The Southern accent is disappearing. By golly, I'm holding on for dear life!

Yahoo

09-06-2025

'Oh no!!!!!' 'Hush your mouth!" "No way!!" "Against my religion!" "Who do I call?"
These are just a few gasps I uttered after learning that the Southern accent was slowly disappearing. Bless those evildoers' hearts; they don't understand that such a tragedy must not occur.
Y'all can ask anybody what a hissy fit I throw when folks want to rid themselves of their accents. I like diversity in speech because it reflects each person's ancestry. Why do we want plain vanilla when adding sprinkles is more fun? Why do we desire to mold others into our likeness?
I don't believe that was the Good Lord's intention.
Some quirky folks from non-Southern states once believed our dialect was synonymous with limited intelligence. Come to find out, they weren't so smart.
President Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and many of our founding fathers are from Virginia. Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, George Bush and nine other American Presidents are as Southern as grits.
William Faulkner, who won the 1949 Nobel Prize in Literature, is from Oxford, Mississippi. Southern authors such as Margaret Mitchell, Truman Capote, Harper Lee, Pat Conroy and Eudora Welly also expanded our minds with their eloquent words.
People visit the Southland through books and their imaginations. Let's not forget the laughter we shared with the oh-so-Southern writer Lewis Grizzard and his dog, Catfish.
The South gave birth to Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers and countless Black heroes whose bravery to live by the Christian principle of loving one another opened doors and hearts. Thank goodness.
Imagine a world without the soulful jazz from New Orleans, the heartfelt country music from Tennessee, and the diverse stylings from every southern state. The South's musical influence is undeniable, and we continue to enrich the world with our unique sounds, putting our souls into every note.
More: Black indie country musicians flourish in the South beyond Nashville's mainstream scene
Where else could you learn to fry up a chicken, hogtie a fella, catch a mess of fish or hold your horses? These are uniquely Southern skills and sayings that make us who we are.
Where could one go at midnight to buy a plunger without Sam Walton's Walmart? Flying Delta? Well, its Southern roots began in Macon, Georgia, in 1925.
Maybe you need a Co-Cola while looking for a new hammer or doohickey at Home Depot.
Several years ago, I wrote a story, "The Magic of the Fry Pan and Fried Chicken," published across America. A lady from Iowa wrote me and asked, 'How do you fry chicken?'
After trying and failing to explain, I responded, "Ma'am, just go over yonder to your local KFC. They got the fixins, biscuits and sweet tea to go with that crispy goodness." Bless her heart, I reckon she never heard of an iron skillet.
I'm worn slap out with highfalutin folks who know nothing about the richness found in the South. And worse, I am doggone, dern tired of those who are too big for their britches believing their God-given drawl should change. Plumb ridiculous!!
I am proud of my roots, which began in Tennessee. My family settled in the Appalachian hills in the late 1700s and is still there today. They speak like little ol' me, and I couldn't be prouder. They are wise and wealthy beyond what money can buy.
More: Why these Tennessee cities were ranked among Southern Living's best in the South
When I moved from Tennessee to Georgia, I quickly realized that the Georgia accent differed from mine. Those Georgia peaches added letters to words. I learned that the "tile" I used to dry dishes was pronounced "tow-el."
However, sometimes, when I'm babbling, I still omit unnecessary letters. Why add a "g" to banana puddin' or fixin' to? Hello?
It is a high compliment when people say I sound like Dolly Parton. They may not see it that way, but they don't know nothin', and they can't sing like her, and they sure as heck don't own a theme park. Can you imagine Dolly Parton without her accent? Life just wouldn't be the same.
Till those old cows come home, I reckon I'll never understand why we don't embrace our differences and cultures. Not one of us has identical fingerprints. God ensured that each of us was designed to achieve the best of who we can be. No matter what color we are or the accents we use, those sprinkles he added are our signature.
Diversity has recently been perceived in a negative light. However, if we fail to embrace our distinctness, perhaps the God who created us all will not embrace us. We should consider that our accents and heritage do not define us as individuals. Instead, it is our goodness, kindness, and wisdom that truly shape our character.
Honey child, our unique sprinkles keep us happier than a pig in the mud!
Lynn Walker Gendusa is a writer in Georgia and the author of the book "Southern Comfort." She is originally from Monterey, Tennessee.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: It's the sprinkles, honey! A defense of Southern accents. | Opinion