Wikipedia Describes Southern Talk

[scw1217]

I found these articles somewhat amusing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English

And for an even more inciting look into it try:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_v ... an_English

All very interesting and technically put.

[Perry]

Thanks, I enjoyed reading the Wikpedia Appalachian English article. (I have to admit that I didn't understand the pronounciation symbols; but living in the Appalachian's I was able to guess at the sounds.)

[frank]

I loved this part:

Detractors of the dialect both within and outside of the speaking area cite laziness or indifference in learning standard forms as the reasons for its existence. However, the areas where Appalachian English is spoken were settled in the 18th century, and many of the characteristics of the dialect predate the standardization of American English and continue to be passed on orally.

Something to keep in mind

F

[Perry]

I loved this part:

Detractors of the dialect both within and outside of the speaking area cite laziness or indifference in learning standard forms as the reasons for its existence. However, the areas where Appalachian English is spoken were settled in the 18th century, and many of the characteristics of the dialect predate the standardization of American English and continue to be passed on orally.

Something to keep in mind

F

That might could be right.

[Stargzer]

Blinds: window shades. Open them blinds and let some sunshine in!

Perhaps from Venetian Blinds?

A window blind is a covering for a window, usually attached to the interior side of a window. It simply refers to some device to hide from sight (thus "blinding" the viewer) or to reduce sunlight. There are several kinds of blinds, . . .

[emphasis added]

So, the use of 'blinds' instead of '(window) shades' may be merely a stylistic difference.

How you you make a Venetian blind?
Poke him in the eyes!

<sound>rimshot</sound>

[gailr]

How you you make a Venetian blind?
Poke him in the eyes!
<sound>rimshot</sound>

Kliban included a cartoon of the 'Venetian Deaf' in one of his little collections. Sadly, it doesn't appear to be posted anywhere; a suave guy was wearing mini venetian blinds over his ears.
-gailr

[Mama]

I grew up saying the word goan (rhymes with loan or phone) to mean going to, as in "I'm goan do that when I get around to it." But most people look at me oddly when I say that, so is it just me, or is this something southern as well?

[Stargzer]

I grew up saying the word goan (rhymes with loan or phone) to mean going to, as in "I'm goan do that when I get around to it." But most people look at me oddly when I say that, so is it just me, or is this something southern as well?

Sounds to me like a variant pronunciation of "gone" as in "I'm gone do that when I get aroun' to it," where "gone" is in turn a variation of "gonna" as in "going to."

[Mama]

Yes, I probably would have spelled it gone, but was going for the phonetics, in case someone thought it was gone, as in that's long gone.