I felt embarassed to have to keep saying "What?", and it didn't help matters that the fellow looked rather...irate.

I know that feeling well -- being embarrassed, that is. When I moved from Southern Ontario (Canada) to Louisiana, it was months before I could listen through a conversation without a "Pardon?". It didn't help that our phone number used to be for the state Wage and Labor division (and still passed around by clueless departments). Loved those upset phone calls at two in the morning...

New Orleans accents were about as easy as they got for me. They actually have an almost Bostonian ring to how they speak. No idea how that came about, but it is one of my favorite of the southern accents.

In my opinion, though, nothing can beat a nice, mellow irish accent.


Ali