My grandfather worked for Ford in their glass factory. In the mid 70's, he was asked to relocate the family to Tulsa, Oklahoma from Detroit, Michigan. His wife, my Nana, passed away this past week. My cousin and I were tasked with going through her entire apartment to clean it out. Among all the crap, we did find a couple gems. One of which was a guide to "becoming a native oklahoman" with tips on how to pronounce words like an Oklahoman.
I never really thought I had an accent, until I moved to Los Angeles. I spent the next 2.5 years trying desperately to lose the "hick" lurking inside me (hehe) and have managed to stow it somewhere far away, only pulling it out when intoxicated or when I find it can help me get something I want (I'm so SORRY officer, I had NO idea I was speeding so much - said with the biggest Southern twang I can produce). But I have had several Brits tell me that they like my deep south accent and one woman even guessed that I was from Oklahoma (she said it was the way I say "what" but I still don't hear it).
Regardless of how I sound, this guide to speaking like an Okie is 100% dead on.
Click on the picture to see the full-size image.
My favorites (and ones I actually use) are:
- Arn - an iron (Ma's tard of arnin')
- Bobbed - barbed (a bobbed war fence)
- Dreckly - directly (I'll git it dreckly)
- Evenin - afternoon before supper
- Fraidy Holes - what we used to call the tornado shelter
- Furiners - foreigners - or anyone non-Oklahoman
- Lad - lied
- Fate - feet (they're on yore lags)
- Mere - mirror
- Minners - Minnows (bait, for fishing)
- Purdy - Pretty (she's purdy as a pitcher)
- Rang - ring (you war it on yore fanger)
- Rahcheer - Right here (I was borned rahcheer in this here town)
- Rat - right (do it rat now)
- Salary - Celery
- Sourdeens - sardines
- Shar - shower (a light rain)
- Shurf - Sherriff (the Shurf put Clem in jail!)
- Thanks - thinks (He shore thanks he's smart)
- Tard - tired (Plum tuckered out)
- Worsh - wash (go worsh yer face)