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A Baltimore accent, also known as Baltimorese (sometimes jokingly written Bawlmerese
or Ballimorese, to mimic the accent), commonly refers to an accent or sub-variety of
Philadelphia English Philadelphia English is a variety or dialect of American English native to Philadelphia and extending into Philadelphia's metropolitan area throughout the Delaware Valley, including southeastern Pennsylvania, counties of northern Delaware (es ...
that originates among
blue-collar A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...
residents of
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
, Maryland. It extends into the
Baltimore metropolitan area The Baltimore–Columbia–Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Central Maryland, is a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in Maryland as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). As of the 2010 Census, t ...
and northeastern Maryland."The Relevatory Power of Language"
''Maryland Humanities Council''. April 14, 2017.
At the same time, there is considerable linguistic diversity within Baltimore, which complicates the notion of a singular "Baltimore accent". According to linguists, the accent and dialect of black Baltimoreans is different from the variety spoken by white blue-collar Baltimoreans. White working-class families who migrated out of Baltimore city along the Maryland Route 140 and
Maryland Route 26 Maryland Route 26 (MD 26) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Liberty Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 15 (US 15) in Frederick east to MD 140 in Baltimore. MD 26 connects Frederick and ...
corridors brought local pronunciations with them, creating colloquialisms that make up the Baltimore accent.


Pronunciation

The Baltimore accent that originated among white
blue-collar A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...
residents closely resembles blue-collar Philadelphia-area English pronunciation in many ways. These two cities are the only major ports on the Eastern Seaboard never to have developed nonrhotic speech among European American speakers; they were greatly influenced in their early development by Hiberno-English, Scottish English, and
West Country English West Country English is a group of English language varieties and accents used by much of the native population of South West England, the area sometimes popularly known as the West Country. The West Country is often defined as encompass ...
. Due to the significant similarity between the speeches of Baltimore, Philadelphia, Delaware and southern New Jersey,
sociolinguist Sociolinguistics is the descriptive study of the effect of any or all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used, and society's effect on language. It can overlap with the sociology of l ...
s refer to them collectively as the Mid-Atlantic regional dialect. In Baltimore accents, sounds around are often "smoothed" or
elided In linguistics, an elision or deletion is the omission of one or more sounds (such as a vowel, a consonant, or a whole syllable) in a word or phrase. However, these terms are also used to refer more narrowly to cases where two words are run toget ...
. For example, a word like ''bureau'' is commonly pronounced (e.g., Federal ''Beer-o'' of Investigation) and ''mirror'' is commonly pronounced "mere"; the related mare–mayor merger also exists.


Vowels

* shifts to or even . When word-final and spelled as ''-ow'', it is pronounced like , resulting in spellings like ''pilla'' for ''pillow'' and ''winda'' for ''window''. * fronts to or . *u-fronting occurs, where the vowel can be fronted to . *No
cot–caught merger The ''cot''–''caught'' merger or merger, formally known in linguistics as the low back merger, is a sound change present in some dialects of English where speakers do not distinguish the vowel phonemes in "cot" and "caught". "Cot" and "caugh ...
: The words ''cot'' and ''caught'' do not rhyme, with the latter vowel maintaining a raised position. Likewise, the word ''on'' rhymes with ''dawn'' and not ''don''. *As in Philadelphia, the word ''water'' is often pronounced as ''wooder'' or, more uniquely, . *As in most Mid-Atlantic cities, short ''a'' is pronounced with a phonemic split: for example, the word ''sad'' does not rhyme with the word ''mad'' . Pronunciation is dependent upon a complex system of rules that differ from city to city. Tensing is also common in the Mid-Atlantic Region, with speakers in Baltimore adapting the Philadelphia pattern on intervocalic vowels. For more details on the Philadelphia, New York, and Baltimore systems see '' :/æ/ raising''. *The vowel in words like ''start'' is often raised and backed, resulting in a vowel close to . Likewise, as in ''bore'' can shift as high as as in ''boor''. This pattern has also been noted to occur in Philadelphia and New York. *
Canadian raising Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source o ...
occurs for before voiceless consonants, as in Philadelphia; for instance, the word ''like'' ʌikbegins with a higher nucleus than ''live'' aɪv *On the other hand, may undergo smoothing before liquids, becoming before and /l/; e.g., ''fire'' is pronounced as , in which a popular Baltimore Christmas joke: "Why were the three Wise men covered with soot?" "Because they came from afar." * is often eliminated entirely from a word when before a consonant; e.g. Annapolis = Naplis, cigarette = cigrette, company = compny.


Consonants

* ''Th''–stopping occurs, where the dental fricatives may be realized as stops ( respectively); for instance, ''this'' may sound more like ''dis''. * ''L''–vocalization is common. The sound is often replaced by the semivowel or glide and/or or . Pronunciation of words like ''middle'' and ''college'' become and respectively. * Epenthetic often occurs; notably, ''wash'' is pronounced as , popularly written as ''warsh'', and ''Washington'' is pronounced as ''Warshington''. *As is common in many US dialects, is frequently elided after , thus ''hunter'' is pronounced .


