h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So, I'm watching lpb, the local PBS station. ('Shetland') is the program.

Why does the local announcer have a British accent while listing the local events and shows? Not that I mind the accent. Just kind of weird to hear that listing the events in Louisiana.

I would expect a drawl or even y'at speak.

You're lucky if you can understand what the announcer is saying.

I can't tell you how many times I've picked up the phone and had no idea what the person on the other end was saying.

Both the Southern drawl and the Bahston accent evolved from English accents over time.

The drawl is one thing.

Cajun French is not the same as 'Parisian French'. My dad's family spoke Parisian French. In something like 1927 or so, Dad was told they had to speak and write only in English at school. It was un American to use French. When Dad was in Europe, 1943-45, he could read the maps that were printed in French, and talk to the locals in French with no problem. I asked him once why he didn't sound like our aunts and uncles. His answer was 'I left that accent somewhere in Europe.'. His brother who moved to California after the war, he had been in the Pacific, didn't sound like the others either.

His mother never really spoke anything but French. She got her point across in a conversation, but I had to have Dad or an aunt translate what she actually said.

Other grandmother spoke and read English and French. Not sure about Spanish. Her husband's family was from the Canary Islands.

I grew up in a different area where there are a lot of y'alls and yeehas and line dancing to country music of which I am not very fond.

But, I went to Catholic schools in Baton Rouge with kids from there and several other surrounding cities like Central, Baker Clinton, Plaquemine, Brusly, Port Allen.

I don't sound Southern most of the time. I get 'where are you from?' a lot. Then I tell them 'here'.

Cajun French is French, German and Italian and some African words like Gumbo and Jambalaya.

Y'at speak is just in New Orleans. And it is not the same as Cajun.

Where Y'at= Where are you at?

Ay Boo= Hey + term of casual endearment, similar to 'sugar' in the drawl

Dey at church, dey's Catlick = They are at church because they are Catholic

Dat= That
Dey=They
Dem=Them

NOLA. The Big Easy.

A cultural mecca of a sort, but not easy to copy. Maybe the rate of adult diabetes is something that should *not* be copied. On the other hand, when the next hurricane brings floods, fat will help residents be buoyant enough to float.

Gallows humor, I guess. Hope you aren't offended.

I am not from New Orleans nor do I live in New Orleans. I have been there, less often since Katrina. Mainly because the storm damaged and put out of business some of the places we used to visit.

We went to Wizard World Comic Con a couple of times, but that's at the Morial Convention Center, which is huge and everything is indoors. We saw Matt Smith, William Shatner and others.

Hundreds show up as Marvel characters, various sci fi characters and even jawas and sand people (I was hugged by a sand person). K-9 however cruised right past us. There was a TARDIS every fifty feet or so. We took pictures in one. In New Orleans it is tough to tell cosplay from Mardi Gras. People walk in with light sabers and blasters, swords and similar. Not even a blink from security. The Bat mobile and Kit were there (inside). The De Lorean was supposed to be as well. We never saw it.

There was also a car show same parking lot different side. And, a third event near by.

We attended the seminar about Lovecraft and William Shatner's talk.

I also had a teenager yell down the huge escalator, 'Hey! I have that same Doctor Who shirt! I wore the other one. '.

My sister and nephew like to go to events like that. In a week or two, they will spend four days at a science fiction convention.