Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 867330 times)

MaryPage · « **Reply #5000 on:** April 03, 2013, 03:20:52 PM »

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Discussion Leader: JoanK

I went to a boarding school in the Baltimore area and have lots of friends and relatives who live there. Baltimore is about 45 minutes away from my home to, say, granddaughter Paige's home there. The time it takes to get from Annapolis to Baltimore depends, of course, upon where you are heading.
Bob and I, during his last couple of years of constant illness and surgeries, went very frequently to Johns Hopkins. We allowed 45 minutes each way. We always had to drive right by the Ravens stadium and the waterfront.
Jean, it is Balimer. In Merlin. Hon!

JoanK · « **Reply #5001 on:** April 03, 2013, 04:39:08 PM »

Another "Merliner." Hurray! While born in DC, I lived for years in the Gaithersburg area.

The nice thing about Lippman is how much she loves "Balimer". everone I ever met who was from there feels the same way. Some places just have "it" (don't know what "it" is, but you don't need to know it to feel it), just like some people do.

Pronzini is very uneven -- some of his books are great, some really weak. He writes in the "tough guy" school (think Dashiel Hamitt). His wife, Marcia Muller, is credited with starting the "tough gal" school (like tough guys, but usually have a mother substitute nagging them to stop this detective nonsense and get married). I really like her early books (Edwin of the Iron Shoes), but I've stopped reading her. Her later books are wordy, and follow a morality I can't agree with.

Steph · « **Reply #5002 on:** April 04, 2013, 06:01:47 AM »

I love Laura Lippman. Have read all of her stuff., both the Tess and the stand alones..
Ballamore.. I grew up on the eastern shore and we have that strange Virginian, but not quite accent. Delawareans also have some odd words.. and use amongst youuns.. Weird, but true..I grew up south of the canal in Delaware which makes me a southerner by the standards of Delaware.

maryz · « **Reply #5003 on:** April 04, 2013, 07:59:58 AM »

There's one area in Tennessee that also says "yu'uns" - Cleveland/Bradley County, TN, in the SE corner of the state. I love accent variations.

FlaJean · « **Reply #5004 on:** April 04, 2013, 12:32:19 PM »

Maryz, when my daughter was in high school she took an English class called "You Talk Funny". It was about all the various accents and sayings in the different regions of the US. She found it so interesting.

Steph · « **Reply #5005 on:** April 05, 2013, 06:24:58 AM »

I love accents.. but alas tv is starting to erase them.. My husband had quite the ear and when he talked to anyone with a strong accent, within minutes he sounded just like them.. and he really did not even realize he did it.

MaryPage · « **Reply #5006 on:** April 05, 2013, 10:04:10 AM »

Steph, I tend to do that, too. And, like your late darling, I do not KNOW I am doing it, nor do I do it on purpose.

I have wondered and wondered about this, and finally sort of felt that because I was born an army brat and moved around like crazy until I was 19, and heard so many accents and versions of speech wherever I was because everyone was from somewhere else, that something in my brain recorded all the sounds and used the one most pertinent to the person I was speaking with. I don't know. I truly don't know. But that is all I have been able to come up with.

My 2nd husband used to laugh while telling people that when I went home for a visit to Stephens City, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley and came back to my own home again, my from down home accent was thick for at least a week!

marjifay · « **Reply #5007 on:** April 05, 2013, 11:09:19 AM »

MaryZ wrote: "There's one area in Tennessee that also says "yu'uns"

They say that in Southern Iowa also (5 miles from Missouri). I could not believe the difference in accents when I moved there from Omaha, Nebraska, less than 200 miles.

Marj

mabel1015j · « **Reply #5008 on:** April 05, 2013, 12:17:09 PM »

Some of my family in Shippensburg, Pa say yu'uns. I attributed it to being in the Cumberland valley, just north of W. Va. There is a lot of WVa twang in the speech there, along w/ the Pa Dutch "the butter is all" (my charming husband -sarcasm- just said that to me yesterday, in jest) and the sing-song of the Scotch-Irish. I love listening to them all.

