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Non-Road Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: Grzrd on January 09, 2014, 02:58:25 PM

Title: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Grzrd on January 09, 2014, 02:58:25 PM
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/20/sunday-review/dialect-quiz-map.html?_r=0

It includes several road-related questions.

My probability ranking was:

1. Jackson, MS
2. Birmingham, AL
3. My home of Atlanta, GA
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: bandit957 on January 09, 2014, 03:05:10 PM
I took this quiz, and it said the closest dialect to me was up around Wisconsin and Iowa.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Zeffy on January 09, 2014, 03:14:53 PM
1. Newark / Paterson NJ
2. Boston MA
3. Springfield MA

Giving that I've been living in Jersey for 15 years now... I'd say it's correct.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Brandon on January 09, 2014, 03:18:29 PM
I got, in the following order:

1. Detroit (Devil's Night)
2. Grand Rapids (pop)
3. Buffalo (pop)

The Mitten of Michigan is about as red as it gets on my map.

I am least similar to:

1. Knoxville (pronunciation of lawyer)
2. Chattanooga (pronunciation of lawyer)
3. Jackson, MS (you guys)

I did it via Facebook as well and got:

1. Detroit
2. Grand Rapids
3. Toledo

Makes perfect sense as I am the child of two Detroiters even though I grew up in NE Illinois, but have spent enough time going back and forth between here and SE Michigan.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: agentsteel53 on January 09, 2014, 03:37:11 PM
I got Boston as my #1 (correct) and my #2 and #3 were ... Phoenix and Tucson  :-(  two desert shitstains I'd love to see firebombed, especially the latter! 

I suppose my accent moved only 5/6 of the way out to California with me?

my not knowing what a drive-through liquor store is called doomed me.  I really don't remember having those in Boston growing up, but I didn't drive much during college and I didn't drink at all before then, so I didn't have much of a need to seek such a thing out.

also, I didn't know what a "frontage road" was because, again, didn't drive much until after college.  I'm sure there's a Boston term for it, but I don't know what it is.

(ps. if you refer to a liquor store as a "packy", you are definitely from New England.)
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: sammi on January 09, 2014, 03:40:34 PM
Okay, this is weird. I apparently speak a dialect of a place I've never been to before.

Most similar:


all for firefly. :sombrero: Least similar:


We need one with more phonetic stuff. And perhaps data from Canada. :P
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: briantroutman on January 09, 2014, 03:50:51 PM
I'm going to call B.S. on this survey. It's too easily swayed by a few red herrings.

Being a native of Pennsylvania, I answered the "what do you call a long sandwich..." question as "hoagie" (which I grew up with and may or may not use today depending on the situation and the context), and sure enough, the entire state of Pennsylvania (except Pittsburgh) is ultra red. On the other hand, I don't say "wudder", "kellers", "pitchers", or "Scran'in".

But the real joke is the survey's conclusion that my speech is closest to Phoenix, Glendale, and Tuscon because:

- I don't have a word in my vocabulary for drive-through liquor store
- I would call a road paralleling a highway a "frontage road"

If that's the evidence that I talk like Arizonans...
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Brandon on January 09, 2014, 04:12:36 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on January 09, 2014, 03:37:11 PM
I got Boston as my #1 (correct) and my #2 and #3 were ... Phoenix and Tucson  :-(  two desert shitstains I'd love to see firebombed, especially the latter! 

I suppose my accent moved only 5/6 of the way out to California with me?

my not knowing what a drive-through liquor store is called doomed me.  I really don't remember having those in Boston growing up, but I didn't drive much during college and I didn't drink at all before then, so I didn't have much of a need to seek such a thing out.

also, I didn't know what a "frontage road" was because, again, didn't drive much until after college.  I'm sure there's a Boston term for it, but I don't know what it is.

(ps. if you refer to a liquor store as a "packy", you are definitely from New England.)

See, I would think there are two different terms for the road paralleling a freeway.
Frontage Road: Two-way road that has no access to the freeway.
Service Drive: One-way road that the freeway ramps connect to.

A store selling liquor is a "party store".  I chose "party barn" for the drive-in variety even though I've never encountered one.  It sounds similar enough.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: sammi on January 09, 2014, 04:30:21 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 09, 2014, 04:12:36 PM
See, I would think there are two different terms for the road paralleling a freeway.
Frontage Road: Two-way road that has no access to the freeway.
Service Drive: One-way road that the freeway ramps connect to.

I use service road for both. Roads paralleling Philippine expressways are officially named e.g. South Service Road.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: agentsteel53 on January 09, 2014, 04:36:24 PM
I really only picked up on the concept of a "frontage road" in 2003 when I first drove in Texas.  that's what they call them there, so that's what I got stuck with.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: 1995hoo on January 09, 2014, 04:37:51 PM
The three it gave me are New York (for "sneakers"), Yonkers (ditto), and Durham, NC (for "yard sale"). Seems fair enough: While I've never lived in New York, my parents (and all my relatives on my side of the family) grew up in Brooklyn, so that makes sense. Durham also makes sense because I lived there three years while attending Duke Law.

Three least similar: Des Moines (for "soda"), Akron (because I have no word for the grassy area between the sidewalk and the road), and Pittsburgh (because I have no word for the night before Halloween).

I've seen a similar version of this quiz elsewhere in which it actually ranks the cities for which you are most and least similar. This version doesn't do that. I wondered whether it would be confounded because despite many of my answers not jibing with the South I do say "y'all," although it didn't quite reflect my usage because "y'all" can be used to address one person and "all y'all" to address a group. (On the other hand, you wait on line for something, say if you're waiting to purchase beer at a sporting event or if you're a cash user waiting to pay a toll.)

I have never seen a drive-through liquor store.

It did not ask me about a road paralleling a highway (I grew up referring to it as a "side street" because around here we don't generally have Texas-style frontage roads along the Interstate or similar roads) nor about the pronunciation of "lawyer" (which I would have answered, but I prefer the word "attorney"). Maybe the questions vary each time?
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: briantroutman on January 09, 2014, 04:47:35 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 09, 2014, 04:37:51 PM
Maybe the questions vary each time?

Must be. I didn't get any questions about sneakers or fireflies.

Quote from: 1995hoo on January 09, 2014, 04:37:51 PM
The three it gave me are New York (for "sneakers"), Yonkers (ditto)...

Sneakers...as a generic term for athletic shoes? What else is there?
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: 1995hoo on January 09, 2014, 04:55:07 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on January 09, 2014, 04:47:35 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 09, 2014, 04:37:51 PM
The three it gave me are New York (for "sneakers"), Yonkers (ditto)...

Sneakers...as a generic term for athletic shoes? What else is there?

When I was a kid, some of my teachers called sneakers "tennis shoes."
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Big John on January 09, 2014, 05:07:57 PM
Milwaukee, Spokane, Salt Lake City
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: corco on January 09, 2014, 05:21:47 PM
St Louis, Toledo, Akron. I was born in Ohio to buckeye parents and learned to talk in Chicago before moving all over the west, so I guess that makes sense.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Brandon on January 09, 2014, 05:30:37 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on January 09, 2014, 04:47:35 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 09, 2014, 04:37:51 PM
Maybe the questions vary each time?

Must be. I didn't get any questions about sneakers or fireflies.

Quote from: 1995hoo on January 09, 2014, 04:37:51 PM
The three it gave me are New York (for "sneakers"), Yonkers (ditto)...

Sneakers...as a generic term for athletic shoes? What else is there?

"Tennis shoes", "gym shoes", "tennies".  "Sneakers" is such an odd term for them, IMHO.  It's like saying "y'all" or "soda".  "You guys" and "pop" make more sense to me.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: vdeane on January 09, 2014, 05:31:48 PM
It was spot on with me (Rochester, NY).  The road related stuff might trip up many people here, though.  When I did it, I typically answered what I would use if I were not a roadgeek who knows better.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: sammi on January 09, 2014, 05:36:44 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 09, 2014, 05:30:37 PM
"Tennis shoes", "gym shoes", "tennies".  "Sneakers" is such an odd term for them, IMHO.

