Words for My Enjoyment

Bostoner Words (And Accents, Too!)

June 13th, 2005

This morning, WFME greets you from glorious Boston, MA — where it’s humid, overcast, and full of people who say “paaaahhhk the caaaaahh” and “Haaaahvaaahhhd Yaaaahhhd.”

Aaah, you gotta love accents.

The reasons for accents, I can only suppose, has something to do with local flavor, sayings, and your best friends’ ability to make up stuff on the fly. Over time, of course, such cultural habits turned into accents that are both good and bad.

Take New York City. I don’t know about you, but why is it that an attractive woman with a Brooklyn accent sounds less than intelligent? Whether or not she is, the accent brings her down a few notches in the M.E.N.S.A. handbook. Then again, the Southern accents come across as cultured, intelligent and a litltle on the prissy side. Of course, the Southern California Valley-speak of the 80’s and early 90’s represented somewhat clueless and materialistic ladies. The strange thing is this (and it could just be me)…but is it only women who are affected by the “bad accent curse?”

Ladies, do you meet a guy from Brooklyn and think he sounds like an idiot? Do you meet a Southern gentleman and think he’s a gentleman. Do you meet a guy from London and no matter what his education or his employement — you think he sounds like the smartest man in the World?

Of course you do.

This is why, if I had the time, I would become the Rich Little of accents. If I wanted to get out of a ticket by sounding clueless, I’d bring out my Southern Cal surfer/Valley speak. If I wanted to get booked into first class on a plane without having to pay more money, I’d cart out the UK accent. If I wanted to bond with my brothers at the local pub while watching the Sox, out comes Baaaahhssston.

Personally, if I had it my way, I’d perfect the “tongue clicking speak of the Amazon” which would, here in the States, probably result in me being stuck in a Mental Institution.

Although, three free square meals a day and a cushy little jacket to wear.

That wouldn’t be half bad.

Posted under Lexicon, Sayings, WFME Abroad. |