THAT “AMURRICAN” TWANG

Hokitika Guardian, 4 September 1929, Page 6

THAT “AMURRICAN” TWANG

AN EXPERIENCE OF WINTER HALL. (Christchurch Paper.) “Waal, guy, Ah guess this surely is Card’s Own Country.” The twang of an American has become. .generally accepted as one of the characteristic of a race of many, characteristics. But according to a New Zealand business' man who recently < spent some time in the United States, the good class native-born American speaks without affection. It is the adopted sons of the nation and the page boys and their class who have made the country notorious. The real American citizen, he says speaks with a dialect that is somewhat different in different parts of the big country, and with certain inflexions of the voice, but decidedly without twang In this connection lie tells a good story of an experience of Winter ITall the Christchurch man who has become well known as a screen star. When Mr Hall first arrived in the United States and was travelling by train to Hollywood, he became tired- of the twang of a number of fellow-passengers. To one to whom the language is a thing to be cared for and not ill-used it was little short of butchery.

Finally one of the travellers joined him and started a conversation. “Waal, stranger, I guess you’re not a native of this country,” remarked the American. “I am not,” was the reply.

“Waal, you might be considerably surprised to learn that I am not, either.”

“ What part of the world (To you come from ? ”

“ Say, if I wore to tell you, you just wouldn’t understand,” said the American. “ You would surely never have heard of the place.”

“I may have,”'said Mr Hall. “I have travelled,”