I don’t personally know anybody with that “singsong” voice–you know, like Julia Child or Eleanor Roosevelt–which makes me wonder if it isn’t a taught affectation, like the “transatlantic” accent kids used to learn in finishing school. Does anyone here have any insights into this phenomenon? Is there a male version of it?
Do you mean Locust Valley Lockjaw? It’s just a regional accent from New York that’s associated with the wealthy. It was never very widespread, and is mostly a historical curiosity now, although it’s still occasionally used as a marker of social class in entertainment.
♩ Good mor-ning! ♫
God I hate that.
I think there are many vocal patterns that could be described this way. We knew somebody who was in the early stages of Alzheimers in her 30’s when she tended more and more often to kind of sing phrases instead of saying them; within a year or so she could no longer work and I think she lived another maybe 5 or so years. I have to think of her case as disability or in some way involving disability.
There’s a waitress who works the breakfast shift at a hotel where I regularly stay. She’s a 60-ish lady with a painfully sunny disposition. Who sings while she works. Her “good mornings” are tidbits of songs. She’ll bring your plate with a verse. Delivering ketchup comes with a snippet of aria. She’s got a lovely voice and tells me she’s lead soprano at her church. Before a long workday it’s a silly sweet send-off.
But I bet the folks nursing hangovers just wish she’d shut the **** up. I know some of her coworkers are champion eye-rollers because of it.
She’d drive you right 'round the bend. 
♫ *Good morning,
Good morning!
Life’s sweet with Oroweat
Good morning
Good muffin
To you!
♫ With butter
And jam
Into my mouth I’ll cram
My muffin
This morning
With you!* ♫
That’s got to be one of the most unappetizing dialect names ever.
I’m reminded of when Dr Drew & Adam Carolla did Love Lines. A fair number of times they could tell if a caller had been molested at a young age by the sound of their voice. The common theme was if a caller sounded really young basically their voice stopped maturing at that point. It was weird but consistent.
In the case of this hread, “singsong” refers to a high-pitched airy speaking style associated with society matrons in the 1930s, or with Julia Child or Eleanor Roosevelt. When British comedians do an imitation of the Queen, this is what they lapse into. It may be involuntary, I don’t know, but it’s generally associated with great wealth.
I suspect this thread will get mostly opinions, anecdotes, and speculation, so let’s move it to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
One of my coworkers will slip into a little girl, singsong-y sort of voice. It’s aggravating as hell, but she doesn’t always do it. She sounds like a little girl, and it’s often when she has screwed something up and I think she wants to deflect annoyance by sounding “cute.” She is in her 60s.
I have a near-monotone as my normal speaking voice, but I instantly sing-song when talking to my (or any, really) dogs. Sometimes I do it in front of other people and then catch myself and wonder if they think I’m an idiot and stop.
Well, we’ve a whole county over here where people speak in a sing-song fashion:
Did anybody catch that horrid woman on Jeopardy! last night? Most annoying voice “thing” ever. So glad she lost, 'cause I couldn’t sit through another night of that shit again!
Yeah, what WAS that?
I have a friend who has always had a warbly voice similar to that of Julia Child et al. (Miss Jane Hathaway had a bit of it, too.) My friend grew up going to various international schools in Europe, and has what used to be called a continental accent. Her sisters had the same accent, but not the warbly voice.
I thought this thread was about the Jeopardy lady until I clicked through. I couldn’t tell if it was an affectation or brain damage…