I don't use "gut", "blow off", or "crip". And I thought "sunshower" was a word invented by REO Speedwagon in order to reach 11 on the sappiness meter. And the "Mary/marry/merry" question should allow for just a pair to sound identical.
If you find the soda/ pop/ coke one interesting, there's a county by county U.S. map of usage for those terms here. I also copied the map to my blog, but the link is to the original.
I think this reflects my parents' new england roots at least as much as the time I spent in the northeast:
45% General American English
30% Yankee
20% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern
I spent a short time in SC, but I loved the language there so I feel more comfortable with dixie. On the other hand I've been in the midwest for a pretty long time, but I've resisted the accent and dialect because I'm not that fond of it.
You know, I notice that 10% Dixie is the lowest anyone scored. Could it be that we're all 10% Dixie, which is to say that 10% of Dixie is really General American English?
Pretty low dixie for growing up south of the mason-dixon line.
Everyone pronounces the word "router" with the "out" sound. I aways mispronounce it to rhythm with "booter" because I learned the word from books rather than lectures, and just expanded from how I pronounce "route".
In Minnesota "root cellar" rhymes with "put cellar", but you root (rhymes with hoot) for your home team and root around (rhymes with hoot) when looking for something.
I spent my formative years (from about 2 or 3 until HS) in a NW suburb of Chicago called Carpentersville. I stayed there summers through college before moving to MN for a job at my college graduation. Are you from around there, too?
For the record Carpentersville is the very poor cousin to the posh Barrington and the very posh Barrington Hills. I haven't been back there very much in the past ten years or so.
"45% General American English
40% Yankee
15% Dixie
0% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern "
Not surprising, I've lived in NY, CT, Maine and Mass, been west of the Missippi and South of the Mason Dixon line maybe four times each.
Posted by Katherine | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 5:37 PM
I don't use "gut", "blow off", or "crip". And I thought "sunshower" was a word invented by REO Speedwagon in order to reach 11 on the sappiness meter. And the "Mary/marry/merry" question should allow for just a pair to sound identical.
Posted by rilkefan | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 5:44 PM
60% General American English
25% Yankee
15% Dixie
That adds up to 100%.
If you find the soda/ pop/ coke one interesting, there's a county by county U.S. map of usage for those terms here. I also copied the map to my blog, but the link is to the original.
Posted by washerdreyer | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 6:24 PM
45% Yankee
35% General American English
10% Dixie
5% Midwestern
5% Upper Midwestern
But in Bahston, we called the fizzy beverage "tonic". And it's "cater-corner".
Posted by Asha | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 6:32 PM
I think this reflects my parents' new england roots at least as much as the time I spent in the northeast:
45% General American English
30% Yankee
20% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern
I spent a short time in SC, but I loved the language there so I feel more comfortable with dixie. On the other hand I've been in the midwest for a pretty long time, but I've resisted the accent and dialect because I'm not that fond of it.
Posted by cw | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 6:40 PM
I forgot to write in my first post, I've lived in New York (suburbs), St. Louis, New York (city).
Posted by washerdreyer | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 6:48 PM
It tells me I'm:
55% General American English
30% Dixie
15% Yankee
0% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern
Whereas, this version, which shares many of the same questions, says I'm 76% Southern.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 6:53 PM
It tells me that:
55% General American English
30% Yankee
15% Dixie
0% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern
Which is kind of odd considering I'm Scottish :-)
Posted by Matt McGrattan | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 7:07 PM
45% Dixie
35% General American English
15% Yankee
5% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern
If I hadn't been teased mercilessly for saying "aunt" instead of "aunt" as a 10 year old, my mom's New England roots would have shown up clearer.....
Posted by TomFreeland | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 8:01 PM
[redacted]
Posted by [redacted] | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 8:07 PM
Came here via Matthew Yglesias's website.
My Profile:
80% General American English
10% Dixie
5% Midwestern
5% Yankee
0% Upper Midwestern
I must speak the most boring English in America.
