Fuhgeddaboutit!
The famous New Yawk accent is slowly disappearing from everyday use, a recent study found.
A nationwide survey of 3,042 adults across the US this month revealed that the Big Apple’s notable pronounciations ranked 12th in regional dialects that residents feel are dying off.
Topping the list of parlances fading from everyday at the highest rate were the Appalachian dialect, Southern drawl and Louisiana creole accents, the study showed.
Major metropolitan cities, including New York City, Philadelphia and New England are further down the list despite still being “at risk,” according to the survey conducted by The Word Finder.
These dialects have been better at warding off extinction since they’ve long been portrayed in the media, which may help preserve them in popular culture, researchers said — even if you’re less likely to hear someone order a “cuppah cawfee” at the bodega.
Plus, famous one-liners in classic films like “Goodfellas” — “Do I amuse you?” — and “A Bronx Tale” — “Now youse can’t leave” — have created an almost iconic reverence for the New York accent.
The report also suggested that overall strong markers of regional identity drive people to tone down their accents, especially when they move, switch jobs, or interact with non-locals.
The more distinctive the accent sounds the “more likely people are to tuck it away,” unless they’re unwinding with family or for a “wawk in the pahk” amongst locals, the survey concluded.
Meanwhile, more neutral accents, such as Inland Northern, Pacific Northwest and Southwestern, remain more stable in everyday conversation.
