is probably how his "merry" sounds to you. *Shrugs* I find this stuff fascinating, and I can beat this dead horse forever, but when it comes down to it it's just a silly distraction! ;-)
I think our regional pronunciation differences have really lessened a great deal with TV and all, and I hope we don't lose them altogether. But I'm a prime example of how it happens; I left NY and my accent became pretty generic, although sometimes people still pick up traces of it. I didn't try to change my way of speaking, but I guess I just sort of unconsciously tried to sound like those around me.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
RRR, I think rivka actually meant do you pronounce car as cah?
As in, "the crow cah'ed when the cah drove through the rotary. It was wicked cool! Hey, does anybody want to get some pizzer n' be-ah? Or do you want some tonic? Or maybe a sip from the bubblah?"
Jeni, I can hear the difference between marry and merry. The difference in Mary and marry I've only heard from the NYC area.
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