Intentional Affect

[pen_grunt]

My Minnesota accent* is low to non-existent, typically. If I'm feeling lazy or tired, there are particular words that come out very distinctly Minnesotan. "For" is one of those (it comes out sort of like fer). Generally, though, out of state clients have commented on my accent neutrality ("You don't SOUND Minnesotan!").

But I can do a MN accent REALLY easily when needed. I slip into it when talking to the older generation (or when mimicking my mom). My grandma's house is surrounded by older folks (mostly), and while I was there the neighbor across the street saw me shoveling and asked if I'd like some help.

It went sort of like this:
"Oh**, would ya like some help there?"
"Oh, ya know, my dad's comin' in shortly and he'll have the snowblower and he was plannin' on doin' it..."
"Oh, it's no trouble. I'd be happy to do it fer ya."
"Oh, thank you so much, but I gotta make sure the old man gets his workout in, ya know."
"Oh ya, I suppose. I know how that goes. Well, you have a good day now."
"Sure. Thanks again. You have a good day too."

I was oddly conscious about it: I am doing this to be folksy and neighbor-like. It was like a very gentle form of code-switching. Elderly neighbor? Friendly Minnesotan accent....GO!


*Oddly enough, or perhaps not oddly at all, the MN accent mimics the Scandinavian accent perfectly in inflection. The up-down lilt is EXACTLY the Swedish cadence. It made it really easy to learn Swedish with an extraordinarily convincing accent.
**Oh: Standard Minnesotan for approaching someone gently/exchanging niceties.

Comments

[gwangi.livejournal.com]

I'm only telling you this because we love you, but your clients are telling you a little white lie. That flat Minnesotan accent is actually stronger in you than in many of the other people I've met since living here.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

It very well may be that full-on-Fargo is their standard for "Minnesotan".

[patrickwonders.livejournal.com]

I agree. You have more Minnesota accent than 95% of the people that I've met here. You are probably right though that their standard is probably out-state.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

It could be that I also speak less casually/more conscientiously around clients, and that could mask the accent somewhat. I'm revising my accent perception to "moderate". :)

[tediousandbrief.livejournal.com]

With these comments about how "Minnesotan" your accent is, I'm curious to hear it!

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

This is old and embarrassing (I'm very much CorporateSpeaking and pandering to the company giving the interview) and my hair looks like crap, but you can hear how I speak: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bgka1Gj0X4

[tediousandbrief.livejournal.com]

Your voice in that sounds fairly...normal...I don't really detect any accent in that video!