Accented English and geography plus music

[ameliagoldfeesh]

Mahoney wrote:
>When I tell people (American, Scottish, & German, so far) that I'm 
>originally from Iowa (midwestern USA), I'm often subsequently 
>introduced to their friends as so: "This is Dana, she's from [pick 
>one: Ohio/Idaho/...um, where did you say?]."  Not half as bad as
>what you describe, but entertaining.  I think that Iowa is the US's
>>>best kept secret, really....

My favorite Iowa reaction is: "Ah, Iowa, you grow potatos there." I 
always wonder if people from Idaho are asked about corn.  Better than 
hearing "Iowa, the Cornhusker State" though, which I heard one time- 
eww. (I had the misfortune of growing up in Iowa so southwestern it
was practically Nebraska, so I never realized Iowa even had football 
teams or that states generally don't have a unicameral state gov't.)

I also found I apparently have some southwest Iowan/Missouri accent I 
never realized I had til I moved to central Iowa. I thought everyone 
used Democrat bug, granddaddy long legs, cement (see-ment--which I
use to bug my friends now), fish/feesh and buggy for shopping cart.

My favorite way of listening to music is on my old portable Zenith 
record player which I know is older than I am.  Records have such a 
better sound quality than CDs do. However, you can't listen to
records in the car so I love my CDs too.  Dylan, Beatles, individual 
Beatles, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, Fats Domino, John Denver, Queen, 
ELO, Sheryl Crow, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Wallflowers, Red Hot Chili
Peppers, Sublime, Christine Kane, are my listening choices along with 
some musicals like Les Mis, Rent, Jesus Christ Superstar.  Then
occasionally throw in some Hank Williams, Charley Pride, Cher, Gary 
Lewis, the Kabalas, and er- a Dean Martin album borrowed from my 
parents (is a bit ashamed).

A Goldfeesh

"Habits of speech are indicative of reality: people rarely refer to 
themselves as Pennsylvanians; New Yorkers are residents of a city;
and there is no word by which a citizen of Massachusetts or
Connecticut can call himself. But Iowans always speak of themselves
as Iowans." 
     Prof. Laurence Lafore quoted in Iowa: The Middle Land by Prof. 
Dorothy Schweider