Is the southern accent intimidating?

[TerryMiller]

Some people that reside above the Sweat Tea Line don't understand manners. It confuses them.

That and cowboys that far north tuck their jeans in their boots. This gives them somewhere to put the sheep's back legs.

Oh, I am so glad I had sat my coffee down before reading that.

What little experience I've had from being in the Northern clime, I think a lot of them just aren't all that friendly and don't want anyone to intrude into their privacy. That said, the clerk in the hotel/motel should be the type of person that is friendly to all.

And, in response to the lady that says I don't need to hold a door for her, I usually respond with "My mother taught me manners and even though she is gone, if we meet in the afterlife, I don't want to encounter her wrath."

 

[JB Books]

My accent comes and goes, depending on my mood. The one thing I will say about people from the Northeast is that they are "quicker" in their responses and more creative in their banter. Still, it gets awful old.

Folks in the South and the West just have a different, and, I believe, better take on life.


And for getting strange looks, wear a Stetson and boots in London and the UK. I practically drank for free the entire trip.

 

[nofearfactor]

Intimidating? Naaa.

I'm a native Californian but I've been going back and forth from California to Oklahoma practically my whole life since my parents both were raised in Oklahoma and when my mom divorced my dad when I was a kid she headed back home to Oklahoma to live. I've been back here predominantly now the last 6 years since marrying a Tulsa girl even though I still work and live in California too.

The accent here sticks with you when youve been here a bit I think. Im in east Wagoner county and theres kind of a drawl out here I guess.

My older brothers and sisters have never left California and since I still have a business and a house there I go there and stay quite a bit, and they say I carry my Okie back there with me. My older brother is a fancy pants professor of sociology at Berkley with a PHD and he thinks he needs to 'de-program' me when I come home. I really dont care cause I actually kind of like it. Hell I was into my 4x4 trucks and hotrods, shooting, fishing, and beer when I lived there in the mountains of northern Cali, so being here isnt that much different.

Ive lived in alot of places and there are hillbillies with accents every where, not just in Oklahoma. Ive even had girls when Im playing music come up to me after shows and ask me to say things and then they giggle and say the accent is cute.

Every year I look forward to going down to Mardi Gras in Louisianna, SXSW in Austin Texas, and the blues fests in Memphis in the spring. I have relatives in all those areas and spend quite a bit of time there and love all of the mixes of cultures and accents.

 

[Coded-Dude]

Southern Hospitality is something I really missed when I moved to the west coast. Most people wont even look you in the eye, let alone give you a passing nod/smile or the time of day when you walk down the sidewalks. I find it strangely challenging; I smile and or nod(sometimes I even throw out a Howdy) at just about everybody I pass just to see if they are paying attention or acknowledge my existence. Very rarely do I get a warm greeting back.

 

[Poke78]

Why Y'all think that?

I've been fortunate to travel all over the world, and its fun to see the reactions of folks when they find out your from Oklahoma.

They love us, hate us, wonder about the oil/native americans, etc.

I try to be a good ambassador.

I experienced that inquisitiveness about our native population while on a construction project in the middle of Manhattan NYC back in the 80s. It was entertaining, to say the least.

As to accent, I grew up in southern KS (Arkansas City) and attended a week-long high-school journalism camp @ K-State back in the 70s. Several people from Nebraska also attended and they remarked several times about my "Southern" accent. I expect they might notice it even more since I moved to OK at age 17 and have probably taken on more drawl. It was slightly tempered by going to Germany while in the military from 78-81. The military is certainly an interesting place to experience the "melting pot" effect of the wide-range of cultures and accents in the US.

 

[Tyson C.]

ha ha never fails when an okie travels. i have been to a few events for my company and rub elbows with some of our dealers and i can tell that they are not sure of me...lol. my overall job is answering the phone and troubling shooting our product (KICKER car audio/stereo installs). the part that i hate most is when people who call, go straight on the defense, then want to raise their voice to me or tell me how dumb i must be because of Oklahoma, blah, blah, blah (mostly east coast is a headache).

had a guy a few days ago call and it went like this:

customer: i was just talking to someone with a southern draw like yours, do you know whom i'm talking about.
me: well, there are 4 of us, did you happen to catch a name?
customer: nope but he had a southern draw like yours if that helps....
me: well, i wish i could be of better help but being that we are all from Oklahoma, we all sound the same to me...
customer: (laughing) well i guess i'm the only one that talks funny then huh...do you think you can help me out..
me: not a problem, whats goin on.......

 

[bootsbaker]

As some of you guys know I travel for a living I'm all over the country every week.

This week I'm in Spokane Washington. Far away from the southern drawl. I expected the folks in puerto rico to notice my accent and the people out in SLC but I didn't get the reactions I have recieved in this state.

Checking into my hotel I walked in the door and the conversation went like this.

Me: Howdy I have a reservation for Mr. Dowmace
oddly nervous clerk: m-m-may I s-s-s-see your ID p-p-please?
ME: sure thing ( I handed him my ID and my AMEX I do this all the time I knew what he needed and was ready)
clerk: You'll be in room 409 is that ok Mr. Dowmace? (almost shaking after seeing my ID)
Me: thats fine with me as long as it's a single king and not double queens.
clerk: no sir it is the king that you had reserved p-p-please have a nice night.

I thought the transaction was odd but figured it was cold and late at night or maybe the guy is a tweaker. I went outside and got all my crap out of the rental car and the clerk was speaking with another traveler, no stutter, and didn't have the nervous shake he did when he spoke with me. I walked through the lobby and happened to notice the clerk looking at me. The second he saw that I had turned my head he looked at his feet like I was a dangerous character.

Next notable situation.

Walking downtown in Spokane and two guys are walking opposite direction of me and as we passed I said "Howdy is it always this cold and snowy here?" Both men suddenly picked up their pace and veered far away from me as if I had told them to f-off. The only response I received was "Yup"

I just meant to be friendly and didn't mean to be a nuisance. I do this wherever I am and I have noticed in Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arizona I was met with friendly replies and never any nervousness. I am dressed the same as I normally am pro-rodeo wranglers, wrangler starched button down shirt and my International Harvester ball cap. I certainly don't think I look intimidating and neither of these situations really seemed to turn this way until I spoke.

Maybe I have really bad breath that only people from Spokane can smell?

spent alot of time in washington state and it just blows their minds when people are just friendly. So its probably not your accent just your attitude. My dad comes down here and just gets tickled to death because strangers wave to him driving down the road, he just cant believe it.

 

[Coded-Dude]

I used to hate answering the following: You're from Oklahoma? Why don't you have an accent!?! MY normal reply was; How should I sound?

My little brother has pretty good drawl, but myself and my older brother really don't. Of course I still use plenty of southern slang(Y'all, Fix'n, Howdy, Piddl'n, Reckon, etc.).

 

[DanB]

Last month I spent a week in Southern California(Laguna Beach area). It was a 50/50 chance of getting a response to the standard "hi." Now I will say this I held the door open for quite a few people while I was there. I belive I could count the ones that said "thank you" on one hand.

Different part of the country, different values, different way of living. As much as Oklahoma lacks in certain entertainment areas, I wouldn't trade the hospitality at all.

 

[ssgrock3]

I think okies are just more friendly and talkative. Doubt seriously an accent had anything to do with it.