All right with Gahd
My brother Dan and I both learned to pronounce our R’s, the way I, who dislikes punctuation, have had to learn to use commas and periods, although I still lapse into dashes…and dots. When in the South or when writing a book, one wants to be understood. ~ From Pahk the Cah in Hahvad Yahd, “The Jim and Dan Stories” by Colleen
Even though my sons are fully grown, when my eldest was about to hitchhike from his home in Asheville, North Carolina, to where I live in Floyd, Virginia, I felt a twinge of motherly protectiveness.
The mother: “Do you have any mace? How about a swiss army knife? Do you carry one…just in case?
The son: “Mum, I’m fine. I’m alright with G-ah-d.”
The mother: “With who?”
Firstly, we are not a traditionally religious family and so his comment caught me off guard…but then he said it with a southern accent, one that he was so comfortable with that he didn’t understand why I would question the way he said "God."
I should explain that I was born in Massachusetts. My 2 sons were born in Texas. My son’s father was born in England and their step father is from Washington DC. Even though we’ve been living in Virginia since 1987, none of us have southern accents, except for my youngest son who hung out with local kids in high school and picked up the drawl, which I’m well used to now. But now my older son apparently has an accent too.
After a few exchanges, he finally understood what I was getting at when I asked, “You’re alright with who?”
The son: “Why, how do you say it?”
The mother: “I say G-aw-d, but don’t go by me and my Boston accent. Most people say “God.” Josh, you’ve been in Asheville too long! You have a southern accent!
Currently, my son is in England for the month, visiting his father’s side of the family, scouting out master potters in the country for a possible future apprenticeship, and picking up yet another accent, I suppose.
Comments
Accents are amazing, aren't they? I'll never forget meeting my dad's cousins for the first time several years ago. They lived in the north of england but were orginally from Glasgow so had very strong Scottish accents. Their children had strong Geordie accents (from Newcastle, England) and two of their grandchildren, who lived in Perth, Australia, were visiting and had strong Aussie accents. "Are you all from the same family?" I wanted to ask, "because it sure doesn't sound like it!"
Posted by: kimbofo | May 22, 2005 9:01 AM
Great read! (From another Texas gal!)
Michele sent me!
-H
Posted by: Heather | May 22, 2005 9:04 AM
Yes, and the Brits (and Australians) don't pronouce their R's either, which is where "New England" got it. I have actually been asked before if I was from England!
Posted by: colleen | May 22, 2005 9:17 AM
My husband lives in the south; stuck with the NYC accent he was born into. After 40 years, it has softened somewhat. I had a friend from Boston who always said "farty" when she meant "forty". Cracks me up, and she has been out of Boston for at least 45 years.
Michele sent me this time, but I come every day!
Posted by: kenju | May 22, 2005 12:36 PM
My friends have accused me of being "too adaptable". I pick up the accent wherever I am visiting at the time. It's almost scary when I come back from visiting my husbands' family in WV and TN ;0)
Posted by: J&J's Mom | May 22, 2005 12:54 PM
The way Bostonians pronounce 40 is more like "fawty" but maybe it sounds like "farty" to Southerners?
Posted by: colleen | May 22, 2005 2:00 PM
Accents are definitely funny things. My hubby and I lived in South Dakota for the first year and a half of our marriage. I began to pick up the accent and my parents began making fun of me when we'd talk on the phone.
I LOVE southern accents. I'm from CA, but I'd love to move to the Southeast and pick up a nice, southern drawl.
Posted by: Jamie Dawn | May 22, 2005 5:52 PM
"Been in Asheville too long"? I'm not sure if that's possible. I've not been there often, but on family trips from Tennessee to Montreat and Black Mountain, NC, we had some really wonderful times in Asheville. Your mentions of it really stoke the fires for me to go back and visit.
Speaking of accents, I don't have much of one either. I work at a hotel and our visitors and guests often can't believe it when I reveal to them that I have lived in Nashville all of my life.
"But you don't have an accent", they say. "Surely, you moved here from somewhere else"
Are we all supposed to sound like the movies and tv shows say? Thanks, Dukes Of Hazzard.
Posted by: Michael Beziat | May 23, 2005 1:37 AM
I'm a North Carolinian born and raised, and my partner was raised on Long Island. He's been here about 15 years and his accent is still strong, though it has softened much more than that of his parents, who have been here the same amount of time.
Despite the fact that our son is being raised in NC, his accent is definitely more like his father's. I never noticed it much until this year when he started reading and it still sounds odd to me, but I guess the combination of his father and TV is stronger than that of me and home.
Posted by: terrilynn | May 23, 2005 8:19 AM
I only have enough of an accent for people to know that I'm not from around "here," wherever here happens to be at the time. I tend to mimic accents very quickly and easily. I actually embarrass myself when I catch myself doing it.
Posted by: Lora | May 24, 2005 1:00 AM