Ha ha! Well yeah, like the folks before me have mentioned, Texas has kind of its own dialect, especially in the rural areas. Frankly, I have trouble with Southern accents because I've never spent much time there. I've had a few friends who hailed from the Deep South and when they talk (and Oh Man! did some of them talk) I sometimes want to turn up the speed. GET! WORDS! OUT!
Years ago, when I visited Italy, at lot of people commented that they found me easy to understand, yet when I worked with a Language program, I thought my elongated, flattened vowels sounded horrible. And while I'm considered a bit of a fast-talker in my home state, in Italy they liked that I talked slowly and enunciated well. I don't know about the enunciation thing, but speaking relatively slowly is a Western thing. And hailing from the Chicago area, where I was spawned, is why I speak fast for a Westerner.
The Midwestern accent is the one most commonly heard on Teevee and such unless someone's doing a particular regional accent. As Trout mentioned, the Northwest also doesn't have much of a regional accent either, unless someone lives way up by Canada and even then, it's a pretty subtle thing.
I usually get told that I speak quite "properly" and sound almost English - this is my West Australian somewhat gentrified accent though - alas that I can't pull off the "put another shrimp on the barbie" ocker at all *sadface*
Years ago, when I visited Italy, at lot of people commented that they found me easy to understand, yet when I worked with a Language program, I thought my elongated, flattened vowels sounded horrible. And while I'm considered a bit of a fast-talker in my home state, in Italy they liked that I talked slowly and enunciated well. I don't know about the enunciation thing, but speaking relatively slowly is a Western thing. And hailing from the Chicago area, where I was spawned, is why I speak fast for a Westerner.
The Midwestern accent is the one most commonly heard on Teevee and such unless someone's doing a particular regional accent. As Trout mentioned, the Northwest also doesn't have much of a regional accent either, unless someone lives way up by Canada and even then, it's a pretty subtle thing.
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I like your accent for it is full of WIN!
I usually get told that I speak quite "properly" and sound almost English - this is my West Australian somewhat gentrified accent though - alas that I can't pull off the "put another shrimp on the barbie" ocker at all *sadface*
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