I'm Sorry, Can You Repeat That?

 

 

Living in New England has a boatload of challenges.  For instance, I'm a Yankee fan, they are fanatical Red Sox fans.  I don't really like football, they live and die by the Patriots.  I read... well, okay, they read.  My biggest challenge:  understanding what the heck they are saying with their New England accent.  George Bernard Shaw once said: "England and America are two countries separated by a common language."  I sort feel like that about New England and me.  Now don't misunderstand me.  It's not that it's an annoying accent, like ... ummm ... for instance ... a "Lawn Guyland" accent or "Tex-ass" drawl!  But the "Bahston" accent does take some getting used to.  Sometimes it's so thick that it's almost indistinguishable as the English language.  Having lived in NYC as long as I did, I got used to some of the more ... shall we say ... colorful accents that are found there.  Although I still find that the Staten Island, Long Island and Brooklyn accents offend my ears.  It makes the speaker sound common and uneducated, which I know isn't necessarily true.  Contrary to the NYC regional accents, the New England accent, while sometimes difficult to comprehend, doesn't necessary come across as uneducated, although sometimes it does. 

In addition to their accent, New Englanders tend to pronounce words...erm... interestingly.  Peabody becomes "Pee-buh-dee."  Gloucester is "Gloss-tah."  Haverhill is "Hav-rill."  Computer is "come-poo-ter."  (I just heard that one today.)  And the list goes on and on.  I am constantly mispronouncing town names because the pronunciations are just wrong.  I have discovered a website that can assist me as to how to 'correctly' pronounce the towns.  Some of the 'translations' are hilarious!!!  Beverly becomes "Bev-a-ly."  Fall River is "Faw Rivah." Sorry, Massachusettts, I know you think the letter "r" is artibitrary and not necessary in words, I still prefer to pronounce it.  They also have developed their own lexicon of words, which I suppose every region does.  Just to list a few of the more interesting ones:  "Bang out" - call in sick to work;  "Skidder" - someone who bums money (pronounced: 'skiddah'); "Grinder" - a sub sandwich.  This website has a fairly comprehensive list of Boston slang. I'm still learning most of these. But would be useful for anyone traveling up here.

I have lived all over the east coast and have heard my fair share of accents and have always remained accent free. If needed, my acting training has given me the skills to "put on" an accent, but I will never, never, never become a true New Englander by saying that "Reveah is wicked wee-id" (translation: "Revere is unusual").  I draw the lines at certain things.