I call them rubber shoes. I only ever have two pairs of shoes, leather shoes (i.e. dress shoes that I used to use for my shitty uniform) and rubber shoes (I'm wearing them right now).
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: CNGL-Leudimin on January 09, 2014, 05:40:29 PM
Even though I don't have English as native language (that honor falls to Spanish), I did the test a while ago and I got the following:
Most similar cities:
Montgomery AL
Chattanooga TN
Birmingham AL

Least similar:
Minneapolis/St. Paul MN
Buffalo NY
Cleveland OH

I was surprised at the Twin Cities as differing from me, especially looking at my avatar...
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: 1995hoo on January 09, 2014, 05:52:18 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 09, 2014, 05:30:37 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on January 09, 2014, 04:47:35 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 09, 2014, 04:37:51 PM
Maybe the questions vary each time?

Must be. I didn't get any questions about sneakers or fireflies.

Quote from: 1995hoo on January 09, 2014, 04:37:51 PM
The three it gave me are New York (for "sneakers"), Yonkers (ditto)...

Sneakers...as a generic term for athletic shoes? What else is there?

"Tennis shoes", "gym shoes", "tennies".  "Sneakers" is such an odd term for them, IMHO.  It's like saying "y'all" or "soda".  "You guys" and "pop" make more sense to me.

The first time I heard the word "pop" was when I was in the fifth grade. I remember it very clearly because we were given assignments for what to bring to school for some sort of class party and I was told to bring "two bottles of red pop." I had no idea what that meant, but I went home and told my mom and she didn't know what they wanted either, so I asked the teacher the next day and she got mad and told me I was being a smart-aleck. (To say that teacher was a bitch would be unfair to bitches everywhere. A more accurate term would be "c-u-n-t," but I'm not sure that's strong enough either.)


BTW, I tried the quiz again and it gave me different questions from the first time.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Brandon on January 09, 2014, 05:55:12 PM
^^ Interesting, for English as a second (or more?) language.  I would've thought "General American", more Midlands or Northern Inland North American would've been there instead of a Southern accent for ESL.  Out of curiosity, did you have a southerner as an English teacher, CNGL?
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: TCN7JM on January 09, 2014, 05:56:04 PM
Most similar:
Des Moines (pop)
Omaha (pop)
...Tacoma? (kitty-corner)

Least similar:
Philadelphia (sub)
New Orleans (sub)
New York (Mary, merry, and marry are pronounced the same way)

I seem to have lost my eastern Pennsylvania roots.

I do generally refer to a group of people I'm talking to as "y'all", though.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: sammi on January 09, 2014, 06:01:56 PM
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on January 09, 2014, 05:40:29 PM
Least similar:
Minneapolis/St. Paul MN

The irony. :sombrero:

I'm from the Philippines so my native language is Filipino, but my first language is English. My parents taught me English with some sort of American accent, which for some reason Filipinos call slang. Partly lost it over the years. I don't remember how it sounds though, so I can't put it on the map just like I did here.

Apparently I sound like a hybrid of Fremont and Toronto. :P (I was never asked about the prevalence of eh in my speech.)
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: formulanone on January 09, 2014, 06:02:21 PM
Parents from NJ/NY zone, lived in NJ, eventually moved to Florida, so I'm not exactly shocked...they're essentially linguistic equals on the map.

I guess "sneakers", "highway", "water fountain", and "soda" give me away. "Katty-corner" is out of my territory, it refers to a concept I never knew there was a word for, until I was 25 or so...a loan-word, perhaps. I will occasionally lapse and say y'all and you guys interchangeably and automatically in any part of the country; usually in a quiet, slurred way.

Quote from: briantroutman on January 09, 2014, 03:50:51 PMBut the real joke is the survey's conclusion that my speech is closest to Phoenix, Glendale, and Tuscon because:

- I don't have a word in my vocabulary for drive-through liquor store
- I would call a road paralleling a highway a "frontage road"

Same answers for me, but maybe a lot of transplants to Arizona answered similarly to you.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: corco on January 09, 2014, 06:18:38 PM
An arizona accent is probably the closest thing to a generic american accent because of all the migrants from around the country. Of course, in Tucson at least its not uncommon to interject certain spanish terms in conversation, but whitey in Arizona pretty much has no accent
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: agentsteel53 on January 09, 2014, 06:27:56 PM
Quote from: corco on January 09, 2014, 06:18:38 PM
An arizona accent is probably the closest thing to a generic american accent because of all the migrants from around the country. Of course, in Tucson at least its not uncommon to interject certain spanish terms in conversation, but whitey in Arizona pretty much has no accent

here I thought everyone kept their own accents.  it's not like the average whitey migrant is reproducing...
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Molandfreak on January 09, 2014, 06:28:32 PM
Most similar: Minneapolis/St. Paul (Kitty corner), Milwaukee (Bubbler), Salt Lake City (Potato bug).

Least similar: Yonkers (Tennis shoes), Jersey City (Tennis shoes), New York (I pronounce Mary, merry and marry the same).

What's surprising is I had a couple of answers where the whole country was basically blue (pronouncing been like bean).
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: DTComposer on January 09, 2014, 06:31:07 PM
I took the test twice a couple of weeks apart, definitely had different questions each time.

First time: San Francisco, Oakland, Salt Lake City (?)
Second Time: San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Rosa

My family is fifth-generation Bay Area, so it makes sense (although I grew up closer to San Jose, my parents grew up in Oakland and San Mateo, other relatives scattered throughout). I am glad to see that the SoCal affectations haven't gotten to me yet.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: corco on January 09, 2014, 06:36:52 PM
Each individual accent could be quite different, but the aggregate Phoenix accent would be a pretty average accent.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Molandfreak on January 09, 2014, 06:41:37 PM
There is no such thing as an "average accent." Never has been. National news station reporters use a central Iowan accent because that's close to the U.S. center of population.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: briantroutman on January 09, 2014, 06:44:19 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 09, 2014, 05:30:37 PM
"Sneakers" is such an odd term for them, IMHO.

I agree it's odd (and I've always hated the term), but it's what I grew up with–and so pervasive that I virtually never heard anyone call athletic shoes by any other generic name. Tennis shoes, running shoes, etc. are specific types of athletic shoes–for playing the sport in question.

Quote from: Brandon on January 09, 2014, 05:30:37 PM
It's like saying "y'all"...

800% agreed on that one.

Quote from: Brandon on January 09, 2014, 05:30:37 PM
..."pop" make more sense to me.

"Pop" has always grated on me. Makes me picture Harold from the Red Green Show.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: corco on January 09, 2014, 06:45:30 PM
The average of all American accents would by definition be the average accent- doesnt mean a majority of people or even anybody speaks it, but it does exist if only in theory. Since Arizona has a lot of migrants from all over the country, the theoretical average of all Arizonans would probably be closer to the average of all Americans than the rest of the country.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: cu2010 on January 09, 2014, 07:01:45 PM
Most similar:

New York, NY
Newark/Paterson, NJ
Rochester, NY

...yep, sounds about right to me. :)

Least similar:
New Orleans, LA
Little Rock, AR
Pittsburgh, PA
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: TCN7JM on January 09, 2014, 07:37:26 PM
Quote from: corco on January 09, 2014, 06:18:38 PM
An arizona accent is probably the closest thing to a generic american accent because of all the migrants from around the country.
Not quite (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:General_American.png), although I've never noticed a huge difference between my accent and that of my Iowan family.

To be completely honest, when I think of an American accent, the first thing that pops into my head is the Great Plains as well, but maybe that's just because I live here.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: english si on January 09, 2014, 07:37:41 PM
My map
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sabre-roads.org.uk%2Fforum%2Fdownload%2Ffile.php%3Fid%3D7339%26amp%3Bt%3D1&hash=4d0bf42d8da312747d49f7e49c01297541270b89)
most similar: New York, Jackson, Honolulu
least similar: Detroit, Dayton, Pittsburgh

In reality a posher form of estuary English

Certainly a trend I've seen in UK English speakers is that the rust belt is rather blue, and Hawaii, west, south and NYC area all are in the more reddy colours. There are differences person-to-person and place-to-place (can't remember the specific trends, wrt dialect, as did it before Christmas). If CGNL had an British English teacher then his places make rather a lot of sense (bad rust belt, strong south).

