Something I've encountered in at least two Southerners is that they only have a noticeable accent at certain times: one guy's accent showed through when he was talking about home; a friend of mine instantly developed an accent when talking to her (now deceased) grandfather on the phone while living in the Philadelphia area, and when I visited her in New Orleans (not her hometown; she's from TX) she was talking to me in what I read as "non-accented" English and then when a waitress with a noticeable accent addressed her, my friend's accent came back. I can't identify specific regional accents so idk if her accent was more NOLA with the waitress or what. I wonder if speech patterns come and go like accents, with Southerners who have spent significant portions of time outside of the South ...
This friend also said that she has to translate from her (very Southern) mother to her father, who's originally from New England and apparently still hasn't learned that when his wife says "oh no, I don't mind at all, do what you want" what she *means* "damnit right I mind, and you better not do that". So Mara is kinda bicultural like that.
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Date: 13 Jan 2011 05:18 pm (UTC)This friend also said that she has to translate from her (very Southern) mother to her father, who's originally from New England and apparently still hasn't learned that when his wife says "oh no, I don't mind at all, do what you want" what she *means* "damnit right I mind, and you better not do that". So Mara is kinda bicultural like that.