You Can Tell I'm Bored

OK, I'm not bored. Don't want to tempt Fate. I am, however, acting like a child who has a snow day. Except for the snow angels.

Your Linguistic Profile:

60% General American English

15% Upper Midwestern

10% Dixie

5% Midwestern

5% Yankee

I find the 10% Dixie and 5% Yankee parts fascinating. This must have been influenced by my paternal grandfather Walter and my Dad. Dad's family started in Cincinnati, moved to Connecticut where Dad attended the Taft School as a boy, then relocated to Alabama for awhile. Dad graduated from the University of Alabama (Go Crimson Tide) before migrating back up to Cincinnati (as did the grandparents).

Grandpa sounded like a southern gentleman. He pronounced it "Cincinattah". Yet, my father spoke perfect, proper English. He had this way of pronouncing words. Example: "Better". I and most of my friends pronounce it with that swallowed sound: "BET'r". Dad pronounced it "BET-her". Grandpa probably said "bettah"—he's been gone since 1978 so the memory is a bit foggy.

What I'd like to know is, what is the difference between Midwestern and Upper Midwestern?

Well, I really should look outside... it's blowy and snowy but I'm not fearing for my life yet. Which is a good thing. More later.

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Labels: musings

posted by Jeanne @ 11:33 AM