I should point out that many questions make little sense to a UK English speaker, so a couple of identical answers would turn an area orange. My most similar cities might have 5 or 6 phrases in common.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Urban Prairie Schooner on January 09, 2014, 08:02:26 PM
Most similar:
New Orleans
Baton Rouge
Jackson MS

Least similar:
Detroit
Grand Rapids
Worcester MA (a city I have visited, of all places)

The fact that New Orleanians have locally unique words for various things (banquette, neutral ground, po' boy) produces a distinct vernacular.

One that even the folks in BR don't know: folks from New Orleans refer to automobile inspection stickers (the small ones on the windshield) as "brake tags." 
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Molandfreak on January 09, 2014, 08:10:17 PM
Where the major speech divisions collide (general southern accents, general northeast, and general west--I do realize there are some significant differences in California and the NOLA area, too) is at about Cairo. So I'd say folks in southern Illinois, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri have approximately the average American accent.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: corco on January 09, 2014, 08:21:53 PM
I guess I should have been using the word mean instead of average and generic- I'm talking the statistical mean, where you'd quantify linguistic traits, add them up, and average them sort of average, which may not sound much like anybody actually talks, but that area is intuitively Phoenix because it has a substantially higher migrant population than anywhere else and no strong embedded culture (find somebody "from" Phoenix. They don't really exist), which explains why a bunch of people not from AZ are getting AZ numbers.

But, okay, I see what you're getting at- folks from Cairo might speak in the statistically average accent- which is probably the accent in which everybody in the rest of the country says "you talk with an accent"
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: hbelkins on January 09, 2014, 08:24:22 PM
This isn't about accents (how you sound when you talk). It's about dialect (the words you use when you talk).

I took the test twice and had several different questions, along with a few questions that were common to both tests.

The first time it put me in the Midwest (one of my cities was Wichita) and the second time it put me down South. I would have expected Lexington and Louisville.

My brother sent me the link. He got Lexington, Columbus GA and Little Rock. His wife got Lexington, Louisville and Columbus GA.

I recorded my results from my second test and got this:

1.) Y'all
2.) Rubbernecking is the activity but I have no word for the traffic jam
3.) Yard sale
4.) We have them but I have no special term
5.) Sub
6.) No distinction between the two
7.) Different
8.) 18-wheeler (although I do use some of the other terms)
9.) Freeway (the roadgeek in me wanted to choose the last answer that has the definitions)
10.) Tennis shoes
11.) Other (I had no word for this and had not seen this question on prior versions of the test)
12.) Two syllables
13.) Both
14.) I have no term
15.) Mary and merry pronounced the same (had not seen this before either)
16.) Pop
17.) No word for this
18.) I don't know what creature this is (had not seen this before either)
19.) Roundabout
20.) Palm (this question was new to me, too)
21.) Median
22.) Sit (this question was new as well)
23.) Flaw
24.) Water fountain
25.) Firefly and lightning bug interchangeably

Results: Columbus, Ga., Jackson, Miss. and Little Rock
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: corco on January 09, 2014, 08:32:32 PM
QuoteThis isn't about accents (how you sound when you talk). It's about dialect (the words you use when you talk).

Isn't a combination of the two though? I thought about half the questions were how you pronounce certain words
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Molandfreak on January 09, 2014, 08:41:31 PM
Quote from: corco on January 09, 2014, 08:32:32 PM
QuoteThis isn't about accents (how you sound when you talk). It's about dialect (the words you use when you talk).

Isn't a combination of the two though? I thought about half the questions were how you pronounce certain words
There are different questions each time you play, but yes the test seems to be about both dialect and accents.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Eth on January 09, 2014, 09:54:55 PM
I remember taking this test a few weeks ago. The three cities I got, if memory serves, were Columbus, GA; Augusta, GA; and Jacksonville, FL. Interesting that it would gravitate toward south Georgia with me having grown up in the outer Atlanta suburbs.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Brandon on January 09, 2014, 09:58:59 PM
Quite the contrast there, HB.

1) You guys
2) Kitty-corner
3) Aunt = ant
4) Garage sale
5) Pop
6) Pill bug
7) Icing
8) Tennis shoes
9) Devil's Night
10) Freeway
11) Party barn (if a store selling liquor is a party store, then "party barn" is the closest I can find)
12) Crawfish
13) Sub
14) Jam for pajamas
15) Area of grass between the curb and sidewalk - Other.  I've heard it called a "parkway"
16) Drinking fountain
17) Blow-off (course at college or high school)
18) Lightning bug
19) Cray-ahn
20) Carra-mel
21) Cot and caught are Different
22) Lawyer's first syllable rhymes with Boy
23) I don't use the word supper
24) Mountain Lion
25) Gapers' Delay

Results: Detroit, Toledo, Grand Rapids
Least Like: Boston, Worcester, Springfield (MA)
http://nyti.ms/1bXhuj6
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Takumi on January 09, 2014, 10:13:01 PM
Results: Richmond, Newport News, Greensboro. Dead on.
Least similar: Worcester, Pittsburgh, Des Moines
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Duke87 on January 09, 2014, 10:25:56 PM
Well, they placed me pretty accurately: http://nyti.ms/1a4RmWM

Yonkers and New York because "sneakers" (I had no idea that term wasn't universal), and Newark/Paterson because "mischief night" (despite me having learned this term growing up in Connecticut)

Second taking of the test: http://nyti.ms/1bXlwI5

Yonkers and Newark/Patterson because "sunshower" (again, I had no idea that term wasn't universal) and New York becuase I pronounce Mary, merry, and marry all differently.


The drive through liquor store question also threw me for a loop. I'd call it a "drive through liquor store", and I'd never heard any of the slang terms they suggested. Of course, there is no such thing around where I'm from, so naturally I wouldn't have a term for it.


As a personal anecdotal assessment I'd say my accent is some hybrid of old-school Bronx (based on how my parents, grandparents, etc. talk) and southwestern Connecticut (based on how other kids around me when I was young talked).

Then there's the way being a roadgeek messes with your vocabulary. I answered "roundabout", but everyone around here calls it a "circle" or "traffic circle" and thinks of "roundabout" as being a Britishism. And while I did answer the high speed road question as "highway", which is how I learned it growing up and still often say it, I am the only person I know around here (except for other roadgeeks) who will ever be heard using the term "freeway".
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Scott5114 on January 10, 2014, 01:54:06 AM
I got placed pretty accurately: Wichita, Overland Park, and Springfield, MO. My family is from the Kansas City area, and I lived in Springfield for a year, and I'm guessing Wichita came up because that's what you get when you aggregate those two cities with Oklahoma.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Doctor Whom on January 10, 2014, 03:53:53 AM
1. Oakland (never been)
2. Honolulu (never been)
3. San Francisco (been only once on a business trip)

All because of "firefly."
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Dr Frankenstein on January 10, 2014, 10:40:30 AM
I expected to get some place in New England or upstate New York.

I got Seattle.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: sammi on January 10, 2014, 10:54:59 AM
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on January 10, 2014, 10:40:30 AM
I expected to get some place in New England or upstate New York.

I got Seattle.

I would think that's because they don't have data for Canada.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: CNGL-Leudimin on January 10, 2014, 02:41:53 PM
For all those who asked me who I had as teacher: The English dialect that is taught here is British English, so that would explain why I got the Deep South as similar to me. And of course, things can shake up with only changing one answer: english si got Minnesota mostly yellow to orange, while I got it strongly blue.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: pianocello on January 10, 2014, 02:52:03 PM
I got Rockford (caught/cot), Detroit (caught/cot), and Grand Rapids (drinking fountain). That sort of makes sense, as my mom is from mid-Michigan and my dad is from central Illinois. I was least similar to Boston, New York, and Worcester (never been to any of them).
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: hbelkins on January 10, 2014, 07:13:12 PM
Quote from: Molandfreak on January 09, 2014, 08:41:31 PM
Quote from: corco on January 09, 2014, 08:32:32 PM
QuoteThis isn't about accents (how you sound when you talk). It's about dialect (the words you use when you talk).

Isn't a combination of the two though? I thought about half the questions were how you pronounce certain words
There are different questions each time you play, but yes the test seems to be about both dialect and accents.

I still don't think that "accent" refers to how you pronounce the words, but instead how your voice sounds when you pronounce them.

It's funny how these things work. For everyone around here, the correct pronunciation of the mountains where I live is "Apple-latch-uh." If you pronounce it "Apple-lay-chuh" then you ain't from around here. However, I have always pronounced it "lay" and didn't know I was saying it wrong until a year or so ago.

The best way I can think of to describe "accent" vs. "dialect" would be to listen to two college football referees announce a penalty. In an SEC game, you can always tell if the ref is from the Deep South by listening to him say, "Offsides, number 63 on the offense, five-yard penalty, repeat first down." A ref in a Big Ten game could say the exact same thing and it would sound completely different.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: DeaconG on January 10, 2014, 08:27:18 PM
Most similar:Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Madison.
Least similar:Worcester, New Orleans and Anaheim.

Considering I was born and raised in Philly, that's damn good.  You can take the boy out of the North, but you can't take the North out of the boy... :-D
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: sammi on January 10, 2014, 08:53:22 PM
Regarding accent vs. dialect.

Accent refers to your pronunciation only. It's only a subset of dialect.

Quote from: hbelkins on January 10, 2014, 07:13:12 PM
I still don't think that "accent" refers to how you pronounce the words, but instead how your voice sounds when you pronounce them.
I don't see how those two are any different.

Dialect consists of the accent and a few other factors, such as grammatical constructions and word choice, that contribute to how you speak in general.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Laura on January 10, 2014, 09:42:28 PM
My results:

Most like
1. Columbus, GA (y'all)
2. Baltimore, MD (cot/caught pronounced differently)
3. Louisville, KY (yard sale)

Least like - all three because I pronounce aunt like "ant"
1. Worcester, MA
2. Providence, RI
3. Springfield, MA

I feel like Columbus and Louisville are random. Growing up in MD, I heard a mix of "y'all, you all, and you guys" but personally say "y'all". And the yard sale question was odd because I call them different things depending on location - yard sale if in yard, sidewalk sale if on sidewalk, etc. I grew up calling them all "flea markets" which wasn't an option.

I'm going to try and take it again and see what happens. I admit that the roadgeek questions also skewed my results. No one here calls them frontage roads, and everything is called a highway. Life is a highway.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: hotdogPi on January 10, 2014, 09:44:46 PM
Quote from: Laura Bianca on January 10, 2014, 09:42:28 PM
My results:

Most like
1. Columbus, GA (y'all)
2. Baltimore, MD (cot/caught pronounced differently)
3. Louisville, KY (yard sale)

Least like - all three because I pronounce aunt like "ant"
1. Worcester, MA
2. Providence, RI
3. Springfield, MA


Cot and caught are pronounced differently in New England (at least for me), and it's called a yard sale, too. How are those three least likely?
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: sammi on January 10, 2014, 09:45:37 PM
Quote from: Laura Bianca on January 10, 2014, 09:42:28 PM
Life is a highway.

♪ I'm gonna ride it all night long ♪

I love that song. :)
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: StogieGuy7 on January 10, 2014, 09:59:18 PM
Quote from: Brandon on January 09, 2014, 03:18:29 PM
I got, in the following order:

1. Detroit (Devil's Night)
2. Grand Rapids (pop)
3. Buffalo (pop)

The Mitten of Michigan is about as red as it gets on my map.

I am least similar to:

1. Knoxville (pronunciation of lawyer)
2. Chattanooga (pronunciation of lawyer)
3. Jackson, MS (you guys)

I did it via Facebook as well and got:

1. Detroit
2. Grand Rapids
3. Toledo

Makes perfect sense as I am the child of two Detroiters even though I grew up in NE Illinois, but have spent enough time going back and forth between here and SE Michigan.

How funny, I've moved around a lot in my life but have lived in NE IL for a while now (Lake Co.) and my 3 most similar cities were:

1. Minneapolis/St. Paui
2. Detroit
3. Buffalo

Though the Chicago area was bright red for me too.

Least were Worcester, MA, Pittsburgh, PA and Knoxville, TN. 

Very interesting quiz.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: sammi on January 10, 2014, 10:18:04 PM
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on January 10, 2014, 09:59:18 PM
Pittsburgh, PA

Sub? Because that's how I got Philly. :pan:
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: CentralCAroadgeek on January 10, 2014, 10:32:42 PM
My 3 most similar cities are all in the Bay Area. Oakland, San Jose, and Fremont. My 3 least are around the Great Lakes. I only remember Buffalo and Toledo.

However, my one year living in Texas got "y'all" to be part of my daily language, and I use that interchangeably with the more Californian "you guys." My Filipino side also gets me to interchange "coke" and "soda," since "coke" is the more common term for soda over in the Philippines.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: sammi on January 10, 2014, 10:40:35 PM
Quote from: CentralCAroadgeek on January 10, 2014, 10:32:42 PM
My 3 most similar cities are all in the Bay Area. Oakland, San Jose, and Fremont.
Honolulu, Fremont, San Jose. My dad said those cities have sizable Filipino populations, so I would blend right in. :pan:

Quote from: CentralCAroadgeek on January 10, 2014, 10:32:42 PM
My Filipino side also gets me to interchange "coke" and "soda," since "coke" is the more common term for soda over in the Philippines.
Philippine English is prone to genericization (I guess so are other dialects). Colgate, Pentel pen (Cdn. Sharpie), Liquid Paper (or Snopake, Cdn. Wite-Out), Coke (not once have I heard anyone use Pepsi). I just use "soft drinks", without feeling any need to distinguish between different kinds and brands. I don't drink anything carbonated at all anyway. o_o
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: KEVIN_224 on January 10, 2014, 10:50:34 PM
The quiz gave me a mix of Springfield (MA), Yonkers (NY) and Newark/Patterson (NJ). Thank goodness I don't have the dreaded fah-in-the-cah BAW-stun accent! :D

@ SAMMI: For "Life Is A Highway"...the original Tom Cochrane version from 1992 or the country remake a few years ago?
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: sammi on January 10, 2014, 10:52:37 PM
Quote from: KEVIN_224 on January 10, 2014, 10:50:34 PM
@ SAMMI: For "Life Is A Highway"...the original Tom Cochrane version from 1992 or the country remake a few years ago?

Doesn't really matter, but I prefer Tom Cochrane... Why do you ask?
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: KEVIN_224 on January 10, 2014, 10:54:24 PM
No reason. I just knew there were two versions of that song. That's all. :)
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: hbelkins on January 10, 2014, 11:43:07 PM
Quote from: sammi on January 10, 2014, 08:53:22 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 10, 2014, 07:13:12 PM
I still don't think that "accent" refers to how you pronounce the words, but instead how your voice sounds when you pronounce them.
I don't see how those two are any different.

See my example about the football referee.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: corco on January 11, 2014, 12:20:13 AM
Isn't that still the same thing though?

