McGee: So, I hear you're not from here

When you're talking with folks do you ever wonder where their accent is from? I do. I've recently realized I'm getting rusty at it and may have to give it up.

Like that time The Lady of the House and I were up on the north side of town at a garage sale and I thought the woman conducting the sale had an interesting accent.

"I couldn't help but notice your accent," I said. "Are you from Ireland?"

"No," she said. "Guess again."

"Ahh, Sweden?"

"You're getting closer," she said.

I was at a loss.

"You're from Germany," said The Lady of the House.

"That's correct," said the woman.

Boy, I sure missed the mark there.

A guy came in the bicycle shop the other day. We got to talking and he pronounced "out" like "oot."

I knew it! He had to be from Minnesota.

"So," I said in my best Minnesota accent, "You come from the

Northland, eh?"

"Why are you talking funny?" he asked.

"Aren't you from Minnesota?"

Turned out he's from Michigan.

I worked with a young woman who studied linguistics back east at Cornell University. I don't know how she learned everything she did but she learned it well. She would listen to accents and figure out spot-on where people were from.

One time I asked her to pinpoint where I was from. I figured between all the places I'd lived in my life she'd be confounded.

"Southwest Virginia, upper east Tennessee," she said. "But you've been gone a long time."

She was right. I wanted to give her money.

It made me wish I'd studied linguistics. I don't know how one would make money at it; maybe in education or the FBI.

Maybe I could just stand on the corner and guess accents for tips.

Grant McGee is a long-time broadcaster and former truck driver who rides bicycles and likes to talk about his many adventures on the road of life. Contact him at:

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