# "Bobby's World" Accent
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 3, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779 "2003-05-03T02:29:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/1 "2003-05-03T02:29:04Z")
does anybody remember this old cartoon? you know that funny accent his mom had? what is that? my sister says one of her professors talks kinda like that.
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### Author:  [@caramelcutie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caramelcutie)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/2 "2003-05-03T02:38:03Z")
yea i remember that cartoon…i dont think his mom had an accent from anywhere specifically, its just like dexter from dexter’s lab doesnt have an accent from anywhere specifically, its just something to spice up the cartoon, i guess
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### Author:  [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/3 "2003-05-03T02:40:16Z")
It always sounded vaguely like a Michigan/Wisconsin accent. Why they used it, I have no idea.
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### Author:  [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/4 "2003-05-03T03:14:13Z")
[http://www.geocities.com/CaptNish/gallery.htm](http://www.geocities.com/CaptNish/gallery.htm)
This site above calls it Midwestern, The Google listing from the now-defunct Yesterdayland (sigh) site calls it a Wisconsin accent, and the Bobby’s World nook at Howie Mandel’s own site makes no mention of an accent from Martha Generic. However, Mr. Mandel himself is from Toronto, so perhaps he adapted Mrs. Generic’s accent from that of the accent which is present among some women around that area as well as of women from Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc. I wish I had something more factual, since this is in GQ, but I thought _some_ information would help.
Oh, BTW, **caramelcutie** , an recent thread [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=174041&highlight=dexters+laboratory) shows that Dexter’s accent is specifically Eastern European. Welcome to the boards.
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### Author:  [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/5 "2003-05-03T03:18:45Z")
The accent sounds similar to a Milwaukee South Sider (which is traditionally Polish in ethnicity, but the accent doesn’t sound like a Polish accent to me), or maybe an Northern Wisconsin/ Minnesota type accent? Both accents sound similar to me, but I don’t know if there is a connection. I know the Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, UP Michiagan (think Fargo) - type accent is supposedly related to the high number of Norwegian immigrants in that area.
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### Author:  [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/6 "2003-05-03T03:36:58Z")
And I see that Joe K has already come in and given a better answer (preview, dammit). Yes many Canadians sound much like that too. Also, at least where I’m from (Any guesses? That’s right, Milwaukee), the accent is usually associated with either being from the backwoods (Northern Wisconsin), or from a Blue-collar type backround (southern Milwaukee & Cudahy). No, I don’t speak with that accent, but I do call water fountains ‘bubblers’ and the occaisional ‘aina?’ will still pop out (a terrible habit I picked up after I started using the word 'cause I thought it was funny).
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2003, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/7 "2003-05-03T07:23:17Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Donovan \*
> \*\*And I see that Joe K has already come in and given a better answer (preview, dammit). Yes many Canadians sound much like that too. Also, at least where I’m from (Any guesses? That’s right, Milwaukee), the accent is usually associated with either being from the backwoods (Northern Wisconsin), or from a Blue-collar type backround (southern Milwaukee & Cudahy). No, I don’t speak with that accent, but I do call water fountains ‘bubblers’ and the occaisional ‘aina?’ will still pop out (a terrible habit I picked up after I started using the word 'cause I thought it was funny). \*\*
Having spent my time in Cudahy (or CudaHEY) (and being such a small town I’m guessing Donovan is from the area), I can tell you it’s not so much Cudahy accent as a “sterotypical making fun of Cudahy accent.” Basically when people are making fun of the way people from cudahy talk and they exagerate it, that’s how they sound. Nowadays, it’s few and far between that you run across someone that talks like that. By the way it’s 2:30 in the morning, and I’m not sure this post is coherent.
So, Donovan, where abouts are you from hey?
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### Author:  [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/8 "2003-05-03T15:24:33Z")
It sounds midwestern, doncha know.
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### Author:  [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/9 "2003-05-06T17:41:57Z")
I grew up in New Berlin (for those unfamiliar, Western Suburb of Milwaukee, pronounced New BER-lin, unlike the city in Germany, but that’s another story), so I’m one of the pinheads that grew up ripping on the accent ;). Admittedly tho, joey P is correct, the only time you hear an accent that thick is on a morning radio show.