Posted by Dan the Man | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 8:09 PM
Ogged and I grew up in the same town. And we got identical scores on this test. So it seems to be tracking something geographically real.
Posted by Ted H. | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 8:35 PM
You know, I notice that 10% Dixie is the lowest anyone scored. Could it be that we're all 10% Dixie, which is to say that 10% of Dixie is really General American English?
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 10:22 PM
Well, shit, pg was only 5% Dixie, but then she does say that she tries not to pick up regionalisms.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 10:29 PM
According to the results in Matt Y's comments, John Emerson is 0% Dixie.
Posted by washerdreyer | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 10:41 PM
FWIW,
60%GAE
30%Yankee (which I hope means Northeasterner and NOT New Englander)
5% Dixie (no idea how that one got in there)
5% Upper Midwest (ditto)
BTW, Route rhymes with boot I think of as a noun (e.g. bus route), but route/pout as a verb (re-route the bus), mostly.
Posted by LarryB | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 10:56 PM
60% General American English
25% Dixie
10% Yankee
5% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern
That sounds about right to me.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 11:20 PM
78% (Dixie). You are a solid Southerner!
On the test Apo linked.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 11:25 PM
That "Route 66" song just doesn't sound right rhyming with "out."
Posted by tom f | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 11:28 PM
65% General American English
30% Yankee
5% Dixie
0% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern
Pretty low dixie for growing up south of the mason-dixon line.
Everyone pronounces the word "router" with the "out" sound. I aways mispronounce it to rhythm with "booter" because I learned the word from books rather than lectures, and just expanded from how I pronounce "route".
Posted by joe o | Link to this comment | 04-17-05 11:36 PM
"I thought "sunshower" was a word invented by REO Speedwagon "
Jim Webb song. Thelma Houston album, 1969. Great version of "Jumping Jack Flash"
I'm 10% Dixie & I'm a cockney.
Posted by dave heasman | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 3:03 AM
Your Linguistic Profile:
65% General American English
20% Yankee
10% Dixie
5% Upper Midwestern
0% Midwestern
Posted by Kitty Darfour | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 4:11 AM
I am 35% Dixie from the first test and 68% Dixie by Apostropher's instrument. I guess that is what living in NY for seven years will do for ya'!
Posted by Claudia | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 6:48 AM
50% General American
40% Yankee
5% Upper Midwest
5% Dixie.
I wonder what the 5% Dixie was.
Posted by LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 7:00 AM
Ogged, *you* did a meme? Huh?
Posted by profgrrrrl | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 7:03 AM
68% Dixie by Apostropher's instrument.
heh.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 7:36 AM
Indeed.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 7:37 AM
They didn't ask if "route" rhymed with "put." Or is it "root" that rhymes with "put" in Minnesota?
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 8:28 AM
Or is it "root" that rhymes with "put" in Minnesota?
I think that's it.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 8:29 AM
This Minnesotan (from Chicago) scored:
80% General American
15% Midwestern
5% Upper Midwestern
In Minnesota "root cellar" rhymes with "put cellar", but you root (rhymes with hoot) for your home team and root around (rhymes with hoot) when looking for something.
Posted by Tripp | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 9:25 AM
I didn't know you were from Chicago, Tripp. Whereabouts?
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 9:28 AM
ogged,
I spent my formative years (from about 2 or 3 until HS) in a NW suburb of Chicago called Carpentersville. I stayed there summers through college before moving to MN for a job at my college graduation. Are you from around there, too?
Posted by Tripp | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 1:24 PM
Ok, I know roughly where Carpentersville is. I grew up (mostly) in the greater metropolitan Chicago area, yes.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 04-18-05 1:27 PM
For the record Carpentersville is the very poor cousin to the posh Barrington and the very posh Barrington Hills. I haven't been back there very much in the past ten years or so.
Posted by Tripp | Link to this comment | 04-19-05 6:22 AM