Lexicon

The following is a list of words and phrases used in the Baltimore area that are used much less or differently in other American English dialects. *''down the ocean'' – (eye-dialect spellings include ''dayown the ocean'' or ''downy ocean'') "down to/on/at the ocean", most likely referring to Ocean City, Maryland. *''hon'' – a popular term of endearment, short for ''honey'', often used at the end of a sentence. This word has been a popular marker of Baltimore culture, as represented in the annua
Honfest summer festival
and in landmarks such as the Hontown store and the Café Hon restaurant. *''natty boh'' – local slang for the beer originally brewed in Baltimore,
National Bohemian National Bohemian Beer, colloquially Natty Boh, is an American lager originating from Baltimore, Maryland. It was first brewed in 1885 by the National Brewing Company, but was eventually purchased by Pabst Brewing Company. Nearly 90 percent of ...
. *''pavement'' (commonly pronounced "payment") – means "sidewalk" (which is used rarely). *''went up'' (shortened from "went up to heaven") – commonly used when an appliance dies; e.g., our refrigerator went up *''yo'' – as a gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun African-American Baltimore English includes the words ''lor'' for "little", ''rey'' for ''ready'' (associated with Baltimore users of Black Twitter),Jones, T. (2015) Toward a description of African American Vernacular English dialect regions using “Black Twitter.” American Speech, 90(4): 403-440. doi:10.1215/00031283-3442117 and ''woe'' for a close friend.


Ethnic variation

According to linguists, the "hon" dialect that is popularized in the media and that derives historically from the speech of by White
blue-collar A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...
residents of South, and Southeast
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
is not the only accent spoken in the region. There is also a particular Baltimore accent found among Black Baltimoreans. For example, among Black speakers, Baltimore is pronounced more like "Baldamore," as compared to "Bawlmer." Other notable phonological characteristics include vowel centralization before (such that words such as "carry" and "parents" are often pronounced as "curry" or "purrents", and "Aaron earned an iron urn" might sound like "Urrun urned un urn urn") and the mid-centralization of , particularly in the word "dog," often pronounced like "dug," and "frog," as "frug." The accent and dialect of African-American Baltimoreans also share features of
African American English African-American English (or AAE; also known as Black American English, or Black English in American linguistics) is the set of English sociolects spoken by most Black people in the United States and many in Canada; most commonly, it refers t ...
. The African-American Baltimore accent, or a variation thereof, is also shared by many African Americans throughout Maryland, and is present among African Americans in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
, Prince George's County, Montgomery County, and other parts of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area. Although the Baltimore accent of White working-class Baltimoreans has historically been analyzed and popularized in media more than the African-American Baltimore accent, the latter has gained fame on the internet through
internet memes An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
spread through social media, such as the "Baltimore accent challenge", and a video of a Baltimorean barber speaking and singing in an exaggerated Baltimore accent that has become popular as a meme on YouTube.


Notable examples of native speakers


Lifelong speakers

*
Ben Cardin Benjamin Louis Cardin (born October 5, 1943) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maryland, a seat he has held since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously was the U.S. representa ...
– Maryland U.S. Senator (2007–present) *
Mary Pat Clarke Mary Pat Clarke (born June 22, 1941) is an American politician who represented the 14th district in the Baltimore City Council. She served in Baltimore, Maryland politics as both council president and council member for 24 out of the last 35 ye ...
– Baltimore City Councilwoman (1975–present) *
Divine Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine< ...
– Actor/Performer *
Charley Eckman Charles Markwood Eckman Jr. (September 10, 1921 – July 3, 1995) was an American basketball head coach and professional basketball referee for the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was also a sports broadcaster. Early life Eckman was bor ...
– NBA coach and referee, sportscaster *
Mel Kiper Jr. Mel Kiper Jr. (; born July 25, 1960) is an analyst covering American football for ESPN. He has appeared on ESPN's annual NFL draft coverage since 1984, providing in-depth information on the nation's potential draft picks. Career Kiper said th ...
Football analyst for
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The co ...
*
Barbara Mikulski Barbara Ann Mikulski ( ; born July 20, 1936) is an American politician and social worker who served as a United States senator from Maryland from 1987 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she also served in the United States House of Repr ...
– Maryland U.S. Senator (1987– 2017) *
Felicia Pearson Felicia Pearson (born May 18, 1980) is an American actress, rapper and author. She played Felicia "Snoop" Pearson on ''The Wire'' and wrote a 2007 memoir, '' Grace After Midnight,'' detailing her troubled childhood and time in prison for second ...
– Actress on '' The Wire'' *
Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
– Baseball Hall of Famer * John Waters – Actor/Filmmaker * Nancy Pelosi – U.S. House Speaker from Baltimore


In popular culture


Films

The films of John Waters, many of which have been filmed in and around Baltimore, often attempt to capture the Baltimore accent, particularly the early films. For example, John Waters uses his own Baltimore accent in the commentary during his film ''
Pink Flamingos ''Pink Flamingos'' is a 1972 American film directed, written, produced, narrated, filmed, and edited by John Waters. It is part of what Waters has labelled the "Trash Trilogy", which also includes '' Female Trouble'' (1974) and '' Desperate Liv ...
''.
John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' (1 ...
's character in the 2007 version of John Waters's ''
Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...
'' spoke with an exaggerated Baltimore accent. Likewise, several of the films of
Barry Levinson Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as ''Diner'' (1982); ''The Natural'' (1984); ''Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987); '' ...
are set in and around Baltimore during the 1940s-1960s, and employ the Baltimore accent. Michael Tucker who ''was'' born and raised in Baltimore, speaks with a West Baltimore accent.


