I memba how it used to be.

My Maine accent was heaviest before 7th grade. That's when tracking started in the Portland Public Schools. I was tracked into classes primarily with first generation Mainers (people whose parents had moved to Portland from elsewhere for work and, hence, spoke without heavy Maine accents). I became very self-conscious about my own accent - but, of course, I was insecure about everything during the dark and terrible middle school years.

I used to say "memba" instead of remember. Na Hampsha instead of New Hampshire. Propity instead of property. I could go on and on. I did have a bit of a Maine accent left when I got to college - most obvious in words that I hadn't had much opportunity to use off the island. At the end of my first year of college I went on a road trip to Sault Ste. Marie with some friends. There was a monument to ship building or sea-faring or something. In the center of the monument was a large propeller. I said, "Look at that cool old propella."

When I learned of this survey, I decided to see how much my Maine-ish has been diluted by my years in the Midwest. Of course, Yankee is an awfully broad category, especially for an instrument that claims to distinguish between Midwest and Upper Midwest, but we can see that I am less than 50% yankee. It's sad, really.

Your Linguistic Profile:

45% Yankee

35% General American English

15% Upper Midwestern

5% Dixie

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?