Good morning. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
Do you talk like a Californian?
What does a Californian sound like? Can you tell if someone was raised in the Golden State or moved here later in life?
Those who only know our dialect from our many pop culture exports may hear us in their heads as some mix of Valley girl, surfer dude and Saturday Night Live's classic sketches, "The Californians" — plus plenty of like's thrown in.
But in reality, our supposed accent is largely "a figment of our collective imagination," Norma Mendoza-Denton, a professor of anthropology at UCLA, told me this week.
A still from SNL's "The Californians" sketch on April 14, 2012. (NBC)
Her research focuses on understanding different cultures through the evolution of their languages, centering on California.
"The way that you speak is a sort of constellation of all of the different features that are arranged just so to reflect your social history and the way you grew up … your gender, your class, your ethnic identity — all kinds of things about you," she said.
Californians' accents are complex and understudied
The stereotypical sounding Californian is widely known, but actual research into our state's accents is relatively new, Mendoza-Denton said.
For one thing, our big state became the populous place it is today through many generations of migration — from Native Americans to Spanish colonizers to the Gold Rush to the Second Great Migration to the Dust Bowl era to waves of Asian immigrants. An SNL sketch could never reflect that rich linguistic mix.
"That's one of the reasons why California itself is distinctive, but there is no one California accent, even though we are stereotyped as being full of Valley girls and Kardashians," she said.
A still from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Sean Penn's character Spicoli, center, has a classic California surfer accent. (Universal Studios)
To better understand it requires granular, community-level research, which is what Mendoza-Denton is working on in her ongoing project Los Angeles Speaks.
Her students study speech patterns in L.A. neighborhoods, working in collaboration with communities to understand how their language has evolved over time.
Mendoza-Denton shared how her students embedded in Pacific Palisades — before the devastating fire — and learned that longtime residents could tell who was from the neighborhood or not based on how they pronounced certain street names.
What do we know about Californians' distinctive speech patterns?
As we spoke, I wondered if I was unknowingly taking part in the linguist's version of the Voight-Kampff test from "Blade Runner." Could Mendoza-Denton tell that I was a real Californian and not some out-of-state synthetic?
It was quickly obvious to her I was a lifelong Californian, she said, though she humored me with a couple of questions (quiz yourselves at home!).
How do you say "cot?" What about "caught?" If those are indistinguishable, there's a good chance you've lived in California awhile.
How do you say "pony?" Apparently younger Californians tend to say that last word differently than me, a rapidly aging millennial.
Many Californians employ tell-tale "discourse markers," Mendoza-Denton noted, such as "like" and "I was all." And of course there's "hella" — typically a dead giveaway that you're talking to someone from Northern California. But our accents and markers can shift over time, she said, depending on our family, friends, work and other social systems.
Snoop Dogg, left, and E-40 pose for photos before Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland on June 12, 2017. Both are recognized for their California vernacular. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
I also asked how physicality affects the way we speak. One common feature is a lower jaw setting, which some parodic California accents take to the extreme.
We've also perfected what's known as "creaky voice," a low, scratchy register often associated with younger women, Mendoza-Denton said. That California brand of talking has become a sort of phonetic fashion statement, she explained.
"California is turning into a prestige center of speech," she said. "We've configured it and packaged it, and of course … the L.A. area is one of the hubs of communication for the whole country."
Want to help chart Los Angeles' accents?
Mendoza-Denton is recruiting longtime Angelenos to help UCLA "document language, life, and experience in the greater region of Los Angeles."
There are some eligibility requirements, including using English as a primary language and being a longtime resident in one L.A. neighborhood. Anyone who has questions or wants to volunteer can call (805) 826-3568.
We'll, like, totally check back with her to see how the project is going. Sounds hella cool.
Today's top stories
A hydrogen-powered crane, with zero emissions, used to move cargo containers in Los Angeles Harbor, on March 14, 2024. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Trump's Department of Energy targets California and other blue states for budget cuts
Newsom says sharing his beliefs on trans athletes wasn't "some grand design"
- Newsom said his decision to share his belief that it's unfair for transgender athletes to compete in women's sports was unplanned during his podcast last month.
- Progressives accused him of abandoning the transgender community and conservatives pressured him to sign legislation banning transgender athletes from girls' sports.
Santa Monica offices get unexpected tenants: Children from five fire-ravaged schools
What else is going on
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- Yes, America absolutely should annex Greenland and Canada, columnist Michael Hiltzik writes. Here's why.
This morning's must reads
Michael Lerma, shown in an undated photo, was convicted by a federal jury of racketeering and murder. (Leo Duarte)
How the Mexican Mafia's 'Pomona Mike' made L.A.'s federal jail his fiefdom. Michael Lerma, 68, hasn't walked the streets of his hometown on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County since the 1980s, when he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. But according to federal prosecutors, he controls an "empire" of gang members and drug dealers who pay him a cut of their illicit profits.
Other must reads
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your downtime
A view of Terra Palm Springs Pool. (Pablo Enriquez / Terra Palm Springs)
Going out
Staying in
And finally ... your photo of the day
Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they're important to you.
"We like hanging out with each other," Abraham Beltran says of his wife, Cecilia. They have lived in their 800-square-foot one-bedroom apartment in Long Beach for 15 years. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Today's great photo is from Times photographer Genaro Molina at the quirky, fun apartment of a Long Beach couple.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Defne Karabatur, fellow
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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