I found this rather amusing today on AOL. Hey Ya'll, is Southern Drawl Spreading? And what exactly is spreading? I mean anyone from the south will tell you, we all speak differently. It may all sound Southern, but it's different. Ranges from Scarlet to twang. And even the same accent sounds different depending on the octave of the voice uttering it. On my Daddy, the accent was smooth and mellow. Would melt butter on a winter's day. On me, well....it could get to be nerve wrecking. And we can all pour it on when we want to...or ease it up. And is it the accent spreading, or the vernacular, the actual words and phrases we Southerners are known for? Or a combination?
I remember being in San Francisco when I was about 15 for a summer vacation. People would gather around just to listen to me talk!! Strangers! Mostly men. I've never had a desire to loose my accent. To change my cadence. To adopt another culture's vernacular. Even when years later in phone conversations, uppity Yankees (now you aren't all that way....but they seem to recruit them for the telephone) tried to start talking down to me as soon as they heard my voice. I'm proud of my accent. Proud of the vernaculars I have mastered. Why just in my marriage I had to learn the whole oilfield lingo thing of pumpers, horsesheads, pushers, fishers, etc. And I have absorbed the brand that is part and parcel for Caneyhead; battrey instead of battery, I hope you do it for I'll help you, and the ever popular among young men: yes'er dl'babe. Strictly translated: Yes, sir, doll babe and signifying that he certainly intends to do it or agrees wholeheartedly.
I don't care. Copy, mimic, adopt all you want. Have fun and enjoy yourself. Just remember, it's the walk that makes the man (woman) not the talk. So be very careful what parts and portions you use until you are sure you have the gonads to back it up. If not, it could land you in a whole heap of trouble. (And if you are clueless as to what gonads are don't even bother trying.)
Remember the cowboy craze that swept the nation right after Urban Cowboy (where they mispronounced Spurger...Travolta said "spur-jer". Anyone north of IH-10 can tell you it should be "spur-grrr".)? There are still "real ones" and "pretend ones". Or like Barbara Mandrel's song about being country when country wasn't cool. "We took a lot of kidding, cause we never did fit in, now look at every body trying to be what we were then."
Funny! I've lived in every corner of the country. Nothing like the South.
ReplyDeleteTraci
I'm a yankee and when I lived outside of Dallas it was clear they didn't want me there :( Wow.... been awhile since I've seen these graphics. LOL
ReplyDeletehugs
d
Hay Barbara- I know that whenever I "try" to do a southern accent, I sound like an idiot! The only thing I've been able to really get (not in a Texas drawl- more of West Virginia where my husband and his family are from) is to say ol instead of oil- and "Wha arre youuuu dooooin?!" (that is in a texan accent!) It's funny- to y'all , I still sound like I'm from a foriegn country- but to my family and friends in Canada- I have a drawl eh! What's up with that?! I have to laugh though- my son has such a cute little drawl- especially when he says "tammara" instead of tomorrow. It's hillarious! God Bless you! Carolyn
ReplyDeleteYep and now pushers are dope peddlers. When I was growing up we called soft drinks soda water. Now I just say I'm goin' to the store to get Dr. Pepper. lol Paula
ReplyDeleteYou're so cute, Barbara :)
ReplyDeleteTerra
BARBARA,
ReplyDeleteI WAS 5 YEARS OLD WHEN ARRIVING IN WEDDINGTON ARKANSAS WITH OUR FAMILY, DAD DRIVING THE OLD MODEL T TRUCK, SMALL HOME MADE BED ON BACK, CROWDED THOUGH ROOM FOR WE 5 KIDS AND MOTHER AND DAD.
I HAD FINISHED THE 2nd GRADE AT THE 'TWIN MESA' SCHOOL NEAR OUR HOMESTEAD IN ROUTT COUNTY COLORADO.
THE SCHOOL TEACHER WAS FINE AND MOTHER ALSO TAUGHT ME PRONUNCIATION AND READING AND POSTURE FOR WRITING.
THOSE ARKANSAS PEOPLE WERE KIND AND FRIENDLY AND BEING STRAWBERRY SEASON, URGED US TO HELP PICK STRAWBERRIES SO NONE WOULD GO TO WASTE.
WE HAPPILY JOINED IN REALLY NEEDED THE 2 CENTS A QUART RECEIVED FOR PICKING STRAWBERRIES. EACH DAY A TRUCK AND DRIVER CAME TO LOAD THE STRAWBERRIES AND HEAD FOR THE FAYETTEVILLE MARKET.
WHAT A SURPRISE TO HEAR THOSE ARKANSAS PEOPLE TALK. GIVING DIRECTIONS TO DAD, CAN REMEMBER AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, TO GET TO THE COUNTRY STORE WHERE WE COULD SPEND THE STRAWBERRY MONEY.
