The above is from an episode of the Simpsons. Mayor Quimby's nephew, who has a Boston accent, gets angry at a French waiter, because he doesn't pronounce the word "chowder" properly. He would say "showder", in a snooty french accent. While the nephew pronounced it as, "Chowda! Chowda!" So, what reminded me of this? An article I found on the BostonChannel.com:
'Baahston' Accent Wreaking Havoc On 411
Verizon Tweaking Automated System
POSTED: 5:28 pm EST November 4, 2004
UPDATED: 7:39 pm EST November 4, 2004
BOSTON -- If you have ever had a tough time understanding Boston's famous accent, you're not alone.
Chrissy Conroy has a Boston accent. When she called Verizon 411 nformation for the Barker Tavern in Situate, she ended up waiting on the line for a live operator.
"Bahhkahh Tavirn," she told the operator.
"(The operator) understood me," she said.
"We certainly recognize that Boston has some unique accents and we take a close look at how the service responds to the Boston and the Massachusetts area," said John Vicenzo, of Verizon.
Verizon's new voice recognition system is still learning the ways of Boston speak.
"Worcester is one of those we have had to put into the voice recognition system so it can understand the meaning," said Vicenzo.
But how about a simple name like Newton?
"(The system) made me repeat it once, went to the computer twice, then I went to a human being," said Bostonian Sarah Dunleavy.
Verizon said the more often the new system hears certain words pronounced, the quicker it will learn to recognize the Boston accent.
"Over time, it will be like you will be talking to a human," said Vicenzo.
Until then, Bostonians will just have to wait patiently on the line.
Copyright 2004 by TheBostonChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted by Valkyre at November 6, 2004 11:01 PM