Outer Banks, NC Accents

[thomm225]

Their accents are similar to those of the Islanders and Eastern Shore Watermen and inhabitants along the Chesapeake Bay.

It took me years to change the way I talked so I could be understood after I joined the military.

I do remember though in the mid-1970's going to the movies on Harkers Island and hearing a familiar accent. We were living near Morehead City, NC at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cf3R6EyurU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgi9wYsR5fo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7MvtQp2-UA

[MicHughV]

Wanna hear confusing accents....try the mountain folk of Tennessee, Kentucky and W. Virginia

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Wanna hear confusing accents....try the mountain folk of Tennessee, Kentucky and W. Virginia

Yep.

We used to get off the Interstate and take the back roads through the Smokey Mountain Towns etc. of Tennessee and North Carolina coming back this way on Holidays/vacations from Memphis, TN.

I learned sailing on Muddy manmade TVA Lakes in Tennessee and Mississippi.(Arkabutla, Sardis) Also raced on Percy Priest Lake in Nashville.

Delta Sailing Club used Lightnings and Thistles to sail and race on Arkabutla Lake near Hernando, Mississippi.

https://www.deltasailing.com/

Also crewed on monohulls on Pickwick Lake, I crewed on a Pearson 30 and a 1990's Beneteau 35.5

[thomm225]

Also, lots of the kids whose Dad's were Watermen that were in my classes in Elementary and High School had strong accents as well which were close to those of the folks on Tangier Island.

The rest of us on the Eastern Shore back then had similar accents.

So when I lived in North Carolina near Morehead City in the 1970's every now and then I'd get to hear a similar accent to my own and way of talking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upKqzxuJ5L4

[rls8r]

When I was young I grew up and worked as a waterman on the Potomac. I had a very strong "Northern Neck" Virginia accent. When I was in college we had a common phone in the hallway of the dorm. My friends said that they could tell when I was talking with someone back home as "Hello" was the last word that they understood.

When going to school in New England I purchased a book at the local bookstore. I paid with a check and after saying only "Who do I make the check out to?" the cashier looked at me and said, "You're from King George, Virginia." Nope - but she was only off by about 15 miles!

I still sometimes lapse into the old patois when I visit childhood friends and get sidelong questioning looks from my wife.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by rls8r

When I was young I grew up and worked as a waterman on the Potomac. I had a very strong "Northern Neck" Virginia accent. When I was in college we had a common phone in the hallway of the dorm. My friends said that they could tell when I was talking with someone back home as "Hello" was the last word that they understood.

When going to school in New England I purchased a book at the local bookstore. I paid with a check and after saying only "Who do I make the check out to?" the cashier looked at me and said, "You're from King George, Virginia." Nope - but she was only off by about 15 miles!

I still sometimes lapse into the old patois when I visit childhood friends and get sidelong questioning looks from my wife.

My old way of speaking comes back (somewhat) when I go home also. My ex is from there so she isn't surprised. I've been away almost 50 years though so it doesn't come back totally.

Some of her folks were watermen as well.

It took me forever to stop saying things backwards.

After I joined the military, I might say to someone as we walked outside "Glad it's not hot today " or some such and sometimes they would look at me and say very seriously " yes, it is very hot out here."

Also, if someone asked for a ride some place I'd say, sure I can "carry" you over there. They might say "you don't have to carry me, a ride in your car would be fine.

Something of this sort.

Parents and older folks also said "directly" as in the videos above meaning in a little while.

Then my normal almost Canadian pronunciation of "house" and "out" was different.

I had older friends from Culpepper *Brandy Station" Virginia that had another version of the old school Virginia Accent. A more refined version.

Video is of where we used to launched our boats back in the day to fish the Seaside. Hopefully I'll be doing that again when not sailing.

First time I fished that creek I was about 7 years old. It was loaded with flounder back then. Later we fished the inlet just East a bit.

The Lower Eastern Shore had Bayside Watermen and Seaside watermen.

The site in the video is about maybe 2 miles at most from the Atlantic Ocean and the Barrier Islands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKfsI5jRPKg