First off, let me say that it's a good thing that Michelle doesn't know about the blog or I'd be in real trouble for the entry I'm about to write. Since I'm totally safe, though, here goes.
I'll just say it outright: Michelle has a Utah accent. She denies this, and it's a pretty touchy subject for her, so don't tell her that I said anything about it. When you talk with her, just pretend you can understand everything she's saying even if some of the words are unclear or strange-sounding.
(True story, although I shouldn't have to specify that because everything I say on the blog is absolutely true: When I first met Michelle, she told me she'd been to "Wells." I couldn't figure out what she was talking about until I finally realized that she meant "Wales." I'm not making that up. It rilly happened.)
To help her blend in a little more when she comes here next month, I've been coaching her on the pronunciation of some of the Twin Cities suburbs. I've given her these five names to practice: Wayzata, Edina, Mahtomedi, New Prague, and Vadnais Heights. These names are the Minnesota equivalents of Hurricane, Utah, which, as you probably know, is not pronounced the way you would normally pronounce the word "hurricane." Same with Tremonton and Tooele.
I just gave Michelle a quiz, and she was zero for five, so she's definitely got some prep work to do before she actually gets here. I'm hoping Ryan and Jenny can give her some coaching before she gets here. It has to be subtle, though. Don't let her know that you're coaching her. Just casually slip in some comments like, "Michelle, which would you like to visit while you're in the Twin Cities: Wayzata, Edina, or Mahtomedi?" or, "Michelle, did you know that Vadnais Heights is famous for [whatever the heck Vadnais Heights is famous for]?" Things like that. We'll have her talking like a native Minnesotan in no time, dontcha know?
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1 comment:
Don't forget Shakopee.
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