The Chicago Accent (Berwyn, Buffalo: sales, college, moving)

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by Kmanshouse

The Chicago accent is a mix of "city" and "Canadian". Take a Minnesota/Wisconsin accent and harshen/roughen it up some, and obviously use the Chicago vernacular.

I don't think that it has its own source - it's a blend.

I can't put a finger on it either, but it's there. There's a tough edge to it. Even a little arrogant.

My wife's best friend from high school married an inner city Chicago Polish guy. She was a full blooded Irish gal. What a combo, huh. I enjoyed talking with him. Dare I say his speaking style was almost stereotypical of what the movies of the Capone days were like.

My mom's cousins from Chicago had the accent too, just not as pronounced. When I used to travel there to the northern suburbs where the company I worked for had their national headquarters, no one there spoke any different than I did.

[Blowm3]

Jmgg,

I’ve lived here for nearly my entire life and I’ve yet to hear someone have this “Chicago” accent you guys keep speaking of. I’ve not heard anyone sound like Al Capone. Even when I met people from the suburbs that come into Chicago.

What we have here is a more nasally sort of accent, that’s what I typically hear from some people here. That guy you said that sounds like Al is definitely not the norm… especially since Al himself isn’t even from Chicago, he’s from NY.

[Master Jay]

As an outsider, and someone who enjoys studying languages, etc.

I DO, in fact, hear a difference in the way English sounds from White southsiders and White northsiders.

[Blowm3]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

As an outsider, and someone who enjoys studying languages, etc.

I DO, in fact, hear a difference in the way English sounds from White southsiders and White northsiders.

That’s because many white people on the north side are probably transplants(I’m talking north strictly). South side white Chicagoans have been there many generations and are “real chicagoans” as they like to call themselves. Bridgeport, Canaryville, and Mt Greenwood has always been a classic white Chicago neighborhood, and they’re mostly Irish. Same for some neighborhoods on the far most NW side near Ohare Airport.

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by Blowm3

Jmgg,

I’ve lived here for nearly my entire life and I’ve yet to hear someone have this “Chicago” accent you guys keep speaking of. I’ve not heard anyone sound like Al Capone. Even when I met people from the suburbs that come into Chicago.

What we have here is a more nasally sort of accent, that’s what I typically hear from some people here. That guy you said that sounds like Al is definitely not the norm… especially since Al himself isn’t even from Chicago, he’s from NY.

Re-read my post. I didn't say ANYONE sounded like Al Capone. I was likening the accent to be somewhat like the MOVIES about the era were like. Somewhat a stereotype that you get from watching some of these old movies. It's there, just not as exaggerated.

BECAUSE you have lived there your whole life, I'm guessing you're pretty much oblivious to it. Bostonians probably don't think they have an accent either. Everyone else in the country would disagree.

I don't think I have one. Yet, many years ago my family walked in a restaurant in the Lake of the Ozarks area and the waitress said to me "y'all's from the Dakotas. Not Nebraska, not Iowa, not Minnesota where nearly all of us in these states, minus extreme south parts and extreme north parts, talk pretty much the same.

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by Blowm3

That’s because many white people on the north side are probably transplants(I’m talking north strictly). South side white Chicagoans have been there many generations and are “real chicagoans” as they like to call themselves. Bridgeport, Canaryville, and Mt Greenwood has always been a classic white Chicago neighborhood, and they’re mostly Irish. Same for some neighborhoods on the far most NW side near Ohare Airport.

That's probably the reason (bolded). As I stated, when I was in the northern suburbs years ago, I never heard anything that resembled a Chicago accent.

My mother's cousins were pretty much from the Bridgeport area and south. Definitely Chicago city proper.

[Blowm3]

Originally Posted by jmgg

Re-read my post. I didn't say ANYONE sounded like Al Capone. I was likening the accent to be somewhat like the MOVIES about the era were like. Somewhat a stereotype that you get from watching some of these old movies. It's there, just not as exaggerated.

BECAUSE you have lived there your whole life, I'm guessing you're pretty much oblivious to it. Bostonians probably don't think they have an accent either. Everyone else in the country would disagree.

I don't think I have one. Yet, many years ago my family walked in a restaurant in the Lake of the Ozarks area and the waitress said to me "y'all's from the Dakotas. Not Nebraska, not Iowa, not Minnesota where nearly all of us in these states, minus extreme south parts and extreme north parts, talk pretty much the same.

There is enough separation between the races historically in Chicago to notice different accents within the city, that's just how Chicago is. There are many accents ranging from Hispanic, to Southern black due to roots from the south, and native born white chicagoans that have been here. many Chicagoans have a flat sounding accent, and the natives sound kind of nasally. You can hear this in the suburbs too, I've never heard anyone sound like what your describing. I've yet to hear this Al Capone like accent youre talking about. Also, there's nothing to be oblivious to because it isn't that common at all to hear someone sound like that lol.

[Nearwest]

Al Capone was not a Chicago native, nor was he reared here.

He was born in Brooklyn in 1899 to Italian immigrant parents. He was reared in that NYC borough.

Capone moved to Chicago in 1919 to work as a bouncer in a brothel for Johnny Torrio. Torrio. himself, had been brought to Chicago to work as an enforcer for 'Big Jim' Colosimo.

So, it's unlikely that Al Capone ever spoke with a 'Chicago Accent.'

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by Nearwest

Al Capone was not a Chicago native, nor was he reared here.

He was born in Brooklyn in 1899 to Italian immigrant parents. He was reared in that NYC borough.

Capone moved to Chicago in 1919 to work as a bouncer in a brothel for Johnny Torrio. Torrio. himself, had been brought to Chicago to work as an enforcer for 'Big Jim' Colosimo.

So, it's unlikely that Al Capone ever spoke with a 'Chicago Accent.'

I give up. Nowhere did I say that it was Al Capone's accent that I was talking about. Holy crap.

What we got here is a failure to communicate.

[Sunbiz1]

Originally Posted by jmgg

I can't put a finger on it either, but it's there. There's a tough edge to it. Even a little arrogant.

I'm 40 miles away from the south side, and when I took a call from there last week; thought I was on the phone with New Jersey...all the dee's and dou's.
That accent is very localized to certain areas of the city, and a few bordering towns like Berwyn.