So...like...I'm not that bright? Hmmmmm

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Carole

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It seems that having a southern drawl denotes a lack of intelligence according to my corporate co-workers. Whoda thunk?

If I had a nickel for every time I've heard something to the effect of, "Well, I'm from New York and....."

Really? I can't imagine how I could possibly care less, but I could try!

At first it was kinda charming, the way they relate to those of us here in Tennessee but lately they're just pi$$ing me off.

Anyone here deal with stereotyping in your workplace because of where you live or the kind of accent you have?
 

Unique

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Change up in mid drawl to hyper-correct formal speech every time I'm feeling insulted.

It bugs their eyes out every time.
 

Sarita

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I was treated like a dope by a bunch of heavy equipment/truck manufacturing execs until I dyed my hair brown, pulled it back, and wore my glasses to every meeting I had with them. Gotta love stereotyping.
 

Joe Unidos

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As everyone here in Massachusetts already knows, people with Southern drawls and people from New York are both stupid.

:D
 

Carole

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~laughing~


I have been SO tempted to post a few of their overzealous interoffice emails here just for giggles. There's nothing quite as funny as reading (or hearing) someone with a little *position* in the company trying very hard to come across as intelligent.


I wonder if they would understand what I mean if I responded to one of them with, "This just in from the department of redundancy department!!!"
 

eldragon

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When I moved to Mississippi, I almost asked people out loud," Why do you say that?" I mean, words like "fixin." As in, "I'm fixin to leave, ya'll."


I can live with "Ya'll."


But fixin is annoying.


Another one that bothered me was "I might could do that."
 

aadams73

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I think it was in the movie "A Walk In the Clouds" where the heavily accented Mexican father says, "I may speak with an accent but it does not mean I think with one." (or words to that effect)
 

Carole

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Ha! I found one in my inbox! I asked one of our tech-support guys about a problem some of us were having with a particular system and this was his reply, and I swear it is totally unedited:



"If procedures are followed and the steps are followed it the order that have been established and documented in previous documentation the problem you encountered would not have happened."



 

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Yowza! Does that come in English? :D
 

Carole

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eldragon said:
When I moved to Mississippi, I almost asked people out loud," Why do you say that?"

I say "fixin" in casual speech. I see nothing wrong with any of it, really. When hubby first moved here he had a really difficult time understanding some of his co-workers. He spent a week on the road with them, came home and then asked, "sweetie, I have to ask you something. What does any count mean? And what does right smart mean?"

I laughed and told him that any count means "is it good?" Then I told him that right smart means "quite a bit."

I don't use my imbedded southern slang at work, especially when I am dealing with the corporate jerk-faces. It's the accent they despise.
 

special needs

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The track I work at closes in the winter, and we all drive down to Florida to ride down there. You meet some very interesting characters along the way, let me tell you. I don't understand a word anyone says to me. :D :ROFL:
 

Lantern Jack

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Carole said:
It seems that having a southern drawl denotes a lack of intelligence according to my corporate co-workers. Whoda thunk?

If I had a nickel for every time I've heard something to the effect of, "Well, I'm from New York and....."

Really? I can't imagine how I could possibly care less, but I could try!

At first it was kinda charming, the way they relate to those of us here in Tennessee but lately they're just pi$$ing me off.

Anyone here deal with stereotyping in your workplace because of where you live or the kind of accent you have?
It's impossible to stereotype me: I'm a bisexual-midget-Canadian-American with an androgynous face, a hyper-shrill, galloping New York accent cluttered with rustic phrases, a knack for dressing like a grad student from Bohemia U and a love for sadomasochistic pursuits and Victorian poetry. Go ahead! Try centrifuging that!
 

rhymegirl

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Well, I don't have an accent but the thing I've encountered most in offices is the "honey", "sweetie", "dear" kind of thing spoken by older women co-workers. Even when I was not that much younger than them (I guess I looked younger than I was), I still got called those names. It's stereotyping to me in the sense that it treats me like a child or assumes I'm not as mature and knowledgeable as they are.
 

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Lantern Jack said:
It's impossible to stereotype me: I'm a bisexual-midget-Canadian-American with an androgynous face, a hyper-shrill, galloping New York accent cluttered with rustic phrases, a knack for dressing like a grad student from Bohemia U and a love for sadomasochistic pursuits and Victorian poetry. Go ahead! Try centrifuging that!
nopriv_homo.jpg
 

BottomlessCup

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I'm not from the South, but I'm pro-Y'all. We need a plural 'you' in English. Y'all does nicely.

I'm from Wisconsin and people out west routinely mock the way I say Wisconsin (wis-CAHN-sin).

