West Virginia Nativity

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katzgar

Verified User
A couple was driving through West Virginia during the Christmas season. Many houses had nativity scenes in the front yard. The odd thing was instead of three wise men they had three firemen. Well at some point the couple sees an old man outside and they pull over to talk to him. They ask, "why does everyone have firemen in their nativity scenes?" The old man pulls out a bible from his pocket. (It's one of those tiny new testaments that can fit in a pocket). He opens it up to the story of Jesus' birth. "It says raght here three wisemen came from a far".
 
I was tempted to use the 'Groan' button ... but stopped myself. Sometimes you have to just appreciate the 'good intentions' behind the 'gift'.
 
Jack said:
I was tempted to use the 'Groan' button ... but stopped myself. Sometimes you have to just appreciate the 'good intentions' behind the 'gift'.
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That is how they say it. I have relatives throughout WV and they all pronounce fire as far. It is something I have to reset my brain to when speaking to them in the winter
 
katzgar said:
A couple was driving through West Virginia during the Christmas season. Many houses had nativity scenes in the front yard. The odd thing was instead of three wise men they had three firemen. Well at some point the couple sees an old man outside and they pull over to talk to him. They ask, "why does everyone have firemen in their nativity scenes?" The old man pulls out a bible from his pocket. (It's one of those tiny new testaments that can fit in a pocket). He opens it up to the story of Jesus' birth. "It says raght here three wisemen came from a far".
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Okay, okay.

I laughed.

I have a good friend from West by God Virinie...and he would love it. Gonna email it to him.
 
Kacper said:
That is how they say it. I have relatives throughout WV and they all pronounce fire as far. It is something I have to reset my brain to when speaking to them in the winter
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And...

...did you get an all change yet?
 
I was told by a West Virginia friend that "oil" to a West Virginians...sounds more like "awl" than "all."

But I could not tell the difference between any of them.
 
Frank Apisa said:
I was told by a West Virginia friend that "oil" to a West Virginians...sounds more like "awl" than "all."

But I could not tell the difference between any of them.
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In my people oil is pronounced more like earl but they add in this extra sound I cannot quite figure out how to explain phonetically as it seems almost like they are trying to stretch it into two syllables but cannot quite pull it off.
 
Yeah.

Here in New Jersey...we have lots of people who make "film" into a two syllable thing.

It sounds like "filum."
 
In WV, and really all of Appalachia, it is because immigrant influences are long lived due to the low population influx rates. I had a great aunt by marriage who was all sorts of WTF is that woman saying. One youtube was randomly playing the recommended next and I heard someone who talked just like her using the same weird phrases and such. I about knocked people in the floor to get to the computer to see who this was. I investigated further, and found out that it was someone from northwest Ireland and later found out that was where he family was from and she was first generation American so she got it honest I guess. Until then, I thought it was some weird mountain people baby talk thing she was doing.
 
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