Mid-Atlantic?
Clay posted this quiz on his site first. I did it this morning because I’ve been told countless times that I don’t sound “Southern.” People don’t believe me when I tell them I’m from Charleston, South Carolina. And yet…I am. Sure, I lack the stereotypical drawl or twang, but I frequently use Southern slang like “y’all” and “fixin’ to…” Actually, I guess that’s a lie. I can’t remember the last time I’ve said fixin’ to without it being a purposeful joke. Alas. It’s what happens when you grow up in a port city in the south. You don’t really come off as Southern. Now, if I’d picked up the accent around my area, I likely would have ended up with an older Charlestonian accent, which is much closer to British pronunciation and cadence than it is to the hillbilly sound that many people immediately conjure up. Anyway, since I teach English here (and therefore, I teach my accent), I thought it would be fun to let this internet quiz attempt to sort out my particular situation. Here’s where it got me.
| What American accent do you have? (Best version so far)
Mid Atlantic Also known as a “Philadelphia accent” but also heard in south Jersey, Baltimore, and thereabouts.
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| Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests. |
Mid-Atlantic? What the? I mean, I’d kill for a Cheesesteak Sandwich right about now, but I’ve been to Philadelphia and Baltimore…and they picked me out immediately as a visitor. Curious. Most curious, indeed. 
Properly pronouncing words seems to throw off the calculations a bit. And one of the ones that has grabbed my interest was omitted. Do you say “pen” and “pin” the same way? If so…why? They’re completely different words with different meanings and different vowels. Pull yourself together. Sheesh. Ha ha.