[Ads-l] Antedating of "Blaccent"

[Ben Zimmer]

In that era, the phrase "black accent(s)" often appeared in descriptions of
dresses, shoes, and the like, so my guess is it has something to do with
that.

On Wed, Aug 6, 2025 at 10:53 AM Stephen Goranson <
0000179d4093b2d6-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> I also wondered what the word could have meant. If not a typo.
> So far, sadly, I could not exclude (having been researching Dixie lately),
> a black-mocking minstrel-like take, such as a two-person skit with
> misunderstandings.
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> Shapiro, Fred <00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 6, 2025 10:33 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Antedating of "Blaccent"
>
> Thanks for the correction, Ben !  My apologies for the obvious antedative
> over-reach.
>
> I wonder what the Missouri high school girls meant by "blaccent" ?
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Ben
> Zimmer <00001aae0710f4b7-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 5, 2025 11:14 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Antedating of "Blaccent"
>
> It seems highly unlikely that this is the "blaccent" that the OED defines
> as "a way of speaking that uses the pronunciation, cadences, or grammatical
> features of African American English." The 1959 cite is about Missouri high
> school girls in a talent show put on by the Future Homemakers of America.
>
> On Tue, Aug 5, 2025 at 3:32 PM Shapiro, Fred <
> 00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> > blaccent (OED 1986)
> >
> > 1959 Carrollton (Mo.) Weekly Democrat 13 Feb.4/7 (Newspapers.com)
> >
> > Talent night was held Thursday night. ... The following won ... a skit
> > "Blaccent."
>
>

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