Twangy Southern California Accent

Okies.

A lot of modern Californians came from waves of migrants from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. It's not just Southern CA but there are old people from the Bay Area who have twangy country like accents too.

Fuck you, OP!!!

Not so much the Bay area--the San Francisco accent, which you don't hear much anymore, is a port-city accent that's akin to that of Boston and Seattle--it's a bit New Englandy.

But that drawl you hear in So Cal, Central Valley (though there's a Mexican lilt there nowadays) and in the former agricultural regions of the Bay area (i.e. San Jose) is a gift from the Dust Bowl emigrants.

You mean what Leonardo did in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with his head voice? Not my favorite.

My father had that accent. KY-oat for coyote, motor-SICKLE for motorcycle ...

OP, I have colleagues in Southern California and I am fascinated by their accents.

Something isb pronounced some-theeng.

They also have a very nice way of speaking though, words are said very nicely. I cannot put it into words. Its a not hard accent, there is a easiness about it.

It's very distinct and I am surprised that its not noticed more.

I grew up in Southern California and I'm surprised at how often I can sound like Yosemite Sam minus the "rootin' tootin'" aspects of his speech.

James Franco (formerly of Palo Alto, CA) talks a certain way. Not sure if it’s the accent OP is talking about. About ten years ago, when I still liked him, I listened to hours of his interviews and started to talk like him, for fun. (This didn’t go on forever, I promise.) At one point, I had to order something over the phone from an online retailer who didn’t have the capability to accept credit card payments online (for some reason), and as I was talking to him in my Franco voice, he said to me… “You’re not from New York originally, are you? You sound like a California boy.” I got a kick out of that.

Anyway, this hot comedian and podcaster talks just like JF. Is this the accent, OP? Not sure if he’s even from CA.

Los Angeles (with the hard G)

A lot of my parents friends (they’re early boomers) were Southern California by way of Tx. So maybe it’s that.

I always thought Jodie Foster had a slight southern accent.

Too many teeth, that’s her problem, R12

I am a California native and other people who are also from Cali ask me where I am from all the time. I have had people guess places like Texas and Chicago. It is fucking bizarre.

Whenever I meet a Californian and they say "yah, yah" instead of just "yes" I'll ask them if they are from Orange County. It surprises them I guessed it right.

I think it's an inland accent, not a southern California accent. Yes, I think the Dust Bowl has something to do with it.

You can go inland in northern CA and probably hear the accent.

Modesto, maybe?

I’ve lived in LA for over a decade and have no idea what any of you are talking about. Of course their is the Mexican-influenced accent some have, like “I didn’t say noth-een”

I was born and raised in LA, with brief stints in Chicago (where my parents and sisters are from) in the 60s. I never thought I had an accent or that there was even such a thing as a California accent. My cousins from ILL/IND would always tease me about sounding like a Southern Californian because I’d pronounce PIN/PEN, and TIN/TEN the same way. I didn’t know that was a CA thing. Or maybe I’m just bad at speaking.

[quote] I always thought Jodie Foster had a slight southern accent.

That's her inner hard dyke coming out. She works hard to appear more feminine when the cameras are on, but I can guarantee you in private she's a grade A diesel. I saw her on an old episode of My Three Sons just yesterday morning. She played one of Dodie's classmates in grammar school. Even at that age (somewhere around 7 or 8) you could feel the budding bull dyke coming out when she delivered her lines.