I'm From Florida, I Have No Accent

Of course you have an accent - you hardly speak Queen's English, do you?

Ok, joking aside, I just thought of something - in Denmark, the Queen speaks proper Danish without any accent (unlike her French husband, who butchers the languages, every time he opens his mouth). I can't just help wondering if she has learned proper accentless Danish, because she is the Queen, or if it's proper accentless Danish, because that's how the Queen speaks it. Probably a little of each.

I am also accentless (Midland). Born in MD to OH/IN/MI parents, then DE as a kid. OH/IN/MI since I was seven.

West>Inland North>Boston>North Central>Northeast>South>Illadelphia

Mine tells me Inland North, with a touch of Northeast. Interesting, since I spent my first 18 years in northern Connecticut, the next 17 in the Boston area, the 13 after that in southwest Michigan, and the nearly two years since in upstate New York. I'm surprised, because I'm extremely sensitive to New Yawk/Lawn Guyland accents, and tend to pick them up if I'm around someone who speaks that way. Perversely, I can probably count the number of hours I've ever spent in NYC without taking off both shoes, while I can't even properly imitate a Boston accent after spending my entire early adulthood there. Go figure.

God, this thing made its way across the blogs quickly didn't it? I did it this morning and it said this East coast boy was a West Coaster. Dude, like totally. I can surf, so maybe that's it.

"You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.

Crikey mate! I've got a Midland accent! Quite interesting, considering my primary language is FORTRAN.

I got Northeast. I do distinguish cot and caught, marry and merry, and even have and halve, but I don't really sound Northeastern, I don't think.

When it's time to go, go in style:
X-Men illustrator dies in Superman pajamas

Alon--

I've heard your accent, and it's nowhere near "Northeast." More like "Borat."

I think the quiz only works for people raised in the US.

Also, have you noticed that the "West" accent is now becoming the new default American accent? The Midlanders are starting to sound a little overstiff and formal.

Interesting. I'm a Californian born and raised, with both parents also Californians, and I get Midland too. I wonder what the "Western" accent is supposed to sound like.

I got Northeastern, but since my accent is BBC English...

I got midland as well - I actually think it has more to do with socioeconomic status growing up than where you live.

Leslie in CA,
I would guess it sounds like rural Pennsylvania, shaken in with six years of FL, and a decade of North Carolina - since that is what I am and I scored Western.

I got Philadelphia. I'm from Hawaii, living in Boston for the past five years now... Sure thing, internet quiz, whatever you say!

(Oh, and I watch a lot of British TV as well. I'm not sure if that affects things.)

Florida? How's your spelling? Theocrats in Dixie County placed a large monument with the 10 commandments carved in stone on the courthouse steps. Commandment #7: THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTRY.

Florida again, this time the town of Stuart.
The 10 commandments again.
Commandment 7 again.
committ

Shelley,

You must not be too familiar with north-central Florida...there are people around here whose accents are thicker than mine, and I'm originally from the mountains of SW VA.

Daniel M.,
Shelley needs to stop for a blackbottom in Palatka at the drive-in. Or, for gas over in Spuds.
: )

inner florida is a direct connection to Alabama I always like to say.

How does an NC boy know so much of the bottom-of-the-barrel townships in central FL?

I did my graduate work out in St. Augustine and commuted for classes twice a week. So, I've probably made that trip as much as anyone in the country. County line produce, the crazy flower guy, that one gas station on Rt.26 (I think) way out in the middle of nowhere that served taco bell. That one stetch of road that is 7 miles long without ONE curve.

It's all coming back to me.
: )