Author Topic: Dialects on TV (Read 2481 times)

Jonathon · « **on:** October 11, 2006, 10:02:41 AM »

The other day we were watching some Newsradio on DVD, and I noticed an interesting dialect tidbit. At the staff meeting, Dave says that the copy machine is broken, and Matthew says something about how he doesn't drink coffee. Then Lisa says, "No, Matthew, the copy machine that we use to make copies." He responds, "The coffee machine that we use to make coffees?"

Yeah, sort of a dumb series of jokes, but an interesting exchange from a dialectal point of view. The show is set in New York but was written and filmed (I believe) in California. In California (as in most of the rest of the West and parts of the Midwest), copy and coffee have the same initial vowel, /?/ (low back unrounded). However, in most of the rest of the country, coffee has a different vowel, /?/ (mid-low back rounded).

Thus, to a real New Yorker, these words do not almost rhyme, because they are not a minimal pair like they are in other regions. But script writers probably had no idea

rivka · « **Reply #1 on:** October 11, 2006, 10:23:33 AM »

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In California (as in most of the rest of the West and parts of the Midwest), copy and coffee have the same initial vowel, /?/ (low back unrounded).

They do?

This is one of those things that gives me away as not being a pure-bred Californian, isn't it?

JT · « **Reply #2 on:** October 11, 2006, 11:11:30 AM »

That's awesome, JB. Your nerdlyness is unmatched.

Except maybe by rivka's. Or Noemon's. Or pooka's. Or Katie's. Or twinky's. Or porter's.

rivka · « **Reply #3 on:** October 11, 2006, 11:15:48 AM »

Ooh, can we vote? I say porter's.

Jonathon · « **Reply #4 on:** October 11, 2006, 11:38:05 AM »

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They do?

This is one of those things that gives me away as not being a pure-bred Californian, isn't it?

Bingo.

I'd guess that even if you had been born and raised in California, your accent would still probably have more in common with a New York Jew than with another native Californian.

Jonathon · « **Reply #5 on:** October 11, 2006, 11:39:06 AM »

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Ooh, can we vote? I say porter's.

I'd have to go with Porter, too. The man doesn't wear t-shirts without pockets, for crying out loud! Not to mention the fact that he's a computer programmer who works in his basement.

Porter · « **Reply #6 on:** October 11, 2006, 11:42:13 AM »

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Ooh, can we vote? I say porter's.

Porter · « **Reply #7 on:** October 11, 2006, 11:42:54 AM »

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Not to mention the fact that he's a computer programmer who works in his basement.

Maybe not for long. :stress:

rivka · « **Reply #8 on:** October 11, 2006, 11:44:11 AM »

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I'd guess that even if you had been born and raised in California, your accent would still probably have more in common with a New York Jew than with another native Californian.

Yup.

Of course, that's only if by "New York Jew" you mean stereotypical Seinfeld or Woody Allen types. Large chunks of Jewish Brooklyn speak a variety of English that sounds nothing like how I speak!

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #9 on:** October 11, 2006, 01:34:03 PM »

Real New Yorkers can make the fine distinctions between native-born New Yorker of Jewish heritage, of Italian Heritage, of African-American heritage, of Latino Heritage, and of Irish heritage.

Also, they can distinguish the fine distinctions in the Borough of Origin -- ie, Brooklyn vs. The Bronx.

I agree, New Yorkers have no problem distinguishing "coffee" from "copy".

I still remember my amazement when I discovered that in the rest of the country "broad" and "sword" don't rhyme, but "dog" and "hog" do.

rivka · « **Reply #10 on:** October 11, 2006, 02:25:41 PM »

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I still remember my amazement when I discovered that in the rest of the country "broad" and "sword" don't rhyme, but "dog" and "hog" do.

To me, neither pair rhymes! (The second is close, though.)

And you forgot the difference between a Crown Heights accent, a Boro Pahk accent, and a Flatbush accent.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #11 on:** October 11, 2006, 04:41:16 PM »

You're a regular 'enry 'iggins, you are!

Porter · « **Reply #12 on:** October 11, 2006, 09:13:20 PM »

Am I misremembering, or was Henry Higgins also the name of the paperboy in several of Beverly Cleary's novels?

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #13 on:** October 12, 2006, 06:32:24 AM »

Henry Huggins

Porter · « **Reply #14 on:** October 12, 2006, 08:42:46 AM »

Oh, I loved Cleary's books as a kid.

pooka · « **Reply #15 on:** October 12, 2006, 05:35:29 PM »

Why wouldn't you be working from your basement? Because there is not internet access or is it more complicated than that?

I'm honored to have been mentioned in the group approaching Jon Boy's nerdiness, but I doubt I would have picked up on that particular thing. I thought it was going to turn out that they call coffee machines "coffee mashers" or "percolators" or something.

Porter · « **Reply #16 on:** October 12, 2006, 08:52:12 PM »

I might not be working in my basement for long because I might have moved away to live in Oregon.

pooka · « **Reply #17 on:** October 13, 2006, 04:46:37 AM »

But I thought the point was that you could be doing the same thing. Or is it that it wouldn't be "your" basement?