Author Archives: Ben

About Ben

Ben T. Smith launched his dialect fascination while working in theatre. He has worked as an actor, playwright, director, critic and dialect coach. Other passions include linguistics, urban development, philosophy and film.

“Ayuh”: America’s Oddest “Yes”

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Ben

Growing up in Southern New England, I heard tell of a near-mythical dialect feature from Maine and other places further north: ayuh. This word is the informal version of “yes” in Maine, and, unusually for semi-archaic dialect words, it has … Continue reading →

Share

Posted in American English | Tagged , | 40 Comments

Swallowed ‘r’ in Glasgow

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Ben

I have a very quick request, for you budding amateur phoneticians out there. After yesterday’s conversation touched on Glasgow English, I looked for a few samples of this accent on YouTube. Glasgow is perhaps the only city in the English-speaking … Continue reading →

Share

Posted in British English | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Dem and Dose: “Th” in City Accents

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Ben

I’ve lived in New York City for thirteen years.  In that time, I’ve learned that living in such an intense urban area has a palpable effect on how one communicates.  You have to talk faster, talk louder, talk more frequently, … Continue reading →

Share

Posted in English Phonetics | Tagged , , , | 52 Comments

Supraregional Irish English

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Ben

I spent Friday night at a gala for the organization my girlfriend works for, a community center created for (and largely run by) Irish immigrants.  As always, it was an accent tour of the Emerald Isle, as folks from Dublin, … Continue reading →

Share

Posted in Irish English | Tagged | 18 Comments

Mom, Mum, Mam: Different words?

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Ben

I’m reading Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women right now. Throughout the book, the March sisters refer to their mother as “marmee.” This looks like an odd term of endearment until you remember that Alcott grew up (and set her book … Continue reading →

Share

Posted in Miscellaneous Accents and Dialects | Tagged | 69 Comments

“Rod” or “Ride?” Glide Deletion in the American South

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Ben

When my mother was a teenager, she spent a summer in Scotland. Since she was staying as a guest in a family’s home, she shared a telephone with the other residents. In jest, a Scottish friend of hers often answered … Continue reading →

Share

Posted in American English | Tagged , | 23 Comments

“Dude:” Thoughts on an American Word

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Ben

I am skeptical about claims that American English is “colonizing” the other Englishes. But I will concede one point: the word dude is entirely our doing. Dude, in America, is a word that lies somewhere between British mate and bloke. … Continue reading →

Share

Posted in American English | Tagged , | 32 Comments

Singing in Dialect

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Ben

I was taught early on that listening to singers is a terrible way of getting a sense of their particular accent. This makes sense to some degree, since singing will distorts important distinctions such as vowel length and prosody. But … Continue reading →

Share

Posted in Miscellaneous Accents and Dialects | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Is the glottal stop bad for you?

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Ben

You may not know what a glottal stop is, but you’ve probably heard one. Already baffled? Let me explain. Ever talk to someone from London who pronounced butter something like “bu’uh?” With the t becoming a kind of “grunt?” The t … Continue reading →

Share

Posted in English Phonetics | Tagged , , , , | 47 Comments

Guy Deutscher’s Through the Language Glass

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Ben

I had a whole post written today about a recent statement made by American actor David Hasselhoff (don’t ask), but it got very muddled, so I decided to scrap it.  In the meantime, I’d like to recommend a book I’m … Continue reading →

Share

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments