Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Over the past few decades have I discovered to have either lost or misplaced my accent! The first time this was evident was in New York. Now while not saying to have assumed a New York or Brooklyn accent, it just not always what you would expect of a Texan. Let me explain.

While I was working in the Sales Training Department at Lederle Laboratories in Pearl River, NY, the staff was ordered to work eight hours on the production lines while the firm was on strike by the union. We were assigned jobs that were neither difficult of required anything other than just paying attention. Once while working on a line that was producing finished packages of steroid ointments, our job was to make sure no package was allowed to pass that might be damaged, incomplete, or empty. How hard can that be?

Once in a while the production line would halt for some other reason unknown to us near the end. While we were on one of these breaks, a group of us were just standing around together and someone suggested we try to guess where each was from by our accents. When it got to me, the furthest away anyone could place my accent was West Virginia. Others have commented my accent doesn’t sound like a Texas accent, or what they believed to be one.

It is commonly accepted that there are about five different Texas accents that are recognized. No expert has analyzed my accent. Mine may really am somewhat of a chameleon and jump from one to another. Both my parents were raised in the country in North Texas and neither of them ever travelled very far from home in their entire lifetime. Me, it is a different story, I have been from pillar to post and guess that I have adopted whatever is most suitable at the moment.

While working in sales training, one of the techniques taught was to get your customer to agreeing with you on a topic, and they would be more likely to agree when you asked them to buy your idea. Also, by mirroring their body posture without being obvious, it was also thought to be more likely to gain their acceptance of your proposal. While not sure, maybe I even without thinking mimicked to some extent another’s accent. I am a devious rascal, and always looked for better ways to become a successful salesman and to teach these traits to others.

In any case, accents are an interesting study. I seldom notice those that are common to the area where I am located, but do notice those that I consider different, not to be critical, just happen to have an ear for where the person is from. As an example, happen to read an obituary in the local paper of a funeral scheduled a few days later and it was of someone who happened to be known to me as a kid growing up. I decided to attend. Well, the priest who performed the ceremony had a very unusual and quite noticeable accent. After the ceremony, he was greeting folks as they left the service. I had to ask him where he was from. He said, “East Texas!” and I said, “No way!” you are not from Texas, period!” It turned out he was from Ireland and was just pulling my leg.

So, forgive me for sounding like you. It is a former habit and one used to be more compatible and friendly, not to be insulting or to insert my self unnecessarily. Just Sayin….RJS

fishyaker Loc: NW Michigan (Lower Peninsula)

Speaking accents are indeed quite intriguing...along with all of the other primary dialects of the world over. Nice story!

CamT Loc: La Porte, Texas

Its funny to hear you say that, when I first came to Texas from West Virginia years ago people here thought I was native because of my texas sounding accent

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

CamT: My ancestors came from South Carolina and North Louisiana, and no telling where their ancestors came from, probably Scotland. Just Sayin...RJS

CamT Loc: La Porte, Texas

Mine are Scotland and Ireland

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

CamT: I have connected with a possible relative in Scotland. Jamie, Lord Semple XXI, of the house of Lords, Scotland's paraliment. He was very helpful in explaining how my ancestors probably got to the U.S. Also, that Samples, was originally Saint Paul, but due to the heavy accent, when pronounced, came to sound more like Samples. These ancestors came from France with William the Conquerer!

Your relatives, like mine probably were part of those who were living in Scotland but the English King wanted to reduce the Catholic population in Ireland so he had poor families in Scotland moved to Ireland. From there both our relatives then migrated to the U.S.
Just Sayin....RJS

Graveytrain50 Loc: DFW Area Texas

Being in the military for over twenty years and being all over Europe and in the military people are from all over the United States.a persons accent changes without ever realizing it. My my grandparents came from Germany. My wife and I mainly speak Italian at home and hand movement is important. Just my two cents🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

GravyTrain50: Yes, absolutely, if an Italian is tied up they are completely unable to communicate because their hands are bound! Just Sayin...RJS

BCKliche Loc: Suffolk, VA

I was born and raised in NY (Queens) and had no accent whatsoever. While I was growing up I was asked several times where I was from since I had no accent! My brother, on the other hand, had a strong Brooklyn accent--very definitely a New Yawka!

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

BCKliche: Interesting! How do you explain your having no accent and your brother does? Were you a lot different in ages. go to differenr schools? what? Just Sayin...RJS

finschasers69 Loc: taylor co. w.v.

that's funny because I was raised in MI. moved to W.V. some 40 yrs, ago & people still say I have an accent, ask them to guess where I was born a lot of people get it wrong people say Boston, N.Y. Conn. Canada , nobody ever get it right Mother was born /raised in Tenn, interesting ???