That's: "Well, I do declare" translated into English from our Georgia accented English. J.T. is working with phonics this year, and it has really made me aware of how different dialects impact the rules about how we pronounce words. Words that rhyme elsewhere in the world, do not do so here in south Georgia. For example we say pen and pin exactly the same way. Also, Mary, merry and marry are pronounced no differently from each other. I really don't think I have a strong accent, but my northern friends and the people I talk to on the phone say I do. And when I'm reading blogs, I don't think about accents, unless someone throws in a phrase I don't hear on a daily basis: Macca's, mate, kindy, uni.
Abby, however, could teach Scarlett O'Hara a thing or two about the Georgia accent. She adds syllables to her words. Turning: What a mess! into Wah-ut a meyass! Wah-ere ARE we goin?
And BELIEVE ME, she's got the diva thing down, too. Her favorite saying of the moment is: Do you understand me? I've already told you THREE times..., No one cares! and I'm cross! Like we couldn't tell she's cross. If Abby is cross, everyone is going to suffer.
Her brother is much more the southern gentleman in personality. He says Ma'am and Sir and doesn't want anyone to get their feelings hurt. He volunteers to help with bags and a: Let me get that for you. Such a doll. Now if he would just rub off on his sister.
And now I'll share with you my very favorite southern saying: Just because I talk slow, doesn't mean I am slow. Oh and my mother-in-law's favorite saying: He doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground. Ya'll come back, ya hear?
Sparkly Street Family Update.
8 years ago
16 comments:
"You'd rather sandpaper a lion's ass in a telephone booth than mess with me." --My Dad--
Just gained a bit of perspective about me didn't you. ;-)
People are always telling me how southern I sound. There are so many sayings and words we use. I reckon, fixin, bless your heart, aint, finer than frog hair
I could go on and on!!
Angel, when you and Melinda get together it sounds like the casting call for Steel Magnolias. Now which one of you is Weezy and which one is Clarice I've not yet decided. ;-) Definitely risking demerits in the Manly Man club by even knowing who Weezy and Clarice are.
I never realized how southern I sound until I heard my recorded voice played back to me. I was shocked. :-O
"Bless his heart" is a phrase tagged on to take the sting out of a criticism. "His elevator doesn't go all the way to the top, bless his heart."
Rob, I never realized how fond your parents are of the word "ass". I'm Julia Roberts, not Clarice or Weezy, dear. I'm the hot chick with the southern accent, thank you. Not the old genteel lady.
You guys! I visited Texas a few years ago and I tell you, those men with those accents - I was weak in the knees for two weeks. It's a miracle I could walk around.
Southern accents have to be the sexiest accents around.
Wah-ell Ah do deh-cluhare, ah'll nahva rah-ead (ah, bugger it mate, I just can't do accents) your posts the same way again.
I love that your son has such excellent manners, but I do dehclayuh that I HATE being called Ma'am and even more do I hate being called Madam. Makes me feel old.
And I thought it was Weezer in that movie? Oh my lord, now there's a tear-jerker if ever there was.
Ooooh, I'm with Kirsty, the Southern accent is delish! The blokes, that is, not the sheilas, although they are kind of cute.
Fair dinkum mate, I reckon we could all have a barbie, throw on some snags and down a couple of slabs and havva chinwag about the diff accos, waddyafink?
Rob? you payin attention? You need to get it right if you are coming here, don't be bringing that hoity toity (but sexy) Southern accent with you...
I met a fellow in London once with the thickest Southern accent. And even though I couldn't understand a word he said and even though I think he was gay - he still made me weak at the knees. Yeah mate better do some research into our lingo otherwise you may have problems understanding us.
I never realised until I had an American staff member (and she was from Albany NY, No "Ah do dehclayah" from her) how different our versions of English were. She was obsessed with the nasal tone we say "No" it sort of comes out more of a "Naoh" sound she would say it over and over and we would still say "Nah, got it wrong"
Also you people don't use the word fortnight(meaning two weeks) and she was confused by "ta" a way of saying thank you and "loo" for toilet. And she would say "no Worries mate" over and over, thougth it was fabulous.
We don't say bathroom, it's toilet here, well it's not like you're going for a shower are you?
And when you attempt to say "g'day mate", do NOT say "goo die mite".
Ewwww, that makes everyone point and laugh at you.
Still coming, Rob? Maybe you need to bring Melinda after all, you can use her as a human shield...
Maaaaaaaaate! You're gunna need ta go to accent and slang school before you try to come ovah here.
We also don't say "restroom" - there's no resting when you go to the dunny.
I have some very close friends who live in Georgia! When we visited in 2000, we had a ball. Have to say, we love your neck of the woods! My friends there sure do have very strong accents. Of course they thought we spoke like 'up yourselves english people' but i think they really took the cake. However, we have our fair share of foul sayings too...a distant (lol) aunt of mine regularly says, (to demonstate something large), "from asshole to breakfast time". Charming. I just asked my hubby what he remembers our southern friends saying...without flinching he said, "Spit like a man" (Really emphasing the spit so it sounds like speeet) and grits (again, greets), biscuits and gravy (bee-sqquiitsss) and so on. I love it. xx
Ya'll make me laugh! My dad has some fine sayings too, only they are like word combos he invented: Flustrated (flustered and frustrated).
Aunty, my sister and I gang up on Rob all the time, so he is used to being abused.
I guess accents depend on where you live. You guys don't have an Australian accent unless you are somewhere other than Australia. And I don't have a southern accent until I leave the south.
And there are words from other cultures I simply love: loo, uni, mate, kindy, bloody, bloody brill, bugger, bugger off, piss off...
And I love a proper British accent with their pronunciations for: schedule, aluminum, garage and herb (as Eddie Izzard says: We say HHHHHHerb, because there is a f&*#ing H in it.)
A reference to Eddie Izzard makes you an instant friend - he is one of our favourite comedians...
bluemountainsmary is right. Any mate of Eddie's is a mate of ours.
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