Results tagged “newenglanders”

Just as he's been plying his charm during a campaign swing in South Carolina, the NY Times has a big story about how former mayor Rudy Giuliani works his New York City credentials without being too encumbered by associations with such a liberal-leaning town (even his own liberal leanings!).

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is being released tonight at midnight, and as there is nothing that the media likes better than getting quotes from kids, don't expect to escape unscathed. What better fun is there than seeing Jon Stewart trip over the word "Muggle" on The Daily Show or Rob Corddry's excellent report on Harry Potter book security? And there are a ton of Harry Potter parties this evening, from the children's book haven Books of Wonder, where illustrator Mary Grandpre will be on hand to autograph books, not to mention owls (!!!), to the corner Barnes & Noble. And for adults, McNally Robinson in Nolita is going to have food and Hufflepuff Hooch, palm readers, and Zach from the Fresh Kills DJing. Gothamist hasn't been keeping up with the Potter books, but we are eager to hear who will die, just so we can win a future game of Trivial Pursuit: The Harry Potter Edition.

Earlier this week, the Daily News ran a story about people looking to lose their New York accents. Sam Chwat, who founded New York Speech Improvement Services - and has worked with Julia Roberts and Andie MacDowell, and is even working with the cast of Glengarry Glen Ross for their Chicago accents - says many of his clients are trying to rid themselves of the "streetwise image of fast-talking New Yorkers."

"If you spend your life in a particular community, like New York's Irish, Jewish or Chinese communities, then there's no reason to speak any differently. But if you cross the border into new communities, then you sound different. People listen to how you speak, and they make judgments from that."

Eh, judgments are made all around. Making fun of our cowpokey President's Texash twang, our neighbors' way up North saying "aboot," and noting that some New Englanders "pahk the cah." Gothamist's favorite movies of New Yorkers losing their accents are Working Girl and Radio Days: "Hawk! I heah da cannons rauw! Is it da king approachin'?"

And in the NYC related part of this story, a Staten Island couple married in Massachusetts were harassed and heckled by a drunken busboy with chants of "Yankees suck!" and threats to beat up the NYC guests. The busboy even banged on the hotel room door of a relative, scaring the relative to take refufe with the newlyweds on their honeymoon night. The groom professes confusion, because the Red Sox had beat the Yankees nights earlier and the groom wasn't even a baseball fan, and is looking for damages. The hotel denies that the incident occured. Gothamist takes this as a cautionary tale of what happens when you're not married by witches in Salem, Massachusetts.