NYTimes Dialect Quiz

[ryoder 1,590]

This thing seems to be uncanny at determining your area of origin.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/20/sunday-review/dialect-quiz-map.html

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[NWFlyer 2]

Yep, dropped me right smack in the mid-Atlantic, where I grew up.

I was tempted to throw it off by picking "grinder" in honor of my grandparents from CT, but that's not a term I'd use unless I was up there.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[ryoder 1,590]

It drew a triangle of 3 cities that covered the area where I grew up and lived until 1996. Then I did it again, answering the way my parents talked, and it extended the triangle to the adjacent state...where my father was from.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[LuckyMcSwervy 0]

Philadelphia, Baltimore, Newark/Paterson.

Pretty much. I think "mischief night" locked it up for me.

Always be kinder than you feel.

[wmw999 2,460]

Got me farther east from the southern years (Baton Rouge instead of Houston) and farther south from the northern years (NYC and Yonkers instead of Boston).

Interesting is that it said that the three cities that are the least like how I speak are in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana -- and I spent about 4 years almost exactly in the middle of that triangle.

Not that it matters -- I yam what i yam...

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[oldwomanc6 54]

They got me in the right state. CA, but from Norcal not SoCal where I grew up. But I've lived longer outside California than in, now.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[promise5 17]

Crud! I was really surprised they got me right. Interesting.

No matter how slowly you say oranges it never sounds like gullible.
Believe me I tried.

[ryoder 1,590]

promise5

Crud! I was really surprised they got me right. Interesting.

I've seen these before, but I've never seen one this accurate. A former co-worker posted this to his FB page this morning, and a bunch of us have been playing with it and comparing notes there. It has a pool of Q's larger than the quiz size. Take it multiple times and you will likely see new Q's.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[flygirl1220 0]

Wow! It got me perfect down to the city I work in!!

[Southern_Man 0]

Not accurate for me. Gave me Colorado Springs, Irving, TX, and one other places I can't remember. My folks are from Philly, I grew up in the mid-atlantic and have lived in the midwest, mid-atlantic, and south. Never TX or the SW.

I seem to be an exception, though.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[Trafficdiver 8]

Boston, MA. Worcester, MA and Providence RI.

Got me.

[Remster 30]

This is terribly ethnocentric.

Remster

[JerryBaumchen 1,375]

Hi ryoder,

Quote

seems to be uncanny

It could not have gotten me more wrong.

It has me in a triangle of Madison, WI, Rockford, IL & Rochester, NY.

I was born & grew up here in the great NorthWest.



JerryBaumchen

PS) But there is this: http://www.movoto.com/blog/top-ten/best-cities-in-america-2013/

[mrubin 0]

I've taken this quiz twice and both times gave me a triangle in Northern California. It got the right state, but I've spent almost all of my life in Southern California.

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

[lawrocket 3]

LuckyMcSwervy

Philadelphia, Baltimore, Newark/Paterson.

Pretty much. I think "mischief night" locked it up for me.

I saw this on FB. It listed me as Oceanside, Sacramento and Santa Rosa. Oceanside I can see.

It listed my exact opposite as Philly. Same with my wife. You and she really must learn to speak appropriately. It's "orange" and not "arnge." "I saw it" not "I sawlit."

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[mjosparky 4]

I've taken it 3 times and each time it makes my computer freeze up. Damn

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[lawrocket 3]

That means your accent is from Alaska.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[LuckyMcSwervy 0]

lawrocket

***Philadelphia, Baltimore, Newark/Paterson.

Pretty much. I think "mischief night" locked it up for me.

I saw this on FB. It listed me as Oceanside, Sacramento and Santa Rosa. Oceanside I can see.

It listed my exact opposite as Philly. Same with my wife. You and she really must learn to speak appropriately. It's "orange" and not "arnge." "I saw it" not "I sawlit."

Your lovely wife and I grew up within about 5 miles of each other.

I have no accent and I actually pronounce words correctly. I hear people pronounce words as you have written them and it makes my skin crawl.

Always be kinder than you feel.

[Baksteen 84]

Just for a lark...

Yonkers / Jersey City / New York.

Amazing that the city triangle is so small! Then again, I've been to none of these places and had never even heard of Yonkers or Jersey City.

"That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport."
~mom

[BIGUN 1,326]

I got placed as; Ft. Worth, Houston & Jackson, MS.

While I'm a bit north... Got seven years of living in Texas and about a year of working around Jackson after Katrina.

I know that Texas was where I picked up "Feeder" road and Tank (pond).

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[skymama 37]

Des Moines and Omaha are my match. That makes no sense to me. My parents are from Michigan and I've lived in the southeast most of my life!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[Andy9o8 2]

Bullseye - mostly from where I grew up (especially pronunciation), combined with a couple of terms from where I've spent most of my adult life, and a little bit influenced by my parents, who grew up still elsewhere.

[Trafficdiver 8]

It hits on certain terms you get in certain regions. Rotary is what we call traffic circles or round abouts...I don't think anywhere else uses that term.

I have no MA accent, but I did grow up drinking from the water bubbler (or bubblah as my teachers pronounced it)....not a water fountain.

[jimmytavino 16]

Baksteen

Just for a lark...

Yonkers / Jersey City / New York.

Amazing that the city triangle is so small! Then again, I've been to none of these places and had never even heard of Yonkers or Jersey City.

I was listed as Yonkers, New York and Paterson NJ.....pretty similar to yours, Baksteen.

I spent my first 18 years, an hour or so North of NYC....so it's accurate for me...
I've been (bin) in western NY for 42 years but have managed NOT to assimilate the phrasing and dialect of Buffalo or Roch.
and I can always identify a person here, who is native to the New Yawwwk City /Brooklyn/Long Island area...
jmy

[Rick 67]

got me right on in Detroit. I think the Devil's night reference pretty much narrows it down

You can't be drunk all day if you don't start early!