Linguistic boundaries [was: A novel notion of "balance"]

[Laurence Horn]

On Jan 13, 2014, at 12:12 PM, Alice Faber wrote:

> On 1/13/14 12:03 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>> On Jan 13, 2014, at 11:38 AM, Paul Johnston wrote:
>>
>>> How do the Red Sox/Yankees divisions correlate with variables such as whether the vowel in cart (rhotic or not) is front or back, and whether cot is rounded or unrounded?
>>
>> I'd guess in one direction:  Boston side of isogloss --> Red Sox fan, but not vice versa.  As I say, just a guess.
>>
>
> Also, consider the eye-dialect spelling SAWX, even (maybe especially) by
> speakers with a NY-style COT/CAUGHT contrast.
>
I remember one of the ESPN SportsCenter anchors (Kenny Mayne, maybe?  He's the one who does "'Skansin" in a nice facsimile of a Wisconsin accent) distinguishing the Sawx and the Sacks, the latter being the Chicago White Sox of course.  There's a much (over-)played commercial for State Farm and their "Discount Double Check" airing currently, with two guys doing exaggerated but still recognizable Chicago/Northern Cities fronted vowels (a spin-off of the old "Da Bears" bit on SNL).  In fact it's now spelled "Discount Daaa-ble Check" at the end of the commercial:
http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7bJn/state-farm-discount-double-check-turbulence-feat-aaron-rodgers.
Very dialect-aware, in its way.

LH

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