[Magdalen] Rhode Island Red.

[ME Michaud]

We spend time in Rhode Island and you're right.

Southern Rhode Island is also full of blondes, which Boston is most
definitely not.

Here's my theory: blame Cape Cod. Before the canal was built, Cape
Cod was a notorious and dangerous hazard to navigation. It's not
just that it's surrounded by shifting sandbars and shallows, but also,
alas, the locals were wont to light fires on the beaches and waggle
lanterns in the air and generally try to cause grounding of ships (a
form of piracy, in fact). Like Tight Little Island with an evil twist.

So people in southern Rhode Island did the back&forth trade with
Long Island, not Massachusetts.

Oh, and remember that, before the federal highway system was
built, most trade in New England and the Maritimes went by sea.
Many people who claim their ancestors were "sea captains," are
actually descended from the eighteenth century equivalent of
truck drivers. Daring men who risked their lives schlepping turnips
and potatoes and cabbages to Boston.
-M

On Monday, December 1, 2014, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
>
> I don't know how William Labov would categorize the Rhode Island  accent,
> but to me it sounds like Long Island, NY with a tough edge.  The  accent
> is non-rhotic as are all New England accents, but the Rhode Island is
> remarkably different than the Boston accent just up the coast.
>