Midwestern Mommy » The St. Louis accent

The St. Louis accent

Posted on March 7, 2006
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Seth, sometimes also known as “Miss Daisy” has been sporting the St. Louis accent as of late. For those of you not familiar with this accent is sounds like this:

“I took (highway) one-farty-one to (highway) sixty-far to the star near War-shington University. I got some new farks, a can of carn and some tar-let paper. After that, I warshed my car and took (highway) farty-far back home.

For those in need of a translator… “I took highway 141 to highway 44 to the store near Washington University. I got some new forks, a can of corn, and some toilet paper. After that, I washed my car and took highway 64 back home.”

Marc grew up 90 minutes west of St. Louis. I grew up an hour away in Illinois. We don’t have this accent. (Although there seems to be a fair about of people where I grew up that like to say, “warsh” and “tar-let”). I think Seth must have picked up more at his children’s day out than I realized.

Comments

15 Responses to “The St. Louis accent”

Kristen on March 7th, 2006 12:36 pm

I can’t say I’m a fan of the Warshington thing myself - but I imagine it’s WAY better than what I hear around here… There are days when I have ABSOLUTELY no idea what they are saying.
Ranger Tom on March 7th, 2006 1:18 pm

All you need to do now is get him a little John Deere ball cap and bib overalls…
Mom101 on March 7th, 2006 2:12 pm

Uh oh, before you know it you’ll be living in Uh-mer-ka.
Isabel on March 7th, 2006 8:09 pm

How funny. I am surprised that he would have picked this up if you and hubby don’t have it.

Very interesting….
MrsFortune on March 7th, 2006 9:32 pm

Oh man … I know a lot of people who talk like this and they are from Michigan! So I’m not sure it’s a geographical as much as a … “cultural” thing …

I found you through motherhood uncensored and I just wanted to say I found reading your last several posts really entertaining. I especially like the “bunko” post below.
Mega Mom on March 7th, 2006 9:56 pm

My niece picked up a Staten Island, NY accent when she was about 5. Very interesting.
Dawn on March 8th, 2006 12:33 am

Em vacillates between Ghetto Detroit and New England White. It’s quite funny
consise10 on March 8th, 2006 8:46 am

Thankyou for the translation!
Reba on March 8th, 2006 3:02 pm

I have always lived in St. Louis and the only thing I picked up was the War-shington. I don’t say that anymore because I was teased about it. My mother and Grandma however talk like that, so I know exactly what you are saying.
Linlee on March 8th, 2006 6:01 pm

Too funny… Brinnon’s parents think it’s wierd that I grew up in St. Louis but they say I sound like I’m from New York. So last time his mom mentioned this I said, “How do people from New York sound?” Her response was I don’t know I’ve never been there! GO FIGURE!
Anonymous on March 8th, 2006 6:55 pm

It is amazing how kids pick up on language accents. My cousin Hayley, lives in New Jersey and has since age 2. She has the ability to change her accents around different people. Back in October on my visit to Jersey, I had the chance to be her mom for a few days and meet her friends. Being in New Jersey she has friends from around the world, what was funny is how when around them she picked up their accents, it was the funniest thing. Then my cousin Parker who is Hunter’s age lives in Texas since age 1 as picked up on that Texas accent. See you this weekend,
Candace
Kemp on March 14th, 2006 4:33 pm

I was born and raised in the St Louis area and still have (even after living in the Chicago-area for the last 10 years) my St Louis accent.

My wife doesn’t notice it anymore, but people who I meet for the first time do… though it has now sort of mutated into a St Louis/Midwestern accent…
Patrick D. on March 16th, 2006 2:55 am

Ah-ha. But you missed one thing. No Saint Louisian calls it 64. It will ALWAYS be Highway 40 no matter what anybody else names it.

You know, having reread your post, you filled directions. You said ‘one-farty-one to (highway) sixty-far’ translates to ‘highway 141 to highway 44′ and ‘took (highway) farty-far back home’ translates to ‘took highway 64 back home.’

Regardless, nobody says 64. Peace out.
Patrick D. on March 16th, 2006 2:56 am

P.S. Love your blog. Good to find a fellow local blog.
Laura on July 16th, 2008 5:30 am

Bit unfair for some of the comment leavers to make fun of how St. Louisans speak. I’ve lived in Atlanta for 15 years and still say “warsh” for “wash,” “farm” for “form,” “harse” for “horse,” and the like. Never said tar-let though. I’m proud of my quirky St. Louis accent (and my hometown) and compared to some of the hillbilly drawls down here it sounds like I’m a member of Mensa.