Diane Marie Tinkle (diamtink@mars.utm.edu) from dialup04.utm.edu at 09/23/96 12:54PM
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    What's so funny about the South? Well, for this uprooted Yankee it's mostly the way ya'll talk! For instance, you're always fixin' to do things (that aren't broke). You ask me to carry you to the store when I'd much rather drive you there. If it looks like rain, you tell me ,"It's comin' up a cloud." When I'm almost finished doing something you ask me, "How much do ya lack?" (I don't like any of it, but I must finish soon), When you pass me in the hall you say "Hey" not "Hi." When someone is in a hurry you tell me they are "flat bookin" to get there. You carry UMbrellas when it rains and INsurance on your cars (instead of unBRELLas and inSURance. I have found (as a general rule) that most accents will be on the first syllable of most words. Also, many two syllable words become one syllable, such as flowers, oil, tires and seven. (Watch everyone's lips the next time your church congregation sings "POWER IN THE BLOOD). Which also leads to many one syllable words becoming two such as "yes" becomes "yeah us" and "nine" becomes "ni un." And I still can't figure out how a light bulb becomes a "bub" and "Coke" is a generic term for all soda pop. But, hey, you guys...I'm not complaining...I happen to love the South now. Where else in the world can I get bottomless glasses of ice tea, bar-b-que pizza, lemon-ice-box pie, black eyed peas on New Year's Day and corn bread served with my spagetti??? Thanks Ya'll!!! Diane Tinkle