modern new jersey accent to someone from the 40s (also, blue jeans)

[alessandriana]

How would a modern New York (well, New Jersey, but it's my understanding they're very close-- please correct me if I'm wrong) accent sound to someone from 1940s New York? Would it be relatively the same? Would it imply any particular social status

Comments

[eglantine_br]

I have lived in New York and New Jersey. I think the two accents are pretty similar. And they have not changed much in the last 50 years,

[reapermum]

It's going to be the individual words rather than the accent that will have changed, I think. Unlike you, I'm in the UK so can't come up with NY, NJ specifics, but when you think of how terms of approval have changed over the years. Wizard, spiffing, lush, the gear, fab, bostin, bad.....all with a specific time frame.

[beesandbrews]

If your time travelled is carrying a cell phone, has a digital or multifunction watch or if he asks about IPads or ATMs, basically anything technology related, he'll stand out. If he tries to pay with cash, his money will be clocked as phony, because of dates (obviously) but also because molds and plates are periodically altered.

Jeans weren't the ubiquitous fashion essential they are today. People still made an effort to dress - a man's standard uniform was suit, tie and hat. They would mark the wearer as someone who did manual work for a living - mechanic, farmhand, etc. (Or someone who was living on the fringes of society.) For everyone else, jeans were reserved for the weekend chores around the house - mowing, painting, car maintenance.

[sushidog]

I agree with the above, that jeans will tend to mark him out as a manual worker (or as a seaman on shore leave; apparently US Navymen wore jeans), but you might want to consider the style of the jeans; back then, they would have been worn fairly baggy, and tighter-fitting jeans, particularly skinnies, would look very very odd.

[beesandbrews]

A sailor's dungarees don't look much like today's standard issue jeans. It would be a good idea to keep styles in mind. Also, I got to thinking about the tee shirt, which was by in large underwear rather than outerwear. I'd dig into that a bit as well.

http://www.wwiiimpressions.com/usn.html

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[alessandriana]

That is so, so sad.

[electricdruid]

I've lived my whole life in NJ and spent as much time as humanely possible in NYC, so I want to note something. Based on my experiences, the *stereotypical* New York accent is really only similar to the New Jersey accent as it's found in northern NJ, near NYC. The further from NYC you get, the softer and less noticeable that accent gets. So I'd say that it might matter where your character is from. If they're actually from NYC, you don't need to worry about this bit.

Also, I read this article recently, which you might find interesting, disputing the idea that NY accents haven't changed much in the past 50 years:
http://www.npr.org/2015/02/02/383289958/fuhgeddaboudit-new-york-accent-on-its-way-out-linguists-say

[alessandriana]

Thank you for the link!