Wednesday, February 11, 2015

You tawkin' ta' me?

My little daughter, whenever she's confused by what mommy and daddy are discussing, likes to shout "What you talkin' 'bout?"

It is, needless to say, quite adorable. Although it's too early to say what her type of New York accent will sound like.

The New York City accent -- what a thing! 

There is no one New York City accent. There are several. They are variations of the same rough edged voice but there are differences between the boroughs. The Brooklyn accent is the classic tough New York accent, almost like it's coming from the gut. The Bronx/Upper Manhattan accent is a little more throaty. The Queens accent is a little more high-pitched and nasally. The Staten Island accent is a little more quiet. 

And the Manhattan accent ... well, there really isn't one. 

Recently, WNYC radio did a NYC Accent Slam that's worth listening to. Also, I blogged a little about this back in December where the great comedian Fred Armisen did a whole routine about the differences in the NYC accent.

The city itself, the NYC accent is endlessly fascinating.

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