Questions and Answers (Q&A) Forgotten Chicago Forum
Have a question about a specific element in Chicago's history? Ask Away!
Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
Eric F
()
Date: February 12, 2015 10:10PM
I maintain that we just have a general Midwestern accent, despite the deliberately exaggerated type of speech one hears on occasion from a few people. I think a fair amount of people would like to think that there's a unique Chicago accent, but I don't believe it exists.
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
SWEDE
()
Date: February 12, 2015 11:04PM
It sure does exist. I'm from the the southside 50th & Oakley the front of the back of the yards Ha! Ha! However, people ask me whatever state I'm in they say are you from Chicago and my wife grew up around 69th & Laflin and they think she is from the UK. I'm Polish and she's Sicilian. A good mix LOL
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
Eric F
()
Date: February 12, 2015 11:29PM
Thing is though. I've been told I have an accent in New York, Canada, and the Southern States, but never in Milwaukee, Detroit or Cleveland.
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
()
Date: February 12, 2015 11:39PM
[b]Yes there is an accent. Also there are different or there have been different accenta from different parts of the city. People from Lakeview, ravenswood, or backof the yars may sound different, I'm like 78 years old and I know things have chaged in that reguard.[/b]
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
Dunning1
()
Date: February 13, 2015 01:30PM
It's funny, I grew up on the Northwest Side, and people always tell me that I have a Boston accent. I also lived in Brooklyn for ten years, and when I moved back to Chicago, co workers would refer to me as a "damn typical New Yorker." I always noticed the difference in people from the North Side and the South Side, especially when saying the word "sausage." North Siders tend to pronounce it "sausage" while South Siders say "sausage."
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: February 13, 2015 03:45PM
deleted
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/2015 10:53PM by nordsider.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/2015 10:53PM by nordsider.
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
Dunning1
()
Date: February 13, 2015 04:20PM
Unwanted spell check kinda distorted my message.
North Siders: "SAWSAGE"
South Siders: "SAASAGE"
North Siders: "SAWSAGE"
South Siders: "SAASAGE"
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
davey7
()
Date: February 13, 2015 07:00PM
I don't get out that way much, but apparently the akcent can be heard in the south, south west and some of the inner western burbs. The current north side is heavy on "transplants" or those who's families lost the accent. My dad (who himself has a [b]thick[/b] accent) once accused me of having a "midwestern" accent when I was just copying a friend from Beverly.
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
SWEDE
()
Date: February 13, 2015 10:24PM
I'm a southsider and SAASAGE is correct. LOL However, I sometimes slip and say SAUSAGE
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
ChiTownJim
()
Date: February 14, 2015 03:59AM
I moved to Rockford from Chicago about 20 years ago. A good friend of mine used to tease me about my 'Chicago accent' especially the word 'Cheecago' and when I slipped and used 'YOUS' (do YOUS have any SAWSAGE?)
How about the Superfans 'DA BEARS'?
How about the Superfans 'DA BEARS'?
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
SWEDE
()
Date: February 17, 2015 12:15AM
The sisters at St Michael's were always working on my TH sounds. I'm a Polish/Slovak from the front of the Yards. LOL
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
tommy wilson
()
Date: February 19, 2015 11:42AM
whattiya talkin about? i aint got no accent.
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
SS1960
()
Date: February 19, 2015 12:45PM
There definitely is... and it's a great one!
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
Dunning1
()
Date: February 19, 2015 03:46PM
Whatcha mean alls you got to eat is sawsage? I always got a kick out of "alls," but don't know particularly if that's North or South side.
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
daveg
()
Date: February 19, 2015 06:11PM
To answer the question in one word: there sure is
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
SWEDE
()
Date: February 20, 2015 12:11AM
How about dese dose and dem. LOL
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
()
Date: February 20, 2015 11:41AM
SWEDE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How about dese dose and dem. LOL
Dat's right, dat's right!
Seriously, we [u]do[/u] have an accent. But you only notice it if you're not from Chicahga!
-------------------------------------------------------
> How about dese dose and dem. LOL
Dat's right, dat's right!
Seriously, we [u]do[/u] have an accent. But you only notice it if you're not from Chicahga!
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
SouthSide41
()
Date: February 20, 2015 02:49PM
Here is my blog posting about that same issue...and posted elsewhere.
Take a look at my site. I am having some great memories, and want to share my stories.
Thanks.
http://memoriesofatime.com/2013/06/25/multidialectal/
Take a look at my site. I am having some great memories, and want to share my stories.
Thanks.
http://memoriesofatime.com/2013/06/25/multidialectal/
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
bowler
()
Date: February 23, 2015 06:12PM
Here's a somewhat more scientific analysis of the "Chicago Accent" from WBEZ:
[url=http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/our-almost-last-word-chuh-kaw-go-accent-104459]WBEZ[/url]
[url=http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/our-almost-last-word-chuh-kaw-go-accent-104459]WBEZ[/url]
Re: Is There A Unique Chicago Accent ?
Posted by:
Diogenes9561
()
Date: February 26, 2015 06:36PM
I think it was the late Mike Royko who said that in Chicago, the demonstrative pronouns were "dis, dat, dese, dem, and dose" as in "dis t'ing over here" or "dat t'ing over dere." This Chicago accent seems to be peculiar to certain areas, mostly South side as this was how the son of Bridgeport, the late Richard J. Daley, spoke. But, it was also how one of my college friends from the Wicker Park area spoke so it is not exclusive to the South Side.
I grew up in the North Center area, St. Benedict parish and grammar school so I was drilled in proper pronunciation and my Dad had a degree in English from Loyola so proper English was demanded in our household. But, my wife is originally from 51st and Washtenaw and has a few distinct South Side traits in her pronunciations that I still mention to her when I hear them. My kids, on the other hand, have grown up in Florida since 1984 and they both have a slight Southern accent.
My accent is still the North Side Midwestern I've always spoken and, hopefully,always will be.
I grew up in the North Center area, St. Benedict parish and grammar school so I was drilled in proper pronunciation and my Dad had a degree in English from Loyola so proper English was demanded in our household. But, my wife is originally from 51st and Washtenaw and has a few distinct South Side traits in her pronunciations that I still mention to her when I hear them. My kids, on the other hand, have grown up in Florida since 1984 and they both have a slight Southern accent.
My accent is still the North Side Midwestern I've always spoken and, hopefully,always will be.