CAN YALL SEE THAT THERE RED BUILDIN YONDER BOUT A MILE ON THE RIGHT ? WELL, THAT HAINT HIT. YOU'NS KEEP ON GOIN AN CROSS SUGAR CREEK AN ON THE LEFT WILL BE AN OLD BRICK BUILDIN BACK IN THEM THAR
SIMMON TREES. THAT HAINT HIT EITHER. AFTER CROSSIN SUGAR CREEK AGIN, THERE HIT IS, AN NARY A ONE UV THEM THAR HOUNS WILL BITE.
TELL CLEM WE'UNS SENT YOU'NS. sam
Country is definitely cool :-)
ReplyDeleteThats funny! Linda
ReplyDeleteHmm, you have me intrigued now, Barbara. How about you record yourself reading your entry and putting it on here for all of us to admire? Gonads? Don't start me off...
ReplyDeleteI love the Southern Accent and it definately depends on where in the South you're at, to what you get and like you shared the difference in people. My Maternal Grandpa was born and raised in Arkansas, and for years we'd go there for summer vacation, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Arkansas and loved to listen to them talk and by the time we came home I'd have picked up a little bit of the accent (from Kansas btw)! One of my best friends lives in Ky, her 4 yr old has the thickest little accent, it's absolutely wonderful!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I tell ya, there is nothing like a real cowboy to make your day. I grew up on watching John Wayne movies and Clint Eastwood and all the old westerns. Been teased many a time for my accent or maybe, everyone else has an accent. Cowboys know how to dress up real purty and they also know how to treat a lady and defend her honor. Nothing like the ole southern bell with the beautiful dress and hat to match. I'm proud to be from Oklahoma and raised on beans and cornbread and fried okra and I tell ya, I sure know what gonads are. Great entry Barbara.
ReplyDeletevery good!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this!
ReplyDeleteLori
I love your graphics. I grew up on John Wayne, Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy, Wyatt Earp and Maverick and many other western shows. I love the west. Being from Canada and having mostly American friends on journal land many of whom I have spoken to they think I have an accent, funny I think they do. LoL.
ReplyDeleteOh you crack me up! Fun to read for sure. I guess I don't have an accent but Im married to a Yankee boy with a thick Rhode Island accent... like no other haha!
ReplyDeleteKara :)
This is an awesome post! I'm married to Kentucky woman, and being from Tennessee myself, we're quite a pair! We're proud to be "Suthin" ourselves!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful graphics!
Dirk
Hi again,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to correct the link to my journal from my last comment. The copy and paste didn't work so well!
Dirk
I finally got my AOL deal done!
ReplyDeleteGood post! You ought to hear the yankees complain about my drawl!
O I liked this alot Barbara! Being from "Joisey" I find I do the same thing as you, never force myself to make affectations of another's way of speaking, just to "fit in" with whom I'm talking to. I would NEVER talk slang or misuse grammar for no reason. You really brought out some good (and funny!) points here. I may lack the cajones, but only literaly lol. Great post! xoxo CATHY
ReplyDeletehttp://journals.aol.com/luddie343/DARETOTHIK?
I only have to drive 10 miles to hear a completely different accent.
ReplyDeletehttp://journals.aol.co.uk/acoward15/andy-the-bastard
I dont think I could change the way I talk if I tried LOL
ReplyDeleteLove the graphics
Terrie
It's always interesting to hear people from different parts of USA speak. In school, we have teachers from north and northeast moving south to get a teaching job, and surprisingly, even the slightest accents can be traced to a specific region or state. I'm from the north, but after living in the south for 33 years, I should say that I sound more southern than Yankee... how could I help myself? I don't notice it myself, but when I do venture north to visit family, I slip right into the Connecticut rhythm of speaking. I do it without even thinking... but I do prefer the southern accent, with all its phrases and drawls. It's the spice of life, our language and how we speak it! bea
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to pronounce Spurger either. I have been a Northerner all my life. I guess I'm not cool.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my journal.
He he...yes, I am from Columbus, Ga. originally, and when we first moved up here near Atlanta I got a lot of "Where are you from?" LOL. I just talked to a guy helping head up a poultry show I am going to this next weekend and made mention of where I was from, and that we down in the southern half of Georgia sound a lot different than N. Georgia folks. North Ga folks have a smooth drawl..south Georgia is more twangy...I think anyway. Hey Barbara, I love your journal...thanks for stopping by mine. :)
ReplyDeleteYes if you go to texas you will get all kind of dialects. I have some friend I laugh at there twang
ReplyDeleteDonna In TEXAS
http//:journals.aol.com/Lacaza3/sweepingthecobwebsofmymind/
LOL I LOVE IT!!!!!!! i'm sure your texan drawl is prettier then my southern kentucky one, but i guess its all in what you are used to hearing. lol i don't htink we drawl here in kentucky, but i love the entry.
ReplyDeletesending blessings and love,
jess
I was born a yankee and lived in Yankee land most of my life with the expection of those blissful months in Texas. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteI don't think I need to tell you I belong down south!!
LORI