You Said What?!?

Another new section I would like to introduce on "One Lost" is "You Said What!?!"

This segment will examine the vernacular, pronunciation, and idiom that are particular and often peculiar to the Midwest, and especially Wisconsin. It brings the other Golden Eagles of my dorm an endless source of delight hearing me pronounce words with the "Sarah Palin accent," as it has now been dubbed. Long time residents of the area will assert that they have no accent and speak the English language the way it is meant to be spoken. It is my humble and scientific opinion that clouds of beer froth, bratwurst grease, and cow stench have somehow interacted with their brain enzymes to adversely affect the speech centers of every person in Wisconsin. I maintain that by virtue of our isolation, Alaska's language has remained untainted by regional accent, except for Sarah Palin, who I think is secretly Canadian (or maybe just from Wasilla...).

And so, without further ado, your first few samples of "You Said What!?!"

About
Midwest: "A-bout"
Me: "A-boUt"
Analysis: Okay, I admit, I say about like a Canadian/Minnesotan. Its my flaw. Chris 0 Wisconsin 1

Roof
Midwest: "Ruf"
Chris: "Roof" (with long ooooooo sound)
Analysis: First of all, I know realize that I will never have a career as a dictionary phonetic speller...there is one less thing I can use that philosophy major for. Secondly, "roof" has two "o's," meaning they make an ooooo sound. No room for debate here. Chris 1 Milwaukee 1.

and your last one for now...
Oregon
Midwest: "Or-e-gone"
Chris: "Or-e(this e is almost not pronounced)-gun"
Analysis: This one is up for debate. My defense is that I say it the same way all the people on the west coast, AND OREGON say it. No one tells other states how to say their name, so by siding with the residents of the state, I feel that I am in the right. And the judges say...Chris 2, Midwest 1

Well, this week's winner is...me! (Pause for confetti, bells, and cheering) It's a good thing our judges or so impartial. Keep checking for the next "You Said What!?!"

(PS: I will be adding audio links to these of pronunciation once I figure out how.)

One Lost out.