Those SEC refs sound different because their alphabet is different- they're pronouncing words differently. Those aren't genetic differences that cause them to pronounce words differently- it's a trained, cultural development. The pitch of your voice is probably genetic (and it would be interesting to see if there's any geographic correlation to pitch), but everything else is controllable. Try talking with a British accent- you might be bad at it, but with practice you can do it, and the way you'll do it is by pronouncing words differently- merging your cots and caughts and splitting your pens and pins and whatever. Actors do this all the time.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: english si on January 11, 2014, 08:37:50 AM
Quote from: corco on January 11, 2014, 12:20:13 AMTry talking with a British accent- you might be bad at it, but with practice you can do it, and the way you'll do it is by pronouncing words differently
depends where in Britain your accent is. Other Brits struggle with accents similar to mine. Northerners can't hear the difference between broad A and putting an r in words like Bath, but I can. Americans are even worse, and while they might pick up the vocab for the dialect, they can't get the sounds right. Hence Dick van Dyke's deliberately awful Cockney in Mary Poppins: he tried and failed, so went for silliness rather than accuracy.
Quotemerging your cots and caughts
I can't think of anywhere in Britain where they do that!
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: empirestate on January 11, 2014, 11:32:46 AM
Quote from: english si on January 11, 2014, 08:37:50 AM
Quote from: corco on January 11, 2014, 12:20:13 AMTry talking with a British accent- you might be bad at it, but with practice you can do it, and the way you'll do it is by pronouncing words differently
depends where in Britain your accent is. Other Brits struggle with accents similar to mine. Northerners can't hear the difference between broad A and putting an r in words like Bath, but I can. Americans are even worse, and while they might pick up the vocab for the dialect, they can't get the sounds right. Hence Dick van Dyke's deliberately awful Cockney in Mary Poppins: he tried and failed, so went for silliness rather than accuracy.
Quotemerging your cots and caughts
I can't think of anywhere in Britain where they do that!

Most people who fail probably do because they work only at altering the vocabulary and a few key vowel or consonant sounds. Changing one's accent really does depend on a shift in vocal placement–pitch too, often–and is what makes inauthentic attempts stand out.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: US 41 on January 11, 2014, 12:17:33 PM
The 3 cities it said I spoke most similar to was Wichita, KS; Overland Park, KS; and Indianapolis, IN. Since I live in Terre Haute, IN I would have to say it is correct.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: corco on January 11, 2014, 12:34:35 PM
Quote from: english si on January 11, 2014, 08:37:50 AM
Quote from: corco on January 11, 2014, 12:20:13 AMTry talking with a British accent- you might be bad at it, but with practice you can do it, and the way you'll do it is by pronouncing words differently
depends where in Britain your accent is. Other Brits struggle with accents similar to mine. Northerners can't hear the difference between broad A and putting an r in words like Bath, but I can. Americans are even worse, and while they might pick up the vocab for the dialect, they can't get the sounds right. Hence Dick van Dyke's deliberately awful Cockney in Mary Poppins: he tried and failed, so went for silliness rather than accuracy.
Quotemerging your cots and caughts
I can't think of anywhere in Britain where they do that!

Yeah I was throwing out random vocal inflection changes- I have no idea which changes are actually required for a successful British accent.

QuoteMost people who fail probably do because they work only at altering the vocabulary and a few key vowel or consonant sounds. Changing one's accent really does depend on a shift in vocal placement—pitch too, often—and is what makes inauthentic attempts stand out.

Hmmm, I suppose that's reasonable.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: english si on January 13, 2014, 07:52:32 AM
Quote from: empirestate on January 11, 2014, 11:32:46 AMMost people who fail probably do because they work only at altering the vocabulary and a few key vowel or consonant sounds. Changing one's accent really does depend on a shift in vocal placement–pitch too, often–and is what makes inauthentic attempts stand out.
Oh, absolutely, but it's a can't hear the difference thing, so you think you are doing an amazing accent and have no need to change, but you aren't.

It's even more a problem when dealing with a foreign language. Certainly a reason why people are encouraged to learn languages when they are young is that you start to lose the ability to hear and pronounce certain sounds - similar applies to accents.

American English, in particular, doesn't have the right sound set. I have not heard a successful English accent by an American, whereas I gather we can deceive (Hugh Laurie, for instance) Americans into not realising we are British.

Canadian Tatiana Maslany can do a British accent (and alters it to be a not-quite-right-one when playing a Canadian doing a British accent without training), and it might not sound quite right for the part of London her character is from, but it sounds like someone from southern England trying to do it, rather than a northerner, or worse, an American.

The broad A is probably the hardest thing for a northerner (of Britain) to do with a southern accent. It's just a long-back vowel, and while some (sadly dying) southern accents r-colour some vowels, there's no 'r' in there (which is what northerners try to do - 'barf' for 'bath' - they've got the 'th' sound nice and Cockney, though not all southern accents do that, but the 'a' is not 'ar' but a broad a rather than a short a). I think Boston has the broad a.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: empirestate on January 13, 2014, 10:23:39 AM
Quote from: english si on January 13, 2014, 07:52:32 AM
American English, in particular, doesn't have the right sound set. I have not heard a successful English accent by an American, whereas I gather we can deceive (Hugh Laurie, for instance) Americans into not realising we are British.

That's because the Americans who do it successfully, you don't realize they're American! ;-)

Seriously though, my experience for a long time was the same with British actors successfully doing American accents: I didn't know of any–until I learned, years after having seen Who Framed Roger Rabbit, that Bob Hoskins was English. Part of the problem you're having, I think, is that you'd have to come see American stage productions to find most of the best British dialects done by our actors. On the screen, we tend to use real Britons for British roles. And American roles.

(Australians lately have been giving the British a run for their money in doing American accents, too...)
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: BamaZeus on January 14, 2014, 11:43:08 AM
Quote from: english si on January 13, 2014, 07:52:32 AM
Quote from: empirestate on January 11, 2014, 11:32:46 AMMost people who fail probably do because they work only at altering the vocabulary and a few key vowel or consonant sounds. Changing one's accent really does depend on a shift in vocal placement–pitch too, often–and is what makes inauthentic attempts stand out.
Oh, absolutely, but it's a can't hear the difference thing, so you think you are doing an amazing accent and have no need to change, but you aren't.

It's even more a problem when dealing with a foreign language. Certainly a reason why people are encouraged to learn languages when they are young is that you start to lose the ability to hear and pronounce certain sounds - similar applies to accents.

American English, in particular, doesn't have the right sound set. I have not heard a successful English accent by an American, whereas I gather we can deceive (Hugh Laurie, for instance) Americans into not realising we are British.

Canadian Tatiana Maslany can do a British accent (and alters it to be a not-quite-right-one when playing a Canadian doing a British accent without training), and it might not sound quite right for the part of London her character is from, but it sounds like someone from southern England trying to do it, rather than a northerner, or worse, an American.

The broad A is probably the hardest thing for a northerner (of Britain) to do with a southern accent. It's just a long-back vowel, and while some (sadly dying) southern accents r-colour some vowels, there's no 'r' in there (which is what northerners try to do - 'barf' for 'bath' - they've got the 'th' sound nice and Cockney, though not all southern accents do that, but the 'a' is not 'ar' but a broad a rather than a short a). I think Boston has the broad a.

WHAT?  Kevin Costner's accent in Robin Hood wasn't spot on? *g*
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Alps on January 15, 2014, 09:42:25 PM
Well, finally, my answers showed up (new OS n'at). Top 3: Newark/Paterson, Yonkers, Jersey City. (Gee.) I've never had a remotely different result than "North Jersey". Least similar: Fort Wayne, Jackson MS, Des Moines. I guess I don't have that wholesome Midwestern accent n'at.
Title: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: STLmapboy on October 09, 2020, 11:09:38 AM
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html

This is a 25-question dialect quiz created in part by Josh Katz (one of my favorite authors, who has a really intriguing book (https://www.amazon.com/Speaking-American-Youse-Visual-Guide/dp/0544703391/)). It attempts to pinpoint your location in the US (three cities) based on how you say different words. I got Madison, Milwaukee, and Grand Rapids as my main cities.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50441665102_5ff2255e1f_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2jRmHF5)
Title: Re: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 11:17:36 AM
Old news. (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=11332.msg270198#msg270198)

And here's a related thread. (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=9619.msg225683#msg225683)
Title: Re: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: STLmapboy on October 09, 2020, 11:19:39 AM
Shit. Guess I'll just go on my merry (mary?) way then and post in the other one.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 11:43:05 AM
Here's my map:

(https://i.imgur.com/aEnQ9QH.jpg)

Places I've lived:
1981-1990 – Chicago suburbs
1990-1999 – Rural northwestern Kansas
1999-2006 – Chicago suburbs
2006-2008 – Southern Illinois
2008-2020 – Wichita, KS

So, even though I lived near Chicago for less than half my life total, I did live there during my formative years (early childhood), plus my early adulthood (HS graduation until marriage).

