Why would the boy say, “I’m American Flagg!” you ask? I am not, in fact, reading him Howard Chaykin comic books, although we have perused Robocop versus Terminator and How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You. The answer, then?
Well, this is our house, built in 1941 but with back then with neither yellow paint nor flag:
Lest you think we too nationalistic, we are. And thus, the context around American Flag.
Which brings us to the obligatory not-that-nationalistic! part of the post. Which consists entirely of pointing out that our boy can also recognize what he first called the “Emergency Flag,” and later the “Egyptamin flag.” After some time, he managed to pronounce “Egyptian.” We pass said flag every working weekday as we walk past the Egyptian embassy on our way to-and-from the subway.
Which logically brings us to a discussion of my older child’s speech patterns. I am not surprised that he took some time to be able to correctly pronounce “Egyptian.” I am surprised how the boy appears to have a New York accent of the old Old school. As in, he turns “squirrel” in “skwoyel,” and “turtle” into“toitel.” So far, this is not fading.
I now have an explanation of how the old Old New York accent emerged. An accent that I do not share, I might add. Mine is more like this guy, an simple old New York accent. My sister and younger cousins, however, Adam excepted, speak with a more new New York accent. Which gives me an excuse to post a photo of Adam and me from four years ago.
Still, I have to wonder. Is this “er” --> “oi” thing common among toddlers, or is the boy channeling his paternal great-grandfather, born in Jersey City? Come on, parents, I beseech you. Has anyone else noticed their kids doing this?
Comments