Is the Southern drawl spreading north faster than the armadillo?
Maybe, maybe not. Or, as they say, might could. Here is the on-the-one-hand, on-the other:
Some believe that the Southern drawl has expanded to the point where, arguably, more than half of all Americans now glide their diphthongs and hush their Rs like modern-day Rhett Butlers. Some professionals who travel around even adopt different regional dialects as they go, knowing it’s one of the best ways to get ahead.
But other experts believe mass communications and urbanization are cutting away at the distinctiveness of the Southern voice, resulting in a more mono-pitch America.
Anyway, one of the interesting nuggets in here is that men like having the Southern touch in their voices more than women do. They’re more likely to adopt it and less likely to lose it.
I hope regional accents aren’t really going away. They’re wonderful. Except one thing: pin and pen are different words. What is the point of pronouncing them the same?