Mmm-kay, it's cold now. The bottom of my nose is chapped. My nostrils froze up on the walk to work this morning. This hasn't happened in a long time. Sure, it's only in the upper 20's, and the worst is yet to come, but damn, it's colder than a witch's tit already! (Yes, they say that here.) I have forgotten. Oh yes, yes I have forgotten. Living in these parts, it's not just cold, it's painful.Speaking of "these parts" you know what else they say in Maine? Let's see... wicked decent, jezum crow, jezum christmas, deeyah (dear) as in "How you doin' over dere, deeyah?", wicked smaat (smart), heavens ta betsy, ayeesah (yes), skippy, chowdah, gawmy (clumsy), finest kind (the very best), goddammah and cunnin', to name a few.
If you would like to be able to fit in with the natives, here are a few tips on how to speak like a Mainah. The key is to relax your jaw. Say "Mainer." Notice the tension in your jaw and how it opens only slightly. Now say "Mainah," letting your lower jaw drop on the "ah" paht (er, I mean "part"). Practice saying it in an exaggerated manner to get the feel. Now you're ready for the rules of Mainespeak.
Words that end in "er" are pronounced "ah." Mainer = Mainah. Car = Cah. Mother and Father = Muthah and Fathah. Water = Watah. You get the drift.
Conversely, words that end in "a" are sometimes, but not always, pronounced "er." California becomes Californier. Idea becomes idear. Yoga becomes Yoger.
Drop the "g" in "ing." Stopping and starting = stoppin' and startin', or more correctly, stoppin' and stahtin'.
Broaden a and e sounds. Calf becomes cahf. Bath becomes bahth. Can't becomes cahn't.
Drag out some one-syllable words into two syllables. There becomes they-uh. Here becomes hee-ah.
Next lesson soon...
~K
