i just wanted to know… cuz i have a friend going to BU
To start, shouldn’t this be in the Pit? To toss some fuel on the fire, though… The orignal question was vauge enough that I didn’t know the topic, and, like Waterj2, I live in Massachusetts (and proudly have for my entire life). Cut the 'tude, admit that it was a vauge question, and relax. No need to get all in a tizzy over a clarification errror. Geez.
But moving on:
The name “Massachusetts” did not arrive on a boat, it walked down from current-day New Hampshire. An Algonquian tribe called the Massachuset lived there, and thus the Massachusetts Bay was named after them. When Boston was colonized in 1630, the Puritans called it the “Massachusetts Bay Colony,” after the Massachusetts Bay Company that they had formed to make the trip over here. I’d say how they pronounced the name (or a corruption thereof) is where our “funny way” of pronouncing our name came from.
To Waterj2: We’re not “Massachusettians,” we’re Bay Staters. At least thats what the General Court says. I’d figure they’d somehow throw the word “Massachusetts” in there, but what do I know.
And finally, from Notthemama:
Between you and me, if you ever use the words “Massachusetts” and “Yankee” in the same sentence again, I’d break your kneecaps. Any true Bay Stater would be offended by it…keep those pin-striped fools in the Armpit (sorry, New York) where they belong 
Jeremy…
Nobody ever calls me after they’ve done something smart.
What I was attempting to explain was that there is no specific cause to the fact that people in a certain area speak one way. Massachusetts was first inhabited by English speakers in 1620. They were from England, so they all spoke like seventeenth century Englishmen. Over the intervening 380 years of being isolated from England, they developed their own way of speaking. There have been many waves of immigrants, as well as continual contact with other Americans as well. People in other parts of the country developed other ways of talking. There is nothing terribly unique about Massachusetts, we have to have some sort of accent.
OgreFade, I have no idea why everyone had such a fit over your OP. Honestly, I think everyone has either had too much caffeine or not enough fiber. I would apologize on behalf of people but I’d probably get flamed for that and too much room has been taken up already. This habit of attacking people for not doing things precisely as you would have liked has gotten out of hand. But since this is not the Pit**
Okay, now that that is out of the way, I have no idea why people from Massachusetts speak that way! I guess it’s just a way to make sure that no matter how hard we try, we can’t all be exactly the same! Diversity is good! The accent is probably able to be traced back to the original settlers of that area. (That sentence made no sense!)
“You don’t have insurance? Well, just have a seat and someone will be with you after you die.” --Yes, another quality sig custom created by Wally!
A Jesusfied sig: Next time I covet thine opinion, I’ll ask for it!
you officially did NOT READ!! I ADMITTED IT!!! FUCK THIS!
I WROTE A BAD QUESTION. I’M WORTHLESS ON THE MB OK? I WROTE A BAD QUESTION!!! Happy accusing me? THANKS.
NO one can answer this question… moderator I’d be happy if you closed this stupid topic. I messed up… I quit. I’m not going to post anything again. Call me a poor sport I can take only so much.
Screw this place. I Don’t need it. All i wanted was two questions both were legit all i got was smart ass answers… and flames. FUCK IT.
if you really feel the need to flame me more… Then email me. OgreFade@yahoo.com
cya later… ihope you’re all proud.
KCB15, you’ve lived your entire life in Massachusetts, you’re proud of this, you repeat a number of my sentiments, and your name is Jeremy? Are you sure you’re not me?
From Waterj2:
Sure am…we’re from different parts of the Commonwealth. The rest of the Bay Staters think us people from the Fall River (pronounced: Fall Riv-uh) area talk funny. I just emailed you a little list about our peculiarities, if you haven’t seen it before, I’m sure you’ll agree with it.
Oh, I forgot to add something to may last post regarding what people from Massachusetts are called. People from down north (yes, down north, its a local thing), particularly Maine and New Hampshire from my experience, call us “Massholes.” And yes, we take it as a complement.
Jeremy…
Nobody ever calls me after they’ve done something smart.
:::looks around:::
What the hell happened here?
God is my co-pilot. Blame Him.
Dear Ogrefade,
Try the book version of that excellent series “The Story of English” which from memory devoted a whole chapter to New England accents. I think it aired on PBS or whatever that educational channel is called.
I hate to say this but I was puzzled as to whether this was a question about the Pope’s accent!
Excellent suggestion. You should see if you can get a copy of the PBS series. It is wonderful and includes (of course!) several auditory examples of how the Massachusetts accent varies from area to area.
“You don’t have insurance? Well, just have a seat and someone will be with you after you die.” --Yes, another quality sig custom created by Wally!
A Jesusfied sig: Next time I covet thine opinion, I’ll ask for it!
Ogrefade
And to think that I thought your post name was fairly cool
Sorry to read that you are rather hacked off right now.I only just caught your other thread, guess I didn’t help, eh?
BTW I think I straight insulted you ,not pleasant I know, but I felt that you jumped down my throat rather on the first post I made to this thread after you took a chunk out of someone else.Maybe my comment was too strong. A simple wittily coined put down by you would have been enough ,maybe no comment from me would have been better still.
One thing I did not do was make any threats however .If you look back you’ll see that you made a comment as to how small you think I am and how large you are and what you could do if you were inclined.
You then posited several scenarios where you suggested that it was possible that you could be all manner of things and have all manner of motivations, before you told me what you are.
That,to me, was impied threat but I could be wrong.
Since I don’t know you then it is reasonable to assume you do not know me, so how could you assume that I would not have the answer you sought?
You would not know that I am quite interested in social history but it is true.
If you want to come across as more threatening then why not do it all in lower case?I find that when I’m shouted at I don’t worry one little bit but when people talk quietly I take great heed of what they have to say-a quiet angry man is much more dangerous,it suggests thought, rationality and self control.
BjOrn’s thread about sarcasm (which is quite hard to follow) applies well in this case.Sometimes the way something is meant is lost when the disarming body language and tone that goes with speech is not available.
So , was I wrong to hurt you, unreservedly yes, I was ignorant of the fact that you were having a bad time and I could have been more polite.
When you said accent in mass. I thought you were asking whether it was mass-a-CHU-setts or MASS-a-chu-setts or mass-a-chu-SETTS or mass-A-chu-setts.
To everyone who flamed the OP, I have a new question:
Who pissed on your corn flakes?
Anyone on this side of the pond that couldn’t figure out he was talking about Massachusetts must be a dimwit. And the accent there decidedly is NOT British. The question has legitimacy.
Ogrefade, if I may make a suggestion: Spelling and grammar mistakes are like gasoline near an open flame on this message board. Your posts have been rife with them. If such mistakes are your Achille’s Heel, just keep on posting, ignore the attacks and posters here and there will help you answer your questions. But I’d work on it, m’kay?
“We are here for this – to make mistakes and to correct ourselves, to withstand the blows and to hand them out.” Primo Levi
I don’t think you can talk about a single “Massachusetts” accent–there are a range of accents, partly based on economic class. William F. Buckley’s “upper class” accent is, I think, a conscious attempt to “sound English”. But both the Kennedys and your average Boston cabbie have very distinctive and different accents, and neither group sounds similar to me to any British accent I’ve ever heard, although for all I know there is a small British port somewhere where “everyone talks like that”.
Closed at the request of the OP.