"Aren't."
Why should a word on a second-grade reading level inspire such insecurity? WNYC reporter Beth Fertig's sound byte interview about recycling is responsible. Fast forward to 4:24 and just listen.
Did you hear it? She distinctly annunciated two stiff-laced syllables. "AR-ent." The sound of it shocked me out of my southern drawl. Sometimes southerners are known to insert unnecessary syllables in random monosyllabic words such as "boy," pronouncing it almost as "buoy." But in other not-so-isolated cases, those residing way beneath the Mason-Dixon line have the tendency to... slur.
ie. Normal English: "Do you want to eat?"
Southern English: "J'wanna ayte?"
So when I say, "aren't," what actually comes out of my mouth sounds sort of guttural, like maybe a German with Tourette's. Not so attractive, especially relative to the smooth-talking broadcast journalist I heard today.
I'm pretty sure native New Yorkers will react to my dialect in one of two ways:
1. They will either condescendingly ask where I'm from and make a judgment on my intelligence accordingly...
-OR-
2. They will think I am a cute "southern belle" and ask me to repeat random phrases in my mother tongue, also a bit condescending.
My conclusion: I won't be able to hide my cultural roots, no matter how many private diction lessons I could squeeze into the week prior to my departure. From what I've heard, I'm sure I will have to endure many instances of necessary repetition to communicate through the language barrier. Maybe I should pretend I'm a mute and just transcribe everything I want to say on note cards.
The first question I would scribble: "How y'all doin'?"
1 comment:
Hi, Meredith!
Looking forward to your blog from the Big Apple. Here's my opinion about Southern drawls in NYC: Sometimes the myth -- or, dare I say, truth -- of the Great Southern Writer still seems to carry some weight there (subconsciously, no doubt). So I wouldn't sweat it too much! Have a great summer, keep in touch and take care,
-- Sallie Rose Hollis
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