My one question right now is about Houston and Texas in general: any slang/language stuff that I should be aware of to keep a more realistic Texan character going? Deena obviously shouldn't be talking like me (a Canadian, eh) so yeah, what should I know there?
A bit of both, really. Her personality is very much "southern belle!" Think if Charlotte La Bouff from Princess and the Frog was running a Wal-Mart. Yup, she's that kinda gal.
She sounds amazing already! The real biggie, I think, (as you saw from Brit) is that y'all is ubiquitous right alongside guys/you guys? You even hear it used in formal contexts like a business call, TBH. Other considerations, people do kind of embrace the stereotypical Southern talk as a way of trying to be deliberately charming/cutesy/folksy? So she might lean on cliches like "howdy, folks" or "Y'all come back now, y'hear?" or even "bless your heart". That last one can double as both being quaint/sweet, or incredibly condescending/passive aggressive, depending entirely on tone and context.
Cute little pet names are also a thing along a similar vein, and can range from being casual, (there are people who just call LITERALLY EVERYONE hon/darlin/sweetie/sugar/whatever out of habit, if they're not using their actual name) to deliberately cutesy/~down home country hospitality~, to also super condescending/passive aggressive, again depending entirely on tone and context and if they use them habitually. (Imagine airing your long-standing grievances to a roommate, and they just give you a little smile and shoulder pat before saying something like "Oh, bless your sweet little heart. I'm sorry you feel that way, hon." You're probably going to get mad because they're talking down to you instead of taking how upset you are seriously, and then they'll be able to defend themselves by claiming they never meant/i> it to be offensive, they're sorry you took it that way.)
Other stuff..... hmmm. The only other one I can think of ATM is people seem to use "fixing to" more down here than elsewhere? A la "I'm fixing to go to the store, you want anything?" while you're wandering around trying to find your keys/purse/otherwise preparing before you actually leave. I'll throw down more stuff if/when I can think of it!
(Brit, you'd probably notice regional eccentricies more than I would. Anything you've noticed over the years?)
Thank you for this! At the risk of sounding terribly "Hurr durr look at me", I kinda had a hunch that this would be how it goes. (The study of culture and its expressions (language, art, conceptions of health, etc.) is kinda what I'm trained in so yeah)
I was thinking normal speech for Deena would be something like: "Aw, bless your heart, hon, you don't have to be so formal! Mrs. Johnston was my mother, you call me Auntie Deena." Sound okay?
PS Sunday nights I usually have a block of time where I'm busy from 7 to 9 my time so that is why my response is delayed. Supper and heading out and all that.
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theibitingman) wrote2017-09-23 07:30 pm
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My one question right now is about Houston and Texas in general: any slang/language stuff that I should be aware of to keep a more realistic Texan character going? Deena obviously shouldn't be talking like me (a Canadian, eh) so yeah, what should I know there?
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Cute little pet names are also a thing along a similar vein, and can range from being casual, (there are people who just call LITERALLY EVERYONE hon/darlin/sweetie/sugar/whatever out of habit, if they're not using their actual name) to deliberately cutesy/~down home country hospitality~, to also super condescending/passive aggressive, again depending entirely on tone and context and if they use them habitually. (Imagine airing your long-standing grievances to a roommate, and they just give you a little smile and shoulder pat before saying something like "Oh, bless your sweet little heart. I'm sorry you feel that way, hon." You're probably going to get mad because they're talking down to you instead of taking how upset you are seriously, and then they'll be able to defend themselves by claiming they never meant/i> it to be offensive, they're sorry you took it that way.)
Other stuff..... hmmm. The only other one I can think of ATM is people seem to use "fixing to" more down here than elsewhere? A la "I'm fixing to go to the store, you want anything?" while you're wandering around trying to find your keys/purse/otherwise preparing before you actually leave. I'll throw down more stuff if/when I can think of it!
(Brit, you'd probably notice regional eccentricies more than I would. Anything you've noticed over the years?)
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I was thinking normal speech for Deena would be something like: "Aw, bless your heart, hon, you don't have to be so formal! Mrs. Johnston was my mother, you call me Auntie Deena." Sound okay?
PS Sunday nights I usually have a block of time where I'm busy from 7 to 9 my time so that is why my response is delayed. Supper and heading out and all that.
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