Saturday, August 26, 2006

The New Yorker



It appears that I have an accent.

For some time, people have been asking me if I'm from the Midwest. After I tell them I'm from New York, I always get the "OOOHH, then why'd you move here?" (thinking I was from NYC).

"No, I'm from Buffalo, not the city"

"OOOHH......where is that?"

"Do you know where Niagara Falls is? It's right there"

"OH yea! It's so pretty isn't it?"

"Yea, whatever, it's ok"

*This simulated conversation has happened roughly 150 times since I've been here. Regardless, people recognize that I'm not from around here, and it bothers me a little. I don't think I have an accent, due mostly to the fact that I don't recognize that people around here have an accent.

When I first met Steve's kids, they had Pennsylvanian accent, which threw me off. Of course, they didn't think they had an accent, but I thought they did, but they also thought that me and my sister had an accent too. Here, it's different, I don't really feel like I'm talking that much different. I guess my A's are pronounced differently and that's what gives it away. Whatever, I thought that I'd rant about it because it's been bothering me for a little while.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Talk about accents...try moving down south with the "ya'll"s and all that goes with it...couldn't find most of it in the dictionary! I guess havin the Blue Collar Comedy show on helps the rest of us sort of understand it more...Ya reckon??

Anonymous said...

I don't thin ya'll got no accent. You will some day pick up their little niches wether you want to or not. See even yer Ma sez "Ya reckon"!

Anonymous said...

Hey, That is funny that you say that about the A's cuz I have heard the same exact thing from WNY people also. Rob pics on the way that I say Bagel, Tiger, etc. A former employer once told me that he didn't like my "strong WNY accent". Robs sister in law from Lousianna was just in AW everytime I spoke because she said that my accent is so much stronger than everyone elses. And as mom and dad said, Ya'll, ya reckon, fixin, etc. Are they really words?? Hang in there, most people really like accents and just wonder where they are from. They probably don't mean to be annoying. Love ya!

ruffin said...

I believe the shorthand for "from NY but not NYC" is "I'm from upstate NY".

Buffalo pretty? That is funny. Nothing can dinge the lake effect snow like good ole industrial Buffalo.

Anonymous said...

Ok, Rufbo? First of all...we live in Western New York. We actually are VERY close to the PA border. Second, Buffalo may not be beautiful, but Niagara Falls is!!! That is just as close to us. Buffalo actually receives ALOT less snow than our area (1 hour south). And if you traveled to "ski country" on a mid winters day, you would be in aw of the beautiful scenery casted by the freshly fallen snow atop the trees and hilltops! (how hallmark was that?). Of course unless you get stuck in one of the Buffalo Blizzards, you would enjoy the scenes!!!!

Derek Bigelow said...

I give a lot of smack to Buffalo too, but I do admmit it does have it's beauty. There's just something comforting about old, worn down, delapitated buildings that give Buffalo that industrial elegance.

I am anxious to see, however, if I really do miss the snow this year. We'll have to wait and see I guess.