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### Author:  [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/10 "2003-05-06T23:02:28Z")
And if you want to speak like Bobby do this:
Keep saying ‘hey.’ Draw it out a bit, ‘heeeyyyyy.’
Now, as you keep up this mantra, force the back of your tongue to retract backwards as if you’re trying to touch the back of your throat with the back of your tongue.
You’ll notice that you now have that compressed voice sound. Now, keeping the back of your tongue in that pushed-back position, start talking. There’s Bobby.
And now the fun part, raise the pitch (as in musical tone, not volume!) of your voice as high as possible. Guys, use falsetto.
It impresses kids when you use this kind of voice for certain characters when reading them stories.
## Peace.
It’s probably too late to mention this now, but if you’re at work, stop it… they’re all looking at you funny.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/11 "2003-05-07T15:16:29Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Donovan \*
> \*\*I grew up in New Berlin (for those unfamiliar, Western Suburb of Milwaukee, pronounced New BER-lin, unlike the city in Germany, but that’s another story), so I’m one of the pinheads that grew up ripping on the accent ;). Admittedly tho, joey P is correct, the only time you hear an accent that thick is on a morning radio show. \*\*
I have some friends that grew up out that way. Know anyone that went to Parkside?
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### Author:  [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/12 "2003-05-08T16:19:23Z")
Actually, one of my best friends from High School went to Parkside for a couple of years - they have a relatively large music program, right?
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### Author:  [@Spurious\_George](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spurious_George)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/13 "2003-05-08T18:11:03Z")
(Might as well continue the hijack, as the OP has been addressed and this thread seems well on its way to Cuba already.)
> [@](#):
>
> I do call water fountains ‘bubblers’ and the occaisional ‘aina?’ will still pop out
What does this word ‘aina’ mean and how would it be used?
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### Author:  [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/14 "2003-05-08T19:11:04Z")
Yeah, it’s always sounded like an exaggerated Northern Minnesota/Wisconsin/UP Michigan accent–like from the movie “Fargo”. “Ya, don’cha know?”
My husband can do the Bobby voice. He learned from watching Howie Mandel’s routine on TV. Apparently, if you push Bobby’s voice out your nose, you get “Ernest the Elf” from the same routine. “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…one of those little blue fuzzy things.”
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### Author:  [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/15 "2003-05-08T20:16:14Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Donovan \*
> **Yes many Canadians sound much like that too.**
Got a source for this assertion? My anecdotal experience of a few hundred thousand Canadians seems to differ, but I’m open to any authoritative source you have.
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### Author:  [@Harli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harli)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/16 "2003-05-08T21:10:13Z")
**Cerowyn** , I believe that the accent (or dialect, more accurately), is attributed to Newfoundland and other Canadian Maritimers.
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### Author:  [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/17 "2003-05-09T02:47:42Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Harli \*
> \*\ ***Cerowyn** , I believe that the accent (or dialect, more accurately), is attributed to Newfoundland and other Canadian Maritimers. \*\*
Newfoundlanders are not Maritimers, nor could their accent be mistaken for any accent of the Maritime provinces (except for Cape Breton).
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### Author:  [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/18 "2003-05-09T21:01:08Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Tamex \*
> \*\*My husband can do the Bobby voice. He learned from watching Howie Mandel’s routine on TV. Apparently, if you push Bobby’s voice out your nose, you get “Ernest the Elf” from the same routine. “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…one of those little blue fuzzy things.” \*\*
And if you can do that and lower the pitch of your voice, you get Bugs’ nemesis, Marvin the Martian.
## Peace.
“Oh, dear. I am now very upset.”
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### Author:  [@Deadly\_Nightlight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deadly_Nightlight)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/19 "2003-05-09T23:05:01Z")
I knew a lady that was born and raised in New Hampshire that talked just like bobbies mom doncha know
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### Author:  [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbys-world-accent/172779/20 "2003-05-10T04:06:58Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Spurious George \*
> \*\*What does this word ‘aina’ mean and how would it be used? \*\*
It means, “Don’t you think?”, and is used at the end of sentences. More [Milwaukee-isms](http://www.retrocom.com/retromilw/milwretrofun.htm) found here.
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