By Arvid Huisman

 

Question: do Iowans speak with an Iowa accent? 

 

Friends in Sioux City who were from southwestern Minnesota accused me of speaking with an “Iowegian” accent. Frankly, I could hear a little Minn-e-SO-ta brogue in their speech.

 

In the broadcasting industry people speak of the Midwestern accent as being the accepted enunciation for newscasters. That worked for me.

 

Over the years I have enjoyed hearing the variety of accents one hears across our wonderful country. My New Jersey friend, Al, calls me “Ah-vuhd” and enjoys a cup of hot “couvee.” An old business acquaintance from Massachusetts knew where to “pahk” his “cah.” 

 

A former boss who grew up in southern Alabama also called me “Ah-vuhd.” He enjoyed regaling me with stories about his buddies Jim Bob and Billy Joe. In his colorful and leisurely way of speaking he told me that one time “Jim Bob’s daddy whooped our butts” for staging a cock fight in Jim Bob’s daddy’s barn.

 

During my years with The Salvation Army I worked with a summer intern who was a delightful African-American man from the bayou region of southern Louisiana. It took a few weeks before we could readily understand each other’s speech. 

 

In my 12 years in southern Iowa I detected a hint of a Missouri accent among the natives. Windows were “windahs” and folks loved to go “feeshing” at one of the many area lakes. An oft heard phrase was, “I’ll git around to it tomorrah.” 

 

More recently a neighbor who grew up in a small town in southern Iowa reminded me of those days. He talked about “goin’ feeshin’.” Sadly, he passed away early last year and at his funeral in southern Iowa I heard more of the accent.

 

So far, I have been unable to shake off the “y’all” habit I picked up there.

 

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