Hold onto your Dunkin' coffee, because the Boston accent is in danger of fading away, and it’s stirring up some serious emotions. But here’s where it gets controversial: Is the loss of this iconic dialect a natural evolution or a cultural tragedy? Let’s dive in.
Working in news these days can feel like navigating a storm—democracy wobbling, new Epstein revelations piling up, and the weather as gloomy as the headlines. But then, like a ray of sunshine, came 84-year-old Sid McDonough’s voicemail. He was the first to respond to a recent Boston Globe piece by Beth Teitell, which explored the decline of the Boston accent. I’d invited readers to call in, expecting a heated debate, but worried no one would pick up the phone. Boy, was I wrong.
“Hi!” boomed a cheerful, gravelly voice through my laptop speakers. “I’m one of the few people I know who still drinks tonic.” (Fun fact: My colleague Rob DeCola, who lent his North Reading accent to our tip line, explains that “tonic” is what old-school Massachusetts natives call “soda.”)
Sid, a Navy veteran who grew up in Boston’s suburbs and spent 43 years in North Weymouth, shared how his shipmates once mocked his accent. “I tried to lose it,” he recalled. “But when I came home, I realized my accent was a treasure.” Reader, my heart—worn down by the news cycle—melted.
And it didn’t stop there. Nearly 50 voicemails poured in from as far as California and Florida, each brimming with pride and affection for the Boston accent. One reader compared it to “a warm Dunkin’ regular on a wicked cold day.” Another, a retired nurse, recalled a colleague who said she “sounded stupid” because of her accent. Her comeback? “Every time he opened his mouth, he sounded like he was from New York, which was worse.” (Caller, let’s grab coffee sometime.)
These messages weren’t just funny—they were moving. The Boston accent, it turns out, is more than just a way of speaking. It’s a symbol of family, identity, and community. “If you put me in a room with kids I grew up with, it comes back instantly,” one reader noted. For many, losing this generational link feels like losing a piece of themselves. “It literally kills me,” mourned Katherine Loftus, whose kids don’t share her R-less Southie dialect.
And this is the part most people miss: The Boston accent isn’t just about dropping R’s or saying ‘cah’ instead of ‘car.’ It’s tied to a broader regional ethos—a take-no-prisoners attitude, a say-what-you-think honesty, and friendships that last a lifetime. Stephanie McCloud, a Boston native, put it perfectly: “I love it, and I’m very proud of our strong New England spirit.”
For someone like me, who moved