Television

Television drama series '' Homicide: Life on the Streets'' and '' The Wire'' are both set in Baltimore and include actors who are native White and Black Baltimoreans. In the early '' Homicide: Life on the Streets'' episode "Three Men and Adena", a suspect, Risley Tucker, describes how he can tell whereabouts in or around the city a person comes from simply by whether they pronounce the city's name as "Balti-maw", "Balti-moh", or "Bawl-mer". In Season 4, Episode 7 of '' The Tracey Ullman Show'', Baltimore actor Michael Tucker portrays the father of Ullman's character JoJo. The skit is set in a Baltimore row house. Tucker advises Ullman to "take a Liverpool accent and Americanize it." The episode called "The Stoops" begins with Tracey washing her marble stoops, which are the most common small porches attached to most Baltimore town homes (called row houses in Baltimore). In the ''
30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', takes ...
'' episode, "
I Do Do "I Do Do" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the fourth season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock'', and the 80th overall episode of the series. It was directed by series producer Don Scardino, and written by series ...
", Elizabeth Banks parodies the accent by portraying Avery Jessup, the spokesperson for the fictional Overshoppe.com in a flashback scene. Kathy Bates' character on the "Freak Show" season of ''
American Horror Story ''American Horror Story'' is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX. The first installment in the '' American Story'' media franchise, each season is conceived as a ...
'' was inspired by a Baltimore accent. Whether it was on his ESPN Radio show or '' SportsCenter at Night'',
Scott Van Pelt Scott Van Pelt (born ) is an American sportscaster and sports talk show host. He co-anchored the 11 p.m. edition of ''SportsCenter'' on ESPN, served as the co-host of '' SVP & Russillo'' alongside Ryen Russillo on ESPN Radio, and hosts various ...
always ended his segments with Tim Kurkjian by mentioning names in a Baltimore accent featuring at least one fronted ' o'.


Music

Singer-songwriter Mary Prankster uses several examples of Baltimore slang in her song, "Blue Skies Over Dundalk," from the album of the same name, including, "There'll be O's fans going downy ocean, hon."


Podcasts

Jason La Canfora Jason La Canfora (born April 14, 1974) is an American sportswriter, radio host, and television sports analyst. Career Television La Canfora joined NFL Network and NFL.com before the 2009 season and served as an NFL insider and reporter until ...
, host of the ''B-More Opinionated'' podcast with Jerry Coleman and resident of Dundalk, regularly discussed events of the National Football League for ''The Tony Kornheiser Show'' and will end the segment plugging his own podcast in a heavy Baltimore accent. The accent is so distinct that his dog, Copper, will react to it, barking constantly because he knows it is time for a walk. Comedians Stavros Halkias and Nick Mullen of the ''
Cum Town ''Cum Town'' was a comedy podcast that was hosted by New York City-based comedians Nick Mullen, Stavros Halkias, and Adam Friedland, and produced between 2016 and 2022. During its run, it was consistently one of the most popular podcasts on P ...
'' podcast both hail from the Baltimore/DMV area and use the accent to discuss topics and stories related to Baltimore and the Mid-Atlantic region. Halkias's recurring Dundalk Ralph character is frequently used to mock the white working class culture of the Dundalk suburb.


See also

*
Culture of Baltimore The city of Baltimore, Maryland, has been a predominantly working-class town through much of its history with several surrounding affluent suburbs and, being found in a Mid-Atlantic state but south of the Mason-Dixon line, can lay claim to a b ...
* List of people from Baltimore *
Regional vocabularies of American English Regional vocabulary within American English varies. Below is a list of lexical differences in vocabulary that are generally associated with a region. A term featured on a list may or may not be found throughout the region concerned, and may or ...


References


Bibliography

* * * * *


External links


Baltimore Hon
(A through dictionary of Baltimorese)
Baltimorese (with some audio)
*

, Evolution Publishing *In March 2011, the VOA Special English service of the
Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...
broadcast a 15-minute feature on Bawlmerese, written and voiced by longtime VOA Special English announcer, photographer, voice-over artist, and Baltimore nativ
Steve Ember
A transcript and MP3 of the program – intended for those want to learn American English – can be found a

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baltimore Dialect American English American slang City colloquials European-American culture in Baltimore White American culture in Baltimore Working-class culture in Baltimore Languages of Maryland