I might have skewed even just a bit more Chicago-ish, if some of my terminology hadn't been influenced by my wife and other non-geographical concerns.
Title: Re: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: hotdogPi on October 09, 2020, 11:58:13 AM
It would be interesting to create a quiz using only questions with a correct answer.

"Which city is the home stadium of the Jets (American football) in?"
(those who are very local will give the correct city in NJ instead of saying NYC)

"How were most victims at the Salem Witch Trials killed?"
(this one would be multiple choice to avoid having multiple ways of phrasing the correct answer in addition to the few that interpreted the question differently and said "most survived")

"Which state was the only one the Democrat won in the 1984 Republican landslide election?"
(can also be asked about 1972)

"Who has more Twitter followers: Obama or Trump?"
(this one doesn't bind you to a geographical region but instead most people will probably answer who they support more)

"What is the lowest-numbered Interstate?"
(an incorrect answer of 4 places you in the eastern third of the US, an incorrect answer of 5 places you on the West Coast, and an incorrect answer of 1 places you outside Texas and isn't even incorrect if you live in Hawaii)

"How many provinces does Canada have?"
(those closer to Canada will be more likely to answer correctly)

"What does "envios de dinero" mean in English?"
(multiple choice; corresponds to Hispanic communities)

"Which war took place in the US in the 1860s?"
(almost everyone will get it correct, but people have different names for it, which can identify the region)

"What was the average price of gas nationwide when it hit its high in 2008?"
(California residents will likely answer too high)
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: ozarkman417 on October 09, 2020, 11:58:32 AM
.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201009/08c414eac4e1b135662384e028638cb6.jpg)

SM-G965U

Looks pretty much spot on, given that they selected Springfield as one of the highlighted cities. I've lived here all my life, though my family has historically been based out of northern Illinois.

Title: Re: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: 1995hoo on October 09, 2020, 12:06:13 PM
Those other threads make me think of how precise you have to try to be–and how difficult a task that can be!–when you're trying to construct a generic term for something that will not be perceived as suggesting your desired answer. I remember once some colleagues got into a discussion about restrooms and whether the term is a "stall" or a "booth." My reaction was, who cares, it's obvious what either term means in context, but one of them did a Google search and found an online discussion regarding "What is the term for the enclosed space for defecating in a public restroom?"
Title: Re: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: jeffandnicole on October 09, 2020, 12:07:27 PM
Quote from: 1 on October 09, 2020, 11:58:13 AM
It would be interesting to create a quiz using only questions with a correct answer.

OK, but that's just a random quiz.  What's the point of it?  And if different questions were asked, would you know the answers even if it involved your own hometown or state?
Title: Re: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: STLmapboy on October 09, 2020, 12:12:57 PM
If mods could lock this one please, I'm going to go post my example in the other (identically named!) thread.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: STLmapboy on October 09, 2020, 12:13:21 PM
My map
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50441665102_5ff2255e1f_h.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2jRmHF5)
I have a mom who was born in North Dakota but grew up in San Diego and a dad who's lived in STL all his life. Don't have any relatives from Wisconsin or Michigan, though.
Title: Re: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: hotdogPi on October 09, 2020, 12:17:27 PM
Quote from: STLmapboy on October 09, 2020, 12:12:57 PM
If mods could lock this one please

I still want discussion of my previous post in this thread.
Title: Re: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: webny99 on October 09, 2020, 12:18:10 PM
I got Rochester, NY (correct!), Grand Rapids, MI, and Madison, WI. The answer that most associated me with Madison was "kitty-corner", which was a hard one for me because it really depends on context whether I use that or just "diagonal".


Quote from: 1 on October 09, 2020, 11:58:13 AM
It would be interesting to create a quiz using only questions with a correct answer.

I don't think there would be a super strong correlation between whether you know the answer(s) and where you live. It depends more on what your interests are. For example, I think most people who follow the NFL know that the Giants and Jets play in NJ. You'd have to ask a LOT of questions to narrow it down to a single town or city that you are likely to be from.

(And I sure hope everyone knows how many provinces Canada has. In that case, it would be more of a sign that you're from the Deep South if you don't know, rather than a sign that you live near the border if you do know.)



Quote from: STLmapboy on October 09, 2020, 12:12:57 PM
If mods could lock this one please, I'm going to go post my example in the other (identically named!) thread.

I wouldn't worry. Re-starting it is probably better than a six-year bump. Linking to old threads is just what we do here.  :D
Title: Re: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: STLmapboy on October 09, 2020, 12:20:18 PM
Quote from: webny99 on October 09, 2020, 12:18:10 PM
I wouldn't worry. Re-starting it is probably better than a six-year bump. Linking to old threads is just what we do here.  :D
Unfortunately, it's probably too late; three people already posted in that thread.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 12:38:59 PM
As to the previous conversation about accent vs pronunciation...

Accent also includes how fast or slowly you speak.  For example, if you take a typical Midwestern accent, slow it down, and accentuate certain phonemes, then you'll end up with a pretty decent western drawl.  Same pronunciation but different accent.
Title: Re: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 12:39:43 PM
Quote from: 1 on October 09, 2020, 12:17:27 PM

Quote from: STLmapboy on October 09, 2020, 12:12:57 PM
If mods could lock this one please

I still want discussion of my previous post in this thread.

A merge would be better than a lock.
Title: Re: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: TheHighwayMan3561 on October 09, 2020, 12:42:44 PM
I got Salt Lake, Seattle, and Spokane (though my correct area was also deep brown). I expect that's due to the similar backgrounds of WA's settlers and ours.
Title: Re: NYT Dialect Quiz
Post by: STLmapboy on October 09, 2020, 12:45:52 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 12:39:43 PM
Quote from: 1 on October 09, 2020, 12:17:27 PM

Quote from: STLmapboy on October 09, 2020, 12:12:57 PM
If mods could lock this one please

I still want discussion of my previous post in this thread.

A merge would be better than a lock.
Yeah, we've only got 11 (now 12) replies here anyway.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: CNGL-Leudimin on October 09, 2020, 01:16:00 PM
Nice to see this thread back. At one point in the meantime I did one similar test for Spanish (my native language), which nailed I'm from Aragon, Spain.
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on January 09, 2014, 05:40:29 PM
I was surprised at the Twin Cities as differing from me, especially looking at my avatar...

At the time I was using I-35 MN as my avatar. Later on I used I-76 OH, also quite against my result at the time which also listed Cleveland, OH among the least similar. When I noticed they had added my current avatar (I-41, featuring my favorite number which had become so shortly before doing the test) I switched to that one, which is not as bad as before.

ETA: I did again the test, and I had my most similar cities spread across the country:
- New York City
- Jackson, MS
- And perhaps most surprisingly, given it was the least similar the first time I did this, Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Ned Weasel on October 09, 2020, 01:55:07 PM
Here's mine:

(https://imgur.com/EHI0r2X.png)

It's kind of funny, because people in my home metro area (Kansas City area) frequently ask me where I'm from because of my accent.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Rothman on October 09, 2020, 02:53:27 PM
Mine was way off:

Results:

1) Oklahoma City, OK
2) Amarillo, TX
3) Aurora, CO

I have been through each of them.  But, my time spent in each of those places is less than a few hours combined.

I found the questions to pigeonhole me into answers I wasn't completely satisfied with (e.g., those related to transportation infrastructure) as well, which I think helped cause the poor results.  I mean, a circle with a lot of roads coming into it?  That could be a rotary, roundabout or traffic circle depending on where you are and its configuration...

But, the fact that my father's from NJ, my mother's from KY (I spent a lot of vacation time with my relatives down there), I was born in IN, grew up in MA and have lived for a decent amount of time in various states since then (MD, VA, WI, NY, CA, ID...) has probably messed with my pronunciation and jargon.  I also wonder how much I just picked up from watching a lot of TV.

So, me 1, NYT, 0.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Scott5114 on October 09, 2020, 03:13:44 PM
Quote from: Rothman on October 09, 2020, 02:53:27 PM
Mine was way off:

Results:

1) Oklahoma City, OK
2) Amarillo, TX
3) Aurora, CO

I have been through each of them.  But, my time spent in each of those places is less than a few hours combined.

It's cause I've been posting too much and you've been picking it up from me. Sorry about that.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: webny99 on October 09, 2020, 03:29:25 PM
There's definitely words and expressions that I've picked up from this forum. Not pronunciations, though.  :-P
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 03:38:11 PM
Quote from: webny99 on October 09, 2020, 03:29:25 PM
There's definitely words and expressions that I've picked up from this forum. Not pronunciations, though.  :-P

I learned the term 'SPUI' on this forum.  When I first read it, I pronounced it as spew-ee.  Since then, however, I've heard an engineer pronounce it as spoo-ee, and I've taken that as my pronunciation.

It's not hard to imagine that someone's pronunciation of such a roadgeeky term might be changed in the other direction:  they used to pronounce it one way, then learned on this forum that it's actually pronounced a different way.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: thspfc on October 09, 2020, 03:44:36 PM
I got Milwaukee for one, which is pretty accurate. My other two were somehow Phoenix area cities - Glendale and Chandler/Gilbert.  :-D
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: kphoger on October 09, 2020, 03:47:04 PM
Quote from: thspfc on October 09, 2020, 03:44:36 PM
I got Milwaukee for one, which is pretty accurate. My other two were somehow Phoenix area cities - Glendale and Chandler/Gilbert.  :-D

↓   could be . . .   ↓

Quote from: corco on January 09, 2014, 06:18:38 PM
An arizona accent is probably the closest thing to a generic american accent ...
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: webny99 on October 09, 2020, 03:51:22 PM
Well, it makes sense. Plenty of Arizonans were born elsewhere, so "generic American accent" is probably what you get.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Takumi on October 09, 2020, 08:28:26 PM
It pigeonholed me into southeastern Virginia because of the drive-thru liquor store being called Brew Thru.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: ftballfan on October 10, 2020, 12:09:42 AM
My top three:
1. Detroit, MI
2. Grand Rapids, MI
3. Toledo, OH
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: qguy on October 10, 2020, 10:21:24 AM
Spot on:
1. Philadelphia
2. Newark/Patterson
3. Baltimore
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: kphoger on October 12, 2020, 10:00:45 AM
Quote from: Takumi on October 09, 2020, 08:28:26 PM
It pigeonholed me into southeastern Virginia because of the drive-thru liquor store being called Brew Thru.

Funny thing is...  I've only heard of the term 'Brew Thru' from exactly this type of quiz.  As I have no existing term for such a thing, I'd now be most likely to call it a 'Brew Thru'.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Takumi on October 12, 2020, 11:29:40 AM
Quote from: kphoger on October 12, 2020, 10:00:45 AM
Quote from: Takumi on October 09, 2020, 08:28:26 PM
It pigeonholed me into southeastern Virginia because of the drive-thru liquor store being called Brew Thru.

Funny thing is...  I've only heard of the term 'Brew Thru' from exactly this type of quiz.  As I have no existing term for such a thing, I'd now be most likely to call it a 'Brew Thru'.
The odd thing is, we don't have them in Virginia. They're only in North Carolina.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: frankenroad on October 12, 2020, 03:04:25 PM
I took it twice - first time, it said Rochester, Buffalo, Detroit.  That was fairly close, but I thought I would try again.  The second time, I got - Shreveport, Baton Rouge, Scottsdale

Of my 64 years, I have lived 7 in Maryland, 4 in New Hampshire, 2 in Michigan, and the rest in Ohio (3 in Columbus and 48 in Cincinnati).

Some questions were different, but a couple of tell-tale signs (like hoagie for a "sub") should have given me Cincinnati or Philadelphia.

I don't have a lot of faith in their algorithms.

And, since we here in Cincinnati call the store where you buy beer and such a "pony keg", I would call the ones you drive through a Drive-Thru Pony Keg, like this one.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/toms-drive-thru-pony-keg-cincinnati
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Bruce on October 12, 2020, 05:29:54 PM
My map, as a life-long Washingtonian

(https://i.imgur.com/IYVFvmp.png)

The similarities to Upstate NY are kind of hilarious
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: jp the roadgeek on October 13, 2020, 07:00:28 PM
Well,  I got 2 cities within a hundred miles of me: Springfield, MA (45 miles) and Yonkers (about 90).  Buffalo was the third (about 400). 
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: jmd41280 on October 13, 2020, 08:21:06 PM
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html?r=8241484j88000000100000400840000j0811014020080l0100 (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html?r=8241484j88000000100000400840000j0811014020080l0100)

1. Pittsburgh (obviously!)
2. Lexington, KY
3. Oklahoma City
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: webny99 on October 14, 2020, 11:01:20 AM
Quote from: Bruce on October 12, 2020, 05:29:54 PM
My map, as a life-long Washingtonian

[img snipped]

The similarities to Upstate NY are kind of hilarious

I noticed that, too, and now I'm curious about it.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Henry on October 14, 2020, 11:29:28 AM
Mine are Toledo, Aurora (the Chicago suburb) and Detroit:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html?r=00jn1411040402201008j000000801008020j1402001210000
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: US 89 on October 14, 2020, 12:05:58 PM
Here's mine. Top 3 cities are Fresno, Modesto, and Sacramento - funny enough, the only one of those I've even been to is Sacramento, and I've never left the car there. Bottom 3 are New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Philadelphia.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html?r=80n008410800106000081040002001010j02028020020b0400

(https://i.imgur.com/KzRA8nd.png)

I'm sort of a weird case because I grew up in Utah, live in Atlanta right now, and my parents were originally from the midwest. So I've had a lot of influences from different places - which explains why most of my map is somewhere in the yellow-to-red range.

There were a few questions that would have definitively identified me as from Utah had I answered differently. For example, I knew several people who called roly polies "potato bugs", but that seems to be mainly concentrated among LDS church members (which I'm not), so it never really caught on for me. I also refuse to call mountain lions "cougars" thanks to that term's association with a certain college in Provo.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: kphoger on October 14, 2020, 12:08:52 PM
Quote from: US 89 on October 14, 2020, 12:05:58 PM
I knew several people who called roly polies "potato bugs", but that seems to be mainly concentrated among LDS church members ...

Interesting phenomenon.   :hmmm:
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: 1995hoo on October 14, 2020, 12:10:32 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 14, 2020, 12:08:52 PM
Quote from: US 89 on October 14, 2020, 12:05:58 PM
I knew several people who called roly polies "potato bugs", but that seems to be mainly concentrated among LDS church members ...

Interesting phenomenon.   :hmmm:

Interesting to me because my wife for some reason uses the term "potato bugs" to refer to what most people call "stink bugs." I'm not sure why she does that and I didn't get a good answer when I asked.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: kphoger on October 14, 2020, 12:26:16 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on October 14, 2020, 12:10:32 PM
Interesting to me because my wife for some reason uses the term "potato bugs" to refer to what most people call "stink bugs." I'm not sure why she does that and I didn't get a good answer when I asked.

Maybe it's just a long-held misunderstanding on her part.

I know people in this area who refer to oriental cockroaches as "waterbugs" and therefore don't kill them as they would American cockroaches.  They refuse to believe me when I tell them they're actually cockroaches, just a different species but equally disgusting.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Rothman on October 14, 2020, 12:56:13 PM
Mister Rogers had an opera about potato bugs...
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Takumi on October 14, 2020, 01:56:03 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 14, 2020, 12:26:16 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on October 14, 2020, 12:10:32 PM
Interesting to me because my wife for some reason uses the term "potato bugs" to refer to what most people call "stink bugs." I'm not sure why she does that and I didn't get a good answer when I asked.

Maybe it's just a long-held misunderstanding on her part.

I know people in this area who refer to oriental cockroaches as "waterbugs" and therefore don't kill them as they would American cockroaches.  They refuse to believe me when I tell them they're actually cockroaches, just a different species but equally disgusting.
Meanwhile I've heard "waterbug"  applied only to the American cockroach, though I use the term "sewer roach"  since that's typically where they come from.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: kphoger on October 14, 2020, 02:12:28 PM
Quote from: Takumi on October 14, 2020, 01:56:03 PM

Quote from: kphoger on October 14, 2020, 12:26:16 PM

Quote from: 1995hoo on October 14, 2020, 12:10:32 PM
Interesting to me because my wife for some reason uses the term "potato bugs" to refer to what most people call "stink bugs." I'm not sure why she does that and I didn't get a good answer when I asked.

Maybe it's just a long-held misunderstanding on her part.

I know people in this area who refer to oriental cockroaches as "waterbugs" and therefore don't kill them as they would American cockroaches.  They refuse to believe me when I tell them they're actually cockroaches, just a different species but equally disgusting.

Meanwhile I've heard "waterbug"  applied only to the American cockroach, though I use the term "sewer roach"  since that's typically where they come from.

That's strange to me, considering I've typically seen American cockroaches in warm dry living spaces (such as kitchen countertops) but typically seen oriental cockroaches in cool damp places (such as basements).
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: empirestate on October 14, 2020, 03:32:56 PM
I'm sure I've taken this before and gotten pretty illogical results, but just now I got Rochester (my hometown, for you relative newcomers), New York (which I've lived in or near for several years now), and Newark/Paterson (which is, well, just really close to the preceding).

The only thing that surprises me was that it sensed more of a Downstate influence than New England, where my family has roots on both sides for many generations, up to and including my parents. It's from them that I'd have learned most of my common idioms.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: webny99 on October 14, 2020, 03:39:04 PM
To me it seems like Western NY and the NYC area have very different accents; quite likely the biggest difference within a single state.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: empirestate on October 14, 2020, 03:44:10 PM
Quote from: webny99 on October 14, 2020, 03:39:04 PM
To me it seems like Western NY and the NYC area have very different accents; quite likely the biggest difference within a single state.

They're very distinctive, no doubt. In my case, it's likely that vocabulary is more influenced by Upstate, and pronunciation by Downstate. That's why Mary/merry/marry are three different sounds for me, for example. Also, while I lived in Rochester from an early age, my speech was learned from non-native Rochestarians, such as my parents and siblings, and the cast of Sesame Street. (And we all know where that takes place.) ;-)

Still, for some reason my biggest shibboleth for all three locales, according to the quiz, is "sneakers".
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: vdeane on October 14, 2020, 08:41:02 PM
XKCD has come out with a dialect quiz of their own: https://xkcd.com/2372/
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: Takumi on October 14, 2020, 09:32:37 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 14, 2020, 02:12:28 PM
Quote from: Takumi on October 14, 2020, 01:56:03 PM

Quote from: kphoger on October 14, 2020, 12:26:16 PM

Quote from: 1995hoo on October 14, 2020, 12:10:32 PM
Interesting to me because my wife for some reason uses the term "potato bugs" to refer to what most people call "stink bugs." I'm not sure why she does that and I didn't get a good answer when I asked.

Maybe it's just a long-held misunderstanding on her part.

I know people in this area who refer to oriental cockroaches as "waterbugs" and therefore don't kill them as they would American cockroaches.  They refuse to believe me when I tell them they're actually cockroaches, just a different species but equally disgusting.

Meanwhile I've heard "waterbug"  applied only to the American cockroach, though I use the term "sewer roach"  since that's typically where they come from.

That's strange to me, considering I've typically seen American cockroaches in warm dry living spaces (such as kitchen countertops) but typically seen oriental cockroaches in cool damp places (such as basements).
I originally learned it through osmosis from my parents, but the term solidified in personal usage when, while working on my car one day, I saw one emerge from the sewer grate in the street in front of my house and head towards my driveway. (I stopped it well before it reached the house.)

Another insect that I've heard called different names are these things. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhaphidophoridae) I mainly hear them referred to as spider crickets or camel crickets.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: kphoger on October 15, 2020, 09:21:15 AM
Quote from: Takumi on October 14, 2020, 09:32:37 PM
I saw one emerge from the sewer grate in the street in front of my house and head towards my driveway. (I stopped it well before it reached the house.)

I've learned not to step on cockroaches, as I've heard they sometimes carry their babies on their backs and then, when you step on one, some of the babies hitch a ride on your shoes to wherever you go.  Instead, I smash them with a paper towel.  (My place of business has a nearly unavoidable problem with cockroaches.  It's a cable company, and our field techs reclaim customer equipment as part of their job and bring the items back to the warehouse.  Roaches are attracted, for example, to cable set-top boxes because of the warmth.  If no bugs are visibly evident when the tech reclaims the equipment, then he's unaware of any need to bag that equipment before dropoff.)

Quote from: Takumi on October 14, 2020, 09:32:37 PM
Another insect that I've heard called different names are these things. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhaphidophoridae) I mainly hear them referred to as spider crickets or camel crickets.

I had neither seen nor heard of those until about eleven years ago.  We had recently moved, and the house apparently came with some of them.  My first introduction was to see one of them perched on the headboard of our bed, just silently staring at me.  My immediate thought was "ALIEN!"  Because I had never seen or heard of them, I had no already-learned term for them.  When I've described them to others in this area, a few have called them camel crickets, others have called them spider crickets, but most have never encountered them either.

Once I read a story online of a lady describing an encounter with a camel/spider cricket for the first time.  She had gotten up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and was sitting on the toilet doing her business.  She saw one facing her, silently staring at her.  Now, apparently camel/spider crickets have terrible eyesight, so their one defense against threats is to jump straight at them in hopes that it will scare them off.  It jumped at her.  She bolted up from the toilet, underwear around her ankles, and waddle-ran out into the living room.  In her description of the event, she mused that it's a good thing nobody was up to see her in that state.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: index on October 16, 2020, 02:11:36 PM
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html?r=4220280808000060001100000100n0050j0l01804002020008
Based on the fact it's bright red pretty much almost everywhere I'd conclude I have a pretty generic American accent and dialect. Which is an accurate assessment. It's slightly Southern but it's only noticeable if I raise my voice, then I sound more Southern...Otherwise it's not very noticeable.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: hobsini2 on October 17, 2020, 05:23:03 PM
Well, I would say it nailed it pretty well.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html?r=82422091040010410jj0j0402000000j0j1001002002090000

1. Aurora, IL
2. Rockford, IL
3. Chicago, IL

With a heavy plume of common in Central Wisconsin. (My birthplace)

I will post my father's results soon. He was born in England but came to the US when he was about 5.
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: hobsini2 on October 17, 2020, 05:31:24 PM
My father had
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html?r=j122224040000j2000j01000602000s0880002800002090400

1. Seattle, WA
2. Los Angeles, CA
3. Glendale, CA

Funny thing is he spent only 5 years in the Bay Area before New Jersey (High school), St Louis (Senior year in HS) and Central Wisconsin (College).
Title: Re: NYT Regional Dialect Quiz
Post by: J N Winkler on October 17, 2020, 05:46:15 PM
I took the 25-question version of this quiz (there used to be, and may still be, a 100-question version) and got the following:

Closest match:  Stockton, CA; Albuquerque, NM; Kansas City, MO

Least close match:  Grand Rapids, MI; Pittsburgh, PA; Worcester, MA

I have visited all six cities and lived in none of them, with Kansas City being the one in which I have probably spent the most time.

There is also a separate version of this quiz that deals with UK regional accents and diction and produces similar heat maps.  Mine was mostly white with some red over Scotland, largely due (I think) to how I answered the gym shoe question.  (I was not happy with the American version of this question, largely because I consider running, walking, and lifting weights to require separate shoes, each with its own term.)