Dear Californians: I'm from there. That's how it's said.
 

poetinahat

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Everybody here takes the p!ss out of me for the accent - jokes about New Yorkers, southerners, Texans, you name it. It's all Yank talk, right?

My life before Oz was split between Ohio and Massachussetts... naturally, strangers think I'm Canadian.

There's actually a good reason for that. Rule of thumb here: if you can't tell, assume Canadian. Yanks will forgive the mistake, but Canadians will get stroppy if you assume they're American.
 

louisgodwin

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eldragon said:
But fixin is annoying.

You'd hate living in Texas. Everybody here is "fixin' to do" something or other.

I have come across a few Northerners who believe a Southern accent comes hand in hand with a lack of education. But they're usually pretty rare.
 

SpookyWriter

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louisgodwin said:
You'd hate living in Texas. Everybody here is "fixin' to do" something or other.

I have come across a few Northerners who believe a Southern accent comes hand in hand with a lack of education. But they're usually pretty rare.
Hey neighbor, what ya'll doings?

P.S. I live across the street. Come have a beer with me!
 

GPatten

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Though I was born in Detroit Michigan, I was raised on a ranch in Ft Pierce Florida. I have no idea if I have an accent, or southern drawl, but I sometimes have to ask New Yorkers to slow down when they talk.

Imagine a country bumpkin such as I, paying a visit to a lady friend in Manhattan New York who lives in the ‘Silk Stocking’ District of Manhattan. She’s a very famous former model and fashion designer who’s in her sixties; way too much money and lacks common sense and is a German Jew.

She was looking for love and I was looking for fun. Having listened to her talking about how successful her career had been and how much money she had, I found more fun sitting on the steps waiting for the big stores to open in the morning while talking to people around me from all over the world.

I was happy to leave her behind as I boarded the Plane for Orlando Florida.
 

Ol' Fashioned Girl

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rhymegirl said:
Well, I don't have an accent but the thing I've encountered most in offices is the "honey", "sweetie", "dear" kind of thing spoken by older women co-workers. Even when I was not that much younger than them (I guess I looked younger than I was), I still got called those names. It's stereotyping to me in the sense that it treats me like a child or assumes I'm not as mature and knowledgeable as they are.

Now that I'm one of those 'older women co-workers', I understand why we do it: we can't remember everyone's name! It's got nothing to do with your age, your maturity or your education/intelligence/training/experience or lack thereof. We're just gettin' senile, hon! :>
 

Unique

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Dang. I wish I didn't have to agree with you on that.
 

robeiae

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Lantern Jack said:
It's impossible to stereotype me: I'm a bisexual-midget-Canadian-American with an androgynous face, a hyper-shrill, galloping New York accent cluttered with rustic phrases, a knack for dressing like a grad student from Bohemia U and a love for sadomasochistic pursuits and Victorian poetry. Go ahead! Try centrifuging that!
'Typical.'

I saw six of you in Starbucks, just today.

Rob :)
 

poetinahat

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Rob, that may just be your funniest post ever. And so apt at the same time.

Lantern, your photographer needs help. I don't see the androgyny.
 

PrettySpecialGal

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Lantern Jack said:
It's impossible to stereotype me: I'm a bisexual-midget-Canadian-American with an androgynous face, a hyper-shrill, galloping New York accent cluttered with rustic phrases, a knack for dressing like a grad student from Bohemia U and a love for sadomasochistic pursuits and Victorian poetry. Go ahead! Try centrifuging that!

You also have another stereotype- you're the "don't judge me because I'm not like you" type that judges everyone else, because they're not like you.
(spinoff of don't judge me on my looks b/c I wear goth clothes, but I'll judge you in your looks by your wearing non-goth clothes)
 

PrettySpecialGal

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This is not really about my accent, but actually the job I hold.

I teach kids with mental disabilities.
One day, a 4th grader walked one of my students back to class. She said something, (can't remember), but used an adjective instead of an adverb. I corrected her. She asked, "how do you know that?" "Well, I've been through the 4th grade- actually went to college for 11 years, and graduated. Besides, I've spoken English all my life" "But, Ms.- you teach these kids," nodding her head towards my class.

"Oh, baby," I said, "they don't place teachers according to their intelligence. If that were the case, I'd be principal."


Lots of people- not just that kid, seem to think that teaching kiddos with mental disabilities falls under the "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, teach the MR kids." Nope, not me. Teaching kiddos with mental disabilities is hard stuff- demanding of someone who can multitask and think on his or her toes. Not for the weak-kneed sissies at all. So thankyouverymuch, little miss 4th grader and your stereotype. Perhaps you, too can one day aspire to be a Special Ed teacher.
 
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