Mushmouth
G'diddy was born in 1910 and raised in downtown Richmond, Virginia. He had a very distinctive regional accent, very Southern, but not with a slow, heavy drawl. Certain words he pronounced in ways I've never heard from anyone else but his brother.
One example is how he would say "Maryland". It wasn't "MAR-i-lind", as I was taught up North. It came out more like "m-RR-ln". It's like he removed all the vowels and just for good measure, took a big spoonful of peanut butter before saying it.
He was a huge college sports fan, so oftentimes there would be a basketball or football game he watched, involving the U. of Maryland, and it would give LBB and me ample chance to make fun of him. (One of G'diddy's most endearing traits was his ability to take it and dish it out.)
As TB got older, he began to join in, and he would giggle whenever G'diddy talked about Mrrln.
Fast forward to a couple nights ago. We were reading a Magic Treehouse book to the boy, one involving a wizard named "Merlin". See where this is going?
He's rapidly learning to read, but still stumbles over longer words that he may not have seen before. So after I said "Merlin" a couple times, he finally stopped me and said, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! That's not right. It's not Merlin, it's MAAARR-i-lind."
It's fascinating how kids learn and what they remember.
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4 comments:
My grandfather was born in Richmond in 1910. Grandan, we called him. He was larger than life in almost every way-- well over 6 feet tall-- a legendary practical joker with a dry wit and a sense of humor straight from vaudeville-- everyone who ever encountered him would remember him. Legend has it he left college to help support his family after the Depression; he made his living as a traveling salesman, a vocation from which he never quite fully retired-- his fierce, stubborn devotion to family never faltered. His son and daughter managed to grow up, start families of their own and move only a few blocks away from him--his six grandchildren would not know daily life without him until he was gone.
He left us in 1998, reuniting with his wife of sixty years just three years after her death.
Maybe they knew each other at some point, our grandfathers-- it sounds as if they would have gotten along famously-or maybe they are getting to know each other now.
So sorry for your loss.
My father was born and raised in Richmond. He has never lost that genteel Southern regionally specific drawl. Of course, women LOVE it - the ladies at the grocery store in the deli department ooohhhh and aaahhhhh whenever he wheels his cart up to the display case.
Richmonders say "rivah" instead of river.... "ruffh" instead of roof.... "sugah" instead of sugar.... and a host of other pronounciations specific to Richmonders you can't hear anywhere else.
It was always great fun to gather in Richmond with family for holidays - my brothers and I would sit and just listen to everyone talk. Dad would go back home and his "accent" would be thicker than ever. He would correct me often... "You prounounce it "Ahhhnt" and not "Ay-nt" (aunt).
I was raised here in Southwestern Virginia where we transform one syllable words into two or three syllable words. "Bley-ess" for bless, "su-eet" for sweet, etc. So with my father's pronounciations, and the dialect that I picked up here in SW Virginia..... my cousins choose to call MY "accent" Redneck Richmonder.
So when I go visit my "ANT" Peggy and ask her to pass the "SUGAHHH" and comment that I heard rain on the "REW-UFF" last "NIIIITE" and the "WEY-NDDD" was "BA-LOW-IN" somethin' "FIE-URSE"....they just shake their heads and say "Blesssss Herhh Hahhhhhrt"
Jeepers. I thought everyone knew you pronounced Maryland that way.... I know you miss your g'diddy. I miss my granny something fierce.
That's hilarious, Mary. Thank you for sharing. G'diddy was a hit with the ladies at the grocery store, too.
And, Anonymous, thank you, too for your story. I would bet my left arm that your grandfather and my father-in-law knew each other, probably went to school together.
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