Did he have the celebrated “Boston Brahmin” accent, or was it a psuedo-Brit affectation? I always thought it sounded similar to the accent of William F. Buckley, Jr., who I believe was not reared in Boston.
What exactly is a Boston Brahmin accent? Whom is it spoken by–merely the elite, old-money types? Middle class?
In all my years, I’ve never heard this accent in person. Is it in evidence among the Gen X set of Boston, or a passing phenomenon? How widespread, numerically and geographically?
I haven’t heard that he is dead, but if so RIP George.
I do believe his accent was decidedly Swamp Yankee. Old money, would never say the word spanky, and certainly had more money than God could count.
I live in Connecticut which is both the richest and poorest state in the union - I think we still are - and we have our fair share of extremely rich folk who sit around all day in their large victorians wearing rockport loafers, no sox, khaki pant’s and a polo-shirt with the collar up. They all sound just like George.
Yes he is gone. Quite sad, as he just had a daughter not many years back. By strange coincidence, I actually became quite good friends with his (ex-)in-laws here in Manhattan. The wife is also old money, as Phlosphr mentions, and she talks exactly the same way.
"He speaks with an oddly mannered accent, sounding as though on the verge of a stammer, polite, genteel, perhaps just a little Woosterish. There was intellectual heft in the Plimpton genes too: one Ames was a Professor of Botany, another was Governor of Massachusetts, another relation was a publisher, and yet another a writer-philanthropist fascinated with the subject of how the great figures of the past were educated… Young George’s educational path was precisely that of a
silk-stockinged New Englander - private schools (he was
expelled from the very expensive, very WASP-y Philips
Exeter Academy after an incident involving a
Revolutionary musket, a stairwell and a housemaster),
Harvard (where he edited the Lampoon), King’s College,
Cambridge.
Larchmont Lockjaw? Haven’t heard that term in years. Could it be fairly said that Plimptom had it? LL is typified, I think, but an almost clenching of the teeth while talking, producing a mushy sound, if you will. Speaking of which, didn’t the young Jackie Kennedy have something of this, along with a kinda dreamy, airy, Monroe-esque (though many degrees less contrived) essence to it?
Back to Plimpton… I don’t remember the LL affect at all. It’s something different, and I’ve not encountered that in the mid-Atlantic.
“In this case, “Mid-Atlantic” refers to speech in which the attributes of British English and American English meet halfway. The clearest example of the Mid-Atlantic accent is the accent of the Frasier & Niles Crane characters on the TV show Frasier. Actors Nathan Lane (from Jersey City, NJ) and Robin Williams (grew up in SF Bay area) often adopt this accent. I’m having a harder time coming up with clear examples from the other side of the Atlantic, but I’ve heard Alfred Molina (Londoner), and Catherine Zeta-Jones (Welsh) put on a Mid-Atlantic accent from time to time.”
Never heard of this decidedly imprecise term. Ever. I think the term Old Money or patrician pretty much says it.
BTW, I can’t imagine a presidential candidate today getting anywhere close to a nomination with FDR’s accent, cigarette holder, and aristocratic bearing.
On one website, I read about a Choate alumn saying one can still hear the LL (see above thread) accent on campus.
Oh, I suppose we should all just lavish praise upon Carnac the Magnificent now for bringing this to your attention, is that it? Congratulations Carnac, for posting about George Plimpton’s death at <checks time of OP> 3:44 PM. :rolleyes: I’ve got news for you, buddy, you’re not even second in line!
Oh now, I’m joking, Carnac ( see?), this isn’t some kind of morbid contest to see who can be the first to inform the board of some celebrity’s death. Besides, third is a very respectable showing! With a little more practice, you could give us boys in the big leagues a run for our money. Look out, Wilson!
I’ve rarely heard this accent in real life – but it’s often used by actors “doing” a stereotype character based on other actors’ impersonations! I’ve lived in Boston for 30 years and have never heard a George Plimpton accent; so I guess it must be a Larchmont accent
Your transparent jealousy is very unbecoming, Carnac. I can understand your frustration, but celebrities die every day. You’ll get another shot at the big time, trust me.
He has the same type of patrician upper-class New Yorker accent as Jane Wyatt. She is the product of a line of the original Dutch settlers of New York and grew up in Tuxedo Park and the Gramercy Park area of Manhattan, very exclusive. Her mother, a writer and critic for Commonweal and Catholic World. rejoiced in the name of Euphemia van Renssalaer Wyatt.
So think of Margaret Anderson or Amanda and you can place George.
Those of us whose families are from Larchmont (that would be me) just call it lockjaw. Think of the accent of Jane Hathaway on the Beverly Hillbillies. It includes clear pronunciation of each and every consonant cluster.
Okay, then, are you saying that Plimpton has such as accent? I didn’t know he was from the Larchmont area.
In no way do I recall Plimpton talking in a way that is typically associated with LL–a style which, as I understand it, is associated with unclear pronunciation of most “consonant cluster.” Plimpton had a quasi-Brit patrician accent, which in no way corresponds with the official descriptions of LL that I’ve read on the Net.
Are you saying that the denizens of Larchmont sound like Plimpton did? Please educate me.
see?), this isn’t some kind of morbid contest to see who can be the first to inform the board of some celebrity’s death. Besides, third is a very respectable showing! With a little more practice, you could give us boys in the big leagues a run for our money. Look out, Wilson!