Do You Have a Montana Accent?

Have you ever been to the south or met someone from the south. Don’t you think they have a weird accent? I spent a summer in Louisiana and I was shocked to find out that I was the one with the accent. How could I be the one with the accent? I could barely understand what people there were saying and was certain that most of them weren’t speaking English.

When they asked me where I was from because I had a strange accent it got me thinking. Do I have an accent? What kinds of things do Montanan’s say that are unique to Montana? Do we really sound funny? Of course, the answer to the last question is no.

I found a list of Montana slang. I have to admit that I say quite a few of the things on this list. To me they all seem normal. For example: you betcha, snooze, gopher, Montucky and cowboy up. Who doesn’t say these things? However, most of my friends and myself own a combination of the following; chickens, pigs, horses and cows. I would be willing to bet that most people in other states don’t have these animals roaming around their yards or subdivisions.

Maybe we are the weird ones. Maybe we are the ones with the “accents.” You know what? If having an accent and chickens in my yard makes me a Montanan than I will take it any day of the week.

Joy Larson is a mother of four boys, graduate of the University of Montana, animal lover and writer.