Try to copy my accent

Uriel   Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:37 am GMT
Exactly. Kee-yat for "cat".

<<I've tried and tried, but I really can't do an American accent - there are too many subtle vowel changes and nuances that I would never subconsciously notice, so I wouldn't be able to mimic them.>>

It can be done, Cas. Here's a Brit who does an amazing job -- once he got going, I couldn't distinguish him from an actual American.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7S24h0fxpM&feature=related
Language Lover   Sun Feb 22, 2009 2:01 am GMT
People from Ohio are everywhere in the US. I don't remember this "y" thing. Could you give some examples, Uriel?
Jasper   Sun Feb 22, 2009 2:33 am GMT
↑ If you'll pardon my speaking out of turn: the "y" thing is in words with short "A"s, mostly (but not always); this can be heard in words like "that" (thee-at), "back" (byack), and of course the aforementioned "cat" (cyat). To a person from a different background, it's often as obvious as a Southern "ah" for "I".

I once heard the word "awesome" pronounced as "ee-awesome" by a woman in Buffalo, NY, if I'm not mistaken. I don't know if this is usual for that area, but I must say it was a "one-two" punch in the abdomen, the word "awesome" sending chills down my spine in the first place.
Language Lover   Sun Feb 22, 2009 3:42 am GMT
Jasper,

Thanks for your examples. I'll have to listen for this.
-   Sun Feb 22, 2009 4:34 am GMT
The speaker cannot be from Ohio. Remember the speaker said that it was from the same latitude as the Dakotas (42° 29′ N to 49° 00′ N). Ohio is between 38° 24′ N to 41° 59′ N which is clearly too far south.
+   Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:34 am GMT
In regards to the LOT-CLOTH split, I meant that nonmerged speakers usually pronounce the word LONG with the THOUGHT vowel. The speaker from this passage, although apparently LOT-THOUGHT merged, seemed to reverse the process in one sentence, using what sounded like unrounded /A:/ for LONG, but rounded /Q:/ or /O/ for everything else. That is why it seemed somewhat unusual.

You asked if the average Clevelander would notice his accent. Without a doubt, but you would be surprised at the number of people that either do not pay attention to accents or lack the ability to hear certain features. If you were to play this accent sample next to a sample from Cleveland, you would be amazed at the differences.
Rhoi (sp3ctre18)   Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:14 am GMT
I find it quite amusing (not in a negative way) how this has become a topic of "Guess My Accent / State / Hometown!"

it's cool though. 8)
-   Sun Feb 22, 2009 3:09 pm GMT
>> The speaker from this passage, although apparently LOT-THOUGHT merged, seemed to reverse the process in one sentence, using what sounded like unrounded /A:/ for LONG, but rounded /Q:/ or /O/ for everything else. That is why it seemed somewhat unusual. <<

Well if the speaker is merged, then all of those would be possible allophones of the c-c vowel. I think in general, merged speakers aren't always very consistent.
-   Sun Feb 22, 2009 3:21 pm GMT
>> I find it quite amusing (not in a negative way) how this has become a topic of "Guess My Accent / State / Hometown!"

it's cool though. 8) <<

I guess people consider this accent way too difficult to copy.
Jasper   Sun Feb 22, 2009 4:04 pm GMT
Someone asked sometime ago why Americans are said to have a "chewing-gum" accent.

Well, that's why: Add a 'Y' here', and a "y' there, add a 'Y' everywhere, and after a while, you get a mouthful of Juicy Fruit...

I hope the people who asked that question are reading this thread...
Jasper   Sun Feb 22, 2009 4:15 pm GMT
RHOI: "I find it quite amusing (not in a negative way) how this has become a topic of "Guess My Accent / State / Hometown!"

I think the reason the OP has been so circumspect about his place of origin is that one of us came too close for comfort in our guesses. He is probably a man who wants to have a certain modicum of privacy, a certain level of confidentiality. Have you noticed that he pulled down his voice sample?

I remain convinced that, based on his monophthongized long "O"s, which is rather uncommon in the US and seems to denote a German-American background, that he's either from Northern Minnesota or Eastern Montana...
feati   Sun Feb 22, 2009 5:39 pm GMT
http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t12445-0.htm

The answer is on page three.
ohio   Sun Feb 22, 2009 5:55 pm GMT
Actually, it doesn't sound very different from an Cleveland accent. Here is a sample: http://web.ku.edu/idea/northamerica/usa/ohio/ohio.htm
Jasper   Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:06 pm GMT
Feati—assuming you're the OP—your assertion that you're from the Northwest fails to satisfy. I have lived and worked with many people from Oregon and Washington, and none of them have spoken with that Germanic "o" that are for me the single most distinctive feature of the sample provided.

It is possible that there might be a lot of migration going on in that part of the country, introducing previously-uncommon linguistic features into the dialect. Or it's possible that you have parents or relatives who're from the Upper Midwest (not too near the Great Lakes).

I'm trying to understand the influences in place here; can you help us?
Jasper   Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:19 pm GMT
↑ OP: I was sure when I first listened to this sample that I'd heard this voice before. Were you the erstwhile George? If so, we'd guessed that the sample was from a poster based in the Northwest, probably Seattle.

In that sample, however, I'd not noticed any monopthongation of the letter "o"; you aren't code-switching, are you, in order to poke gentle fun at our linguistic sensibilities? ;-)