“Unfortunately, in my young, stupid years I worked at losing my accent......and was successful....and deeply regret it. However, it is somewhat restored when I return home.......and Tennessee willl always be home.”
I have a slight Brooklyn accent that most people cant detect, except when I am in Brooklyn, get mad or get excited. Then it comes out and my kids get a kick out of it.
My sister and her husband are born and raised southeastern KY hillbillies. She is a nurse and he is a doctor. Upon medical school graduation they moved to Minnesoooota for nearly 15 yrs.
Whenever they would return home for a visit we could detect that Yankee accent sneaking through. Then they had children and it was really pronounced in them speech. When she introduced her neighbors to sweat tea she brought from back home they were enthralled with it along with other mountain recipes.
Three years ago they moved to southern Virginia to escape the high taxes of Minnesoooota. With the accent they acquired from living up north they are often asked where are you from? Kentucky came the reply which causes looks of what, that is a Yankee accent. Then comes the explanation.
I have noticed that they have lost all their northern accent at this point and the children are starting to pick up the Virginia accent.