Dialect Quiz

[westen44]

This is supposed to determine what part of the U.S. you're from.  Of course, if you're not from the U.S., there isn't much of a point in bothering with it.  In general, I found it accurate.  It was off several hundred miles for me.  But for most of the people around me who took it, it seemed fairly accurate.  This included someone who has lived half her life in the Southwest and the latter half in the Northwest.  It accurately determined that her original dialect was from Texas.  You'd certainly never know if from listening to her speak, though.  Yet, this is all based on the written language and terms various regions of the U.S. use which may be unique, etc.  If you want to take it, you'll see what I mean.  Response times may be slow due to so many people taking this right now.  If you want to, you can take it several times.  Because there are several versions of it.  By doing this, it ended up correctly determining that I displayed some Louisiana dialect characteristics.  I'm not from there, but did live there a number of years. 


http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/20/sunday-review/dialect-quiz-map.html?_r=0

[gweimer]

When I took it, it placed me around Rockford, IL and Madison, WI.  Growing up in the NW suburbs of Chicago, it was pretty close.  One word that I think locks me into the region is crayfish.  Rather than crawfish or crawdads, crayfish seems to be used in a very narrow region of the country.

[ack1961]

Put me in Newark, NJ - right where I grew up.

[TBird1958]

It has determined I'm from another Planet 

[pilgrim9]

Interesting, it says I`m from 6 places I have never lived, I took it twice and got Alaska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, 2 California and Utah. I have been in Colorado all my life. I have visited California a couple times but that is it.

[westen44]

Interesting, it says I`m from 3 places I have never been near

I took it several times, like I said.  It always places me hundreds of miles south of where I am.  There are variations on each quiz.  Still, it wasn't too far off.  Also, it did seem accurate for the other friends and relatives who took it.  

[Dave W]

My three cities were Jackson, Birmingham and Newark/Patterson. Huh? I did live in the Jackson area briefly and did have family from Mississippi and Alabama, maybe that explains some of it, but I've never even been to New Jersey.

[TBird1958]

In my (very local) dialect......

P = Bodily function
J = 1970's term for marijuana ciggy
Fender = Part of Subaru


The quiz actually put me in a triangle between Reno,NV., Salt Lake City, UT. and Tempe,AZ. 

I visited SLC once in 1983.

[Hörnisse]

I live in Austin and it shows Ft. Worth, OK City and Tulsa. 

[westen44]

My three cities were Jackson, Birmingham and Newark/Patterson. Huh? I did live in the Jackson area briefly and did have family from Mississippi and Alabama, maybe that explains some of it, but I've never even been to New Jersey.

I've read about 40 responses to this, including one from another board that I've just found.  Your results were very unusual.  You must be one of those people who speaks some kind of blend of American English.  I've encountered a few people like that before.  It's often people, of course, who have traveled a lot (although not always.)

[patman]

Pegged me for Cincinnati, Louisville or Lexington...

I'd say it's fairly accurate with regard to me.

[dadagoboi]

 "Sneakers" put me in NYC, Yonkers or Newark.  I left Brooklyn when I was 5, Long Island at 10.

[Lightyear]

Took it twice.  First time was Houston, Jackson Mississippi and Shreevport, La.  The second time has me with Houston, Dallas and Shreevport.  Pretty dang close as I grew up in Houston.

Oddly enough the word "Coke" for all carbonated beverages moved me way west when I know for a fact that this very much a Texas/South thing.

"Feeder" road for the service road of a freeway nails me to Houston.  Oddly enough other words I picked up moved me around the map - I call traffic circles rotaries because I first saw one in New England, where I spent many, many weeks working over several years.  Of course in Boston it was pronounce "RAWtries"  

[Pilgrim]

Spokane, Boise and Salt Lake city....right on target for the Pacific NW.

[FrankieTbird]

Put me in Newark, NJ - right where I grew up.

Same here.  I think the ones that pegged me were "Mischief Nite"  & "sneakers".