JoanK · « **Reply #5009 on:** April 05, 2013, 04:18:47 PM »

I'll never forget, when I lived in brooklyn. A friend from Virginia came to visit. I introduced her to a neighbor with a strong Brooklyn accent. They absolutely couldn't understand each other. I had to translate for them!

That probably wouldn't happen today.

Steph · « **Reply #5010 on:** April 06, 2013, 06:45:14 AM »

Many years ago in London, we went on one of those medieval dinners that was a private estate.. You could only go on a tour group.. Our bus had a cockney driver..Sigh.. and understanding him was really hard because of the rhyming slang they used to use.. Then there was a couple from deep in Mississippi on the bus. Both had a strong strong accent. The whole buses was howling with laughter at the wife and the bus driver trying to tell each other that the other person had such a strong accent. Very funny indeed.

MaryPage · « **Reply #5011 on:** April 06, 2013, 09:32:03 AM »

David and I went to one of those back in 1971 in London. We were entirely on our own; not in or on a tour. It was not an estate, it was a hotel or a theatre right there in the city; frankly, my memory is not all that good and I forget. It was an every night event wherever it was, and we had been advised to take it in and had booked long in advance of our trip. Lots of fun, and that's where I found out I liked mead to drink. It was sort of a combination of a play full of actors that went on every night and a dinner theatre, where you actually ate. We were pleased we had done it and found the whole experience well worthwhile.

pedln · « **Reply #5012 on:** April 06, 2013, 10:45:33 AM »

A friend sent me an accent quiz this morning. Kind of hokey, but fun. Fits in here right now.

Accent Quiz

JoanK · « **Reply #5013 on:** April 06, 2013, 03:12:44 PM »

I took it. The strongest result was midland north (around the great Lakes) but there were strong influences from the Northeast, South, That makes sense: I've never lived in the Midland North, but my parents were from Ohio. I grew up in Washington(the Northeast), interacting with people from all over, especially the South.

joyous · « **Reply #5014 on:** April 06, 2013, 04:11:32 PM »

Re: accents-----
I am sure that all y'all "nawtheners" would have a problem with our Down South, Cajun-Creole
accents, but it is our home and we love it, accents and all. (I am in Louisiana. Can't get any
further South than that unless you fall off into the Gulf)
Joy

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #5015 on:** April 06, 2013, 04:14:37 PM »

I was trying to determine what "The Midland" would constitute? That's where the quiz put me, but I'm from Texas.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #5016 on:** April 06, 2013, 04:57:08 PM »

I took it - just for interest, as I am English - I was diagnosed as from New York City, Connecticut, North Jersey or Rhode Island. Do people from there sound English?

Rosemary

JoanK · « **Reply #5017 on:** April 06, 2013, 05:11:04 PM »

"I was trying to determine what "The Midland" would constitute?"

Beats me! I'm "North midland" so you're south of me, wherever that is.

Frybabe · « **Reply #5018 on:** April 06, 2013, 06:18:25 PM »

A long time ago, I remember someone did a study about accents in broadcasting. I forget the details, but I remember the Midwestern accent was rated the best for broadcasting (news?). It had something to do with being the least affected by strong accents.

I found this site with a map showing the general boundaries for regional accents. The "fun quiz" they mention in the article looks like the one you posted, Pedln. I looked at several sites with maps. They all seem to use similar boundaries.

http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/2008/03/linguistic_geography_mainland_united_states.html

Frybabe · « **Reply #5019 on:** April 06, 2013, 06:30:09 PM »

It says I am from Philadelphia with the Midland second. Well, close. My Dad was from Philly.

FlaJean · « **Reply #5020 on:** April 06, 2013, 06:38:23 PM »

That accent test was interesting. I am 100% Philadelphia according to the test, but being originally from Virginia I'm sure that I must have a southern lilt to my voice.

salan · « **Reply #5021 on:** April 07, 2013, 05:20:28 AM »

I just finished Poison Flower by Thomas Perry. It's his latest Jane Whitefield novel. I thought it was very good.
Sally

Steph · « **Reply #5022 on:** April 07, 2013, 06:09:16 AM »

I was midland, but they said I had a strong broadcast type voice.. Being married to a man who was a disc jockey for some time after we married, I think I sounded like him.. Very little regional accent. That was fun.

MaryPage · « **Reply #5023 on:** April 07, 2013, 08:37:21 AM »

'Twas fun. Here's mine:

Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard.

Scottieluvr · « **Reply #5024 on:** April 07, 2013, 07:43:02 PM »

Quote from: Frybabe on April 06, 2013, 06:18:25 PM

A long time ago, I remember someone did a study about accents in broadcasting. I forget the details, but I remember the Midwestern accent was rated the best for broadcasting (news?). It had something to do with being the least affected by strong accents.

I found this site with a map showing the general boundaries for regional accents. The "fun quiz" they mention in the article looks like the one you posted, Pedln. I looked at several sites with maps. They all seem to use similar boundaries.

http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/2008/03/linguistic_geography_mainland_united_states.html

::wailing:: I’ve lost my eastern influence!!!

My test results are below:

What American accent do you have? The West 88%

Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.

75% The Midland
73% North Central
50% Boston
38% The South
15% The Inland North

Steph · « **Reply #5025 on:** April 08, 2013, 06:11:19 AM »

Picked up an Elizabeth Peters in the Vicki Bliss series.. Not as good as Amelia, but interesting.

JoanK · « **Reply #5026 on:** April 08, 2013, 03:30:59 PM »

Maybe these confusing results show that the test is confused, not us. As Popeye would say "We are what we are!"

For some reason, I've never been able to get into Elizabeth Peters. I guess you either "get" her humor or you don't.

Steph · « **Reply #5027 on:** April 09, 2013, 06:43:00 AM »

senior learn this am is being tooth gritting slow.. ugh.. Yes, Elizabeth Peters is one of those who is either loved or hated. I love Amelia. The family was so much fun and I was so envious of her being able to be in digs, etc. Before I visited Egypt, always wanted to go there and be in a dig;
After visiting there, not in the current day for sure. Possibly when she was there would have been fun.

Frybabe · « **Reply #5028 on:** April 09, 2013, 06:55:53 AM »

Not slow for me today (yet), but two other sites I tried just spinned and spinned trying to connect.

Donnie · « **Reply #5029 on:** April 09, 2013, 10:14:03 AM »

Hi: First time posting to Mystery Corner; wanted to let you know I am a mystery buff of sorts. I watch a lot of mysteries especially British mystries for the simple reason they have more of a story line rather than just plain action. I have read most of P. D. James' mysteries and then watch the TV versions that Netflix puts out. Even though the English Cockney is hard to follow as in the Dangerous Davis series, I don't mind. I love the Irish accent as Ann Murray recorded a song with words (I Love Your Irish Accent, SO LET'S HAVE A CUP OF TEA AND TELL ME A STORY). Having said that I have to say I don't much care for regional accents in the United States. Someone pointed out to me many years ago that all major newscasters learn to speak with a midland accent, because it most represents an American accent.. My grandparents came from Europe. My great grandmother refused to speak or even try to learn to speak English. My grandmother did speak English with a heavy accent that I didn't notice until I was an adult and talked to her for the first time on the telephone, I dropped the phone. I was shocked. My grandmother had little or no formal schooling, and that is what I think of when I hear regional accents.

FlaJean · « **Reply #5030 on:** April 09, 2013, 10:40:45 AM »

I watched all of the Netflix PD James series. Actor Roy Marsden is the perfect Adam Dalgliesh character. Frankly, I enjoyed the TV version more than the books. Usually I prefer the book rather than the movie or TV.

JoanK · « **Reply #5031 on:** April 09, 2013, 04:16:46 PM »

Hi, DONNIE. WELCOME. I love English mysteries, and TV series too. I don't know the Dangerous Davis series, though. Is that what it's called?

There's a new English mystery series here I watch: Murder in Paradise. About a stuffy English policeman who is transferred to work on a Caribbean island with a feespirited local policewoman. I like it, but have trouble understanding both the Englishman (he mumbles) and the Caribbean accent of the other characters.

Steph · « **Reply #5032 on:** April 10, 2013, 06:26:46 AM »

I love to read English mysteries,, but not watch.. The accent is hard in some of them.. I don't have any problems with American accents, but then they are sort of blending now anyway. When I was in extreme northern Scotland, it was hard to talk to some of the shopkeepers, the burr is really strong.

MaryPage · « **Reply #5033 on:** April 10, 2013, 09:03:10 AM »

Welcome, Donnie.
Have you tried any of my favorites?:
Reginald Hill (his Dalziel & Pascoe series)
Margaret Maron (her Judge Deborah Knott series)
Josephine Tey
Ngaio Marsh
Julia Spencer-Fleming
Minette Walters

FlaJean · « **Reply #5034 on:** April 10, 2013, 11:39:07 AM »

Joank, the series Donnie mentioned is "The Last Detective". Davies, police detective, is nicknamed "dangerous" pejoratively by his fellow detectives. They think he is a loser because he takes his work seriously. I watched some of the episodes but tired of it. "Murder in Paradise" isn't shown on Netflix yet. They are always adding new shows.

Donnie · « **Reply #5035 on:** April 10, 2013, 02:37:15 PM »

Finished The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault. Similar to building a mystery around novel characters, Teaglass builds its mystery around words. I was drawn in on that premise alone with the thought ones own background rules a word's meaning so that what is taken from a story depends on the reader. So many times a favored book has been spoiled for me because others don't get what I get excited about. Billy and Mona work for Samuelson Productions which puts out supplements to the dictionary. Their job is to find words/phrases that weren't used from the last published supplement. Along the way they note something very strange. A single definition should have a mere sentence or two but everytime the entry signed off as the Broken Teaglass, the entry is a lengthy paragraph. Then they figure out that the writer is trying to tell them the story of a murder committed and knows who is responsible; if it were made known it would put persons at the Samuelson Company in jeopardy. The Company and the murder is located in the small town of Claxton, Massachusetts. This cold case mystery of fifteen years continues to baffle the townspeople as well as the detectives involved. Billy and Mona finally solve the case BUT was justice served or -- well you be the judge.

JoanK · « **Reply #5036 on:** April 10, 2013, 08:35:59 PM »

The broken teaglass sounds great. It's $11.99 on kindle, and 24 cents plus shipping as a used book. guess which I got? (but the problem with REAL books is there's no more bookcase room left!)

Steph · « **Reply #5037 on:** April 11, 2013, 06:26:14 AM »

Will have to check out Emily .. just no time as I count down to the move..

Donnie · « **Reply #5038 on:** April 11, 2013, 01:42:41 PM »

I think all TV mystery series get tiresome because they follow a certain pattern. I tend to watch whatever series I choose to the bitter end. The one I watched all 100 episodes and started watching over again is Monk. I kind of pooped out now after just a few but I probably will view them again. I am amazed at how many mystery writers I have never heard of so I copied down your list MaryJane and will look them up. I copied a lengthy list from the Sparkpeople mystery group. A Charlie Fox series of three is free on kindle and if you have Amazon's Prime shipping there are some others you can borrow for free. The next paid mystery series I want to look into is by Jenn McKinlay for the simple reason her series has "Books" in the title and I am a sucker for any novel that has to do with books or bookshops. For a similar reason I enjoyed Nero Wolf as he was perfectly content to sit at home and read, eat and of course putter with his orchids. Getting back to British detectives, besides the accents and certain phrases such as "he/she is a nutter" what I notice the most is how many drink on the job.

maryz · « **Reply #5039 on:** April 11, 2013, 02:54:53 PM »

Just got the accent quiz ( we're on a river cruise). Boy is it ever wrong! I got 100% Philadelphia like MaryPage. I've never even spent a night in Philadelphia, nor has any of my family. Born in St. Louis, grew up in Houston, lived in Tennessee for the last 50 years.

News:

Author Topic: Mystery Corner ~ 2 (Read 867330 times)