that's pretty much the only prejudice still allowed in politically correct America- that, and the one against overweight people. Whenever a tv show or movie wants to depict someone stupid, who do you see, what do you hear? A southerner. Evidently there are no stupid people in Kansas, Vermont or Oregon. Nancy ------- I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days. --Daniel Boone On Jan 10, 2007, at 11:31 AM, Debra Jackson/Harold Forsythe wrote: > I am astounded at how true this myth is outside the South: that a > southern > accent connotes ignorance and stupidity. At either an OAH or AHA > meeting in > Atlanta, Eric Foner was able to prevail on former President Jimmy > Carter to > come speak to a general meeting. The thing I remember that so > struck me was > that Carter said that the press just presumed that he was stupid > because he > spoke with a Georgia accent. > > But then, I think back to a Japanese undergraduate I went to > college with. > He was the son of a famous inventor and came from Osaka. His > girlfriend was > from Tokyo. These cities are about 300 miles apart on the island > of Honshu. > When she was really angry at him, she would tell him that he > sounded stupid > because he spoke with an Osaka accent. > > Sayonara, y'all. > > Harold S. Forsythe > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sunshine49" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 10:04 AM > Subject: Re: Speech patterns > > >> Well you're on to us. Women in the south can lay on the honey if they >> want to, especially with men from the north who seem to eat it up. My >> daughter and I once did, I must confess, at a restaurant. And >> Southerners have been known to lay on the IQ- lowering speech factor >> to others, just to have a bit of fun with 'em, since to many a >> southern accent automatically lowers your IQ 20 points. So we let 'em >> think we're stupid. It's the slow-talking, drawling Southern lawyer >> of myth who is only pulling your leg, he's really smart as a whip. >> >> Nancy >> >> ------- >> I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days. >> >> --Daniel Boone >> >> >> >> On Jan 7, 2007, at 5:40 PM, Diane Ethridge wrote: >> >>> I have noticed that many Southern folks talk differently around >>> their own or >>> in what would be considered "casual" conversation with trusted >>> friends. In >>> this type of conversing, what would ordinarily be labeled incorrect >>> grammar >>> becomes the norm. As mentioned earlier, I've never lived out of >>> the state >>> of TX, but other relatives & in-laws, from the deep South, can >>> switch back & >>> forth with ease & their "business/formal" language will sound >>> nothing like >>> how they speak when they are in familiar company. Even Larry >>> King on CNN >>> uses the word "ain't" often in certain situations & of all people, >>> he knows >>> better...and he's from Noo Yawk. >>> >>> Diane E. >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: <[log in to unmask]> >>> To: <[log in to unmask]> >>> Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2007 12:55 PM >>> Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Speech patterns >>> >>> >>>> Something that always amused me was the way Oldtimers, and I mean >>>> "literate" >>>> ones; educated ones.... fine ladies and gentlemen, even, would say >>>> "Don't" >>>> when the sentence they were using called for "Doesn't". >>>> For instance, "She don't know...."; "He don't care...." >>>> And those same people also would not hesitate to say "Ain't". >>>> To our over-educated ears that may seem like an abomination but I'm >>>> talking >>>> about people who truly knew better, who were very, very well >>>> educated >>>> (some >>>> had even gone off to some fine Yankee schools so we KNOW they were >>>> better >>>> educated:) but they persisted in using idioms and figures of >>>> speech that >>>> broke all the rules of usage. Now, they didn't WRITE that way and >>>> when >>>> they >>>> were in a more formal, social setting they didn't always talk like >>>> that, >>>> but >>>> amongst themselves they did. >>>> I've thought about this a lot and I've decided that it has a bit >>>> to do >>>> with >>>> the old-timey way of thinking in which it was really, really bad >>>> taste to >>>> try to speak, act, behave, conduct oneself as though one was, >>>> somehow, >>>> "better" than others; or better educated; or knew more; or had >>>> been to >>>> more >>>> places or seen more of the world. >>>> That attitude which is fading fast also reflected itself in the >>>> notion >>>> that >>>> the very worst thing a person could ever do was to show up >>>> overdressed for >>>> the occasion. It could be a mortifying experience for someone to >>>> arrive at >>>> a >>>> function overdressed. Far better to be way under-dressed than >>>> overdressed >>>> which could be perceived as showing off one's finery or, God >>>> forbid! >>>> drawing >>>> attention to oneself. >>>> I'm not all THAT old (I'm in my 50's) but I can well recall that >>>> attitude >>>> of >>>> trying to be understated in the way one dressed and lived. The >>>> theory of >>>> Conspicuous Consumption began to rear its hideous head in the >>>> 1980's at >>>> which time we Americans latched onto it and have never let go, >>>> in my >>>> opinion. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: "Diane Ethridge" <[log in to unmask]> >>>> To: <[log in to unmask]> >>>> Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2007 11:28 AM >>>> Subject: Speech patterns >>>> >>>> >>>> My ex in-laws were from E. AL with their grandparents from SC & one >>>> generation earlier, VA. They often used terms of speech & words >>>> that were >>>> a >>>> complete mystery to me. I'm born & bred in TX, not exactly >>>> Boston in >>>> speech patterns, but had never heard some of the strange (to me) >>>> words >>>> used >>>> by those folks. They would say, "I was daresent" to go/do/ >>>> whatever, >>>> which >>>> I assumed was a form of "dared not" or another one was that >>>> something >>>> wasn't >>>> "approcrut" (appropriate). I would become so interested in >>>> listening to >>>> their strange form of speaking, that I would lose track of the >>>> subject >>>> matter. >>>> >>>> Diane in TX >>>> >>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the >>>> instructions >>>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html >>>> >>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the >>>> instructions >>>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html >>> >>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the >>> instructions >>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html >> >> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the >> instructions >> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the > instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html