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Long Islanders are no strangers to strong opinions about the way they tawk — but being told they have one of the most attractive accents in the country? That’s a new one.
A study published this month by a website called VegasSlotsOnline (I know, right?) ranks the Long Island accent as the second most appealing in the nation, sandwiched between Cajun and Mississippi.
The research, which claims to be based on “sentiment analysis,” says 27.8% of social media reactions to the Long Island accent were positive.
Surprising? Absolutely. Especially considering that in multiple other surveys — including one by Big 7 Travel in 2019 — the Lawnguyland accent was ranked dead last in attractiveness, sometimes described as grating or “nails on a chalkboard.”
So it seems fair to ask: is this new ranking legit, or just clickbait wearing a Mets cap and biting down on a bacon egg’n’cheese?
The study offers no clear data on who was surveyed, what platforms were analyzed, or how many people participated.
It simply claims to have used sentiment analysis to sift through “positive reactions.” Which sounds nice — until you realize there’s no public methodology and the whole thing comes from a gambling website.
Like ‘The Sopranos’ — are you kidding?
Then there’s this gem from the press release, describing the Long Island accent: “Its iconic sound, popularized by ‘The Sopranos,’ continues to be one of the most recognized American accents today.”
Except… “The Sopranos” wasn’t set on Long Island. It was set in North Jersey. Tony Soprano lived in North Caldwell. And the Bada Bing! strip joint? That was on Route 17 in Lodi, people!
If this is the level of geographic precision behind the rankings, it’s no wonder the study credits Morgan Freeman’s “Mississippi accent” as part of its charm. To be sure, the Voice of God was born in Tennessee, but he did spend a good chunk of his youth in Mississippi — so maybe that counts, y’all?
Either way, it’s a stretch to say “Red’s” — you know, the narrator from “The Shawshank Redemption” — iconic narration fully represents the Mississippi drawl.
Their Top 10
Neva-thuh-less, the good folks at VegasSlotsOnline threw together a top 10 list. Here it is — for your judgment (and amusement):
| Rank | Accent | % Positive Reactions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cajun | 32.7% |
| 2 | Long Island | 27.8% |
| 3 | Mississippi | 27.3% |
| 4 | Florida | 26.1% |
| tie | Pacific NW | 26.1% |
| 6 | Maine | 25.2% |
| 7 | Appalachian | 23.5% |
| 8 | Boston | 23.1% |
| tie | High Tider | 23.1% |
| 10 | Louisiana | 22.6% |
| tie | New England | 22.6% |
According to the study, the Long Island accent — think of someone ordering “cawfee,” drinking “wawduh” or coming up with a “good idear” — was described as “a cultural staple of suburban New York” and “one of the most recognized American accents today.”
That may be true. But “recognized” doesn’t always mean beloved.
Ask anyone from outside Nassau or Suffolk what they think of the accent, and you’ll very often get a very different answer.
The Long Island accent is frequently mocked in TV shows, by stand-up comedians (from on and off Long Island), and in online forums where users poke fun at it for sounding nasal, aggressive, or just plain loud.
We know how we tawk, and we’re good
But despite the jokes, Long Islanders proudly hold strong to their distinctive way of speaking. Phrases like, “Gimme a cawfee, cream and sugah,” or “Goin’ to the staw with my daughtah” aren’t going away anytime soon.
All that being said, Long Island finally cracked the top five of a national list that for once wasn’t about home prices, property taxes, commute times or serial killers.
So maybe we’ll take it. But cautiously. With a side of sarcasm and a buttered poppy seed bagel from a legit deli in Massapequa.
Top photo: File photo of The Pizzeria in Smithtown.
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