June 1, 2008

I finally broke down and took the linguistics test found on Alisha's blog. Here's what it had to say about the way I speak the language:

You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."

Truth is, I was born in Wisconsin and raised not to far from Chicago (Rockford, to be precise.) Quite an accurate test, I'd say. And, having stepped away from the Great Lakes and arriving in New York nearly twenty years ago, people still make comments about the way I speak, "You're not from around here, are you?" They say it to Randy also. Abbey? She's a New Yorker, through-and-through. And, just so you know, I used to call carbonated drinks "pop." Now I call them "soda," even though I never, ever drink the stuff.

4 comments:

Emma said...

Mrs E~ I got the same answer, only I've never even been to Wisconsin or Chicago; and I NEVER call soda 'pop'!! O well!!

Tim and Lex said...

How cool. It really was accurate in your case. Seriously though why would mine and Abbey's come up Philadelphia???? Isn't that weird?

Mary said...

Emma and Lex - I think the reason this has happened is because our language is formed not only by what we learn in school, but from other people in our lives with whom we interact in our formative years. Lex, I know your uncle was a big influence in your life - he's from Canada, right? Emma, I'm not too sure about your relatives, but it's possible that someone in your life had an accent that helped form your speech patterns. Anyhow, I thought this test was pretty neat! See you both tomorrow!

Maggie Ann said...

That is an interesting test...& we do call our Hires root beer...'pop'