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DO YOU SPEAK AMERICAN? heads into the Deep South for a look at Appalachian and “hillbilly,” shaped by the Scots-Irish English of early frontier settlers.
DO YOU SPEAK AMERICAN? heads into the Deep South for a look at
Appalachian and "hillbilly," shaped by the Scots-Irish English of
early frontier settlers like Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett.
Footage of the legendary North Carolina storyteller Ray Hicks, who
died in 2003, captures a prime example of the dialect, and in
Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, "country talkin'" seems to be alive and
kicking. MacNeil gets a firsthand glimpse into the world of CB
radio thanks to Spanky the Trucker, whose nephew, the country
singer Cody James - an Oregon native - discusses how speaking
"country" has become a national trend. During a performance before
a packed house, the popular stand-up comedian Jeff Foxworthy
imparts the meaning of words like manaze (pronounced "may-naze")
and witchudidga (pronounced "witch-uh-did-yuh"). Then, it's on to
the bayou for a night of traditional dancing at Fred's Lounge in
Mamou, Louisiana, where owner Tante (Aunt) Sue speaks English
smothered in Cajun overtones. At a barbecue on the Bar J Ranch
outside of Beesville, Texas, cowboys recite their poetry and point
out the Spanish roots of words like bronco, stampede, corral and
rodeo. Songwriter and novelist Kinky Friedman, a "professional
Texan," talks about cattywhompus and larrupin, and in Austin,
journalist and commentator Molly Ivins sits down with MacNeil to
share her thoughts on true Texan English. Finally, MacNeil
investigates the controversy created by the town of El Cenizo,
Texas, which has adopted Spanish as its "official" language.