By David Ettinger
New York Accent
I recently wrote a blog commemorating that I have now lived in 3 different states for at least 20 years each. (Read “3 Homes, 20 Years Each.”) Those three states are New York, New Mexico, and Florida.
Despite the latter two, a fellow blogger – after listening to a teaching video I posted – noted how my accent is still strongly New York, despite having moved from there more than 42 years ago!
And really, I had worked hard to shed by New York accent by learning to pronounce my R’s. (I’m sure my friends from the U.K. and Australia understand what I’m talking about.)
So, how did all this come about?
“Barb,” Not “Bob”
Upon arriving in southern New Mexico at age 21, it was apparent I did not sound like anyone else there. As soon as I met someone, they would ask, “Are you from New York?” Not much mystery there!
Shortly after, I met the woman I would marry, Barb. At first she got a kick out of my accent (by contrast, hers was somewhat southern twangy). My accent included pronouncing her name as “Bob” rather than “Barb.”
Cute at first, but it began grating on her. Barb finally said something to the effect of, “I’m a girl, not a guy. ‘Bob’ is a guy’s name; my name is ‘Barb.’ You need to learn how to pronounce your R’s”!
And, she added, as we had shared a dog together: “It’s pronounced ‘dog,’ not ‘dawg’!”
I certainly recognized my marching orders and set out to learn how to pronounce my R’s at the end of words. I would literally walk around my apartment saying out loud: “Not cah, but car. Not staw, but store. Not beah, but bear,” and so one.
I even started lifting my O’s on words such as “dog” and “floor.” After all, it is flawed to pronounce “floor” as “flaw” – and for that matter, “door” as “daw.” And let’s not even mention cawfee!
Noticing the R’s
That was in February of 1979. In May I returned to New York to visit the family. Within 2 minutes of being home, my siblings immediately noticed the addition to my word pronunciation, leading my brother to say, “You sound just like a hick. What happened to you?”
And note, of course, he sounded just like a New Yorker, whose accent I now snootily frowned upon. (Not to mention that I never knew most Americans pronounce the “H” in Houston; most New Yorkers simply call it “U-ston” as opposed to “Hue-ston.”)
My family spent the first few days laughing at me and rolling their eyes every time I spoke, refusing to acknowledge that I was now speaking correctly. I didn’t let it get to me, though. “The heck with them!” I thawt, I mean, thought.
No Escaping the Dreaded N.Y. Accent
For the most part, the succeeding 4 decades have seen me speaking correctly. Compared to most native New Yorkers, I consistently pronounce my R’s at the end of words, though when speaking extra-fast, I tend to drop them.
The same with “dog,” “floor,” “door,” “coffee,” and the like. Although, when not on my guard, I occasionally will shamefully fall back into a “dawg,” “flaw,” “daw,” and “cawfee” pronunciation. And when I do, the folks at work let me know about it!
“‘Flaw?’” they’ll snicker. “Don’t you mean ‘floor’?” I begrudgingly concede the point and correctly utter the given word.
But alas, despite all my laborious efforts, there’s no escaping my dreaded New Yawk – uh, York – accent. It’s enough to make a guy like me who lives in Aw-lando, Florida, want to hop in his cah, drive to the beach, jump in the wawtah, and swim fah, fah away!
Blue Collar Theologian
May 30, 2021
This was such a great read! I am impressed by the lengths that you have gone to pronounce letters/words! Your accent is uniquely you and that is a God thing!!! Hebrew has strong guttural sounds/phonetics. There are some words I just can’t pronounce at all with the heth etc. Have a great Lord’s Day!
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dettinger47
May 30, 2021
Thank you, Mandy, and thanks for being the one who motivated this post! Have a great Lord’s Day as well.
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Blue Collar Theologian
May 30, 2021
So glad TB isnt playing the Phillies anymore this weekend!! I know it’s a drive for you but have you ever gone to Tropicana for a game?
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dettinger47
May 30, 2021
Yes. Since being here, I’ve been to about 10 Rays’ game, but none since I believe 2015. Must plan a trip down there soon!
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Blue Collar Theologian
May 30, 2021
My dad has been in FL all week and went yesterday and today, there’s no fans there, it hurts my heart! Such a good, quality team! Anyway, let me know when ya go and I will look for you on TV!! Does Zac like baseball yet?!
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dettinger47
May 30, 2021
No, Zac doesn’t know anything about baseball yet, but I’m hopeful he will in a few years.
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ken riddles
May 30, 2021
I think I observe we all dislike our own accent – while others can love it. Novelty factor as you say… Been to New York (love the art of course…)
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dettinger47
May 30, 2021
Great point, Ken.
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Tom
May 30, 2021
Good one, David. People outside of New York State assume everyone in the state speaks with a NYC/Brooklyn accent. Here in Rochester, we are notorious for pronouncing our “Rs” with a VERY hard R sound.
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dettinger47
May 30, 2021
True. NYC and NY state are entirely different things!
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Crissy
May 30, 2021
I enjoyed reading this post David, 😀 I speak with 3 accents rolled into one and depending on my situation at the time one accent becomes more apparent than the other. 😆
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dettinger47
May 31, 2021
What accent are those, Crissy?
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Crissy
May 31, 2021
I speak English with a Spanish accent, Argentinian accent and Aussie accent. 😆
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seekingdivineperspective
May 31, 2021
It’s encouraging to find out that you learned to pronounce R’s at a relatively late age. I know a dear little one, almost 10, who had a lot of ear infections when she was a baby and didn’t hear well when she was learning to talk, and the R’s still elude her. 😦
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dettinger47
June 1, 2021
I think if she wants to learn them, she will. It just takes practice.
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seekingdivineperspective
June 2, 2021
(How do you explain how to make the R sound? )
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dettinger47
June 2, 2021
I don’t know.
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jarilissima
June 1, 2021
Pretty funny 😅 Must be almost noon right now in Florida, but I hope you enjoyed some good cawfee this morning! ☕
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