Laugh Out Loud

Living in RI: Sometimes I Worry

Here’s the thing about Rhode Islanders, we have our own accent. It’s not quite Boston and it’s not quite Long Island…it’s somewhere in between. It’s not “Pahk the Cah At Hahvad Yahd” around here. I really try to speak correctly but I slip sometimes, usually depending on who I was just speaking with. I kind of pick accents up quickly, it’s embarrassing. For the most part I pronounce my “r” and don’t put it where it doesn’t belong. My family gets angry with me when I correct them. “Mom, it’s vodka, not vodker.” It’s not, “Auntie Linder drank vodker in Florider.” Babe, there is a “t” in butter. Not Buh-ddah.

Where the worry comes in? My kids. I don’t want my kids to have a Rhode Island accent. I want them to speak properly. Is that so bad? I correct them and my husband all. the. time. It’s with not wit. Ain’t is not a word, although spellcheck feels otherwise. I truly felt helpless the other day in the car. It went something like this.

Boy: Mom, I know how to spell dear two ways. D-E-A-R is like Dear first grade journal. D-E-E-R is like deer dad tries to hunt.

I was so proud.

Husband: There is one more. Like I double dog dare you.

Me: What!? No there isn’t that’s D-A-R-E. Dare.

Husband: Yeah, dare, deer, dear. They’re all the same.

Me: No its dare! Daaaaaa-air.

The argument continued all the way down the road. My husband is going to screw up my kids!! “Well that’s a blog post,” he says.

9 thoughts on “Living in RI: Sometimes I Worry

  1. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I am a native Rhode Islander, but lived outside of RI for about 10 years and lost a good bit of my accent. I notice it coming back from time to time, especially now that I am living back home with my VERY thick accented parents.

    Benjamin drops his Rs all.the.time and I correct him all.the.time. I am determined for him to not have that Rhody accent!!

  2. Haha! This is such a great post! I think so many can relate! We are from the west coast, so this is all new to me, but so many mom’s I have talked to here feel the same way about their kids proper English speech, including me.

  3. I see accents sort of blending as time goes by, they are not nearly as noticeable as they where 20 years ago, However with texting… it seems a new kind of sloppier speech is coming out of teens. I would bet just letting them hear a couple of good stories with different books on tape will have them choosing to use the way to say certain words in certain situations.
    I have no accent here in California now that anyone can tell unless I get excited, then Southrn Pam comes out of the shed and into the spotlight. lol

    Pam

    1. One viewing of Harry Potter and they really start pronouncing their T’s. My brother is now in the south and very once in a while he lets the northern accent come out. His in-laws get a kick out of it. I love the audio book idea!

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