filed under Education | Local Yokels | Only In RI
Get vid of yuh Roe Dyelin accent? No suh.
12:22AM ON
04/09/2008
BY
Ari Savitzky
Don’t spvill yuh kawfee oa nuthin but the Juhnal sez that:
While it might be a badge of honor for some, others with a wicked strong accent might want to get rid of it.
Whether considered an impediment to clear business interaction or a source of embarrassment, many Ocean Staters have turned to an accent-reduction class offered by the community-based education network, Learning Connection.
What does Don Bousquet think about all this?
April 9th, 2008 at 9:14AM
Wayne Says:
I have to admit I always get a little twinge of pride when I tell someone I’m from RI and they respond with “Really? You don’t have a RI accent…”
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April 9th, 2008 at 9:53AM
Leah Says:
What’s next to go? Coffee milk and political corruption? Hold fast, Little Rhody!
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April 9th, 2008 at 10:53AM
I See Says:
Pockabook! That’s the one that got me! It took a long time to figure it out
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April 9th, 2008 at 2:34PM
Marisol Says:
“I’m all set” drives me nuts. “All set” should mean “I’m done”, not “I’m ready”.
I did pick up a bad “No suh” habit though…
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April 9th, 2008 at 4:08PM
chiz Says:
a woman from warwick was telling me once about this awesome meat market. but she kept saying “tien pons” of beef.. which sounds a lot like tampons of beef to me (a transplant). tampons of beef are also two words that should never be used in proximity of each other. it turns out she was saying ten pounds of beef.
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April 9th, 2008 at 10:37PM
Midwesterner Says:
I spent 10 minutes last week trying to track down the wrong person because of a RI accent (or, if you like, my inability to hear properly). I’d been told to talk to “Mr. Cahta”. After finally figuring out that wasn’t really the name, I went hunting for Mr. Cotter, only to find out it was really Mr. Carter that I was looking for. (Since it was actually “Mista Cahta”, I probably should have caught on more quickly).
A big puzzle has been the extra “V” sound, as in “Vode Islan” In seven years in RI I have only met one person who seems to consistently do this. Is this some sort of local variation?
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April 10th, 2008 at 3:34AM
Patrick Says:
this is sickening to hear. our accents (atleast us native born “RIers”) are an intrinsic part of who we are, the decline in accent will only highlight the homogenization of american culture towards the “right” sounding words and the “appropriate” way to say things. most people in RI do not have the blaring accent one might find in certain sectors of the state, but most of us to outsiders clearly come from a place that has something special…its own way of talking. we should cherish and promote the accent, not ridicule and remove it from our culture.
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April 10th, 2008 at 9:03AM
Eric Smith Says:
Oh, I hear the ‘V’ thing all the time. While a Rhode island accent can be charming, if you’re into that sort of thing, that ‘Vode Islan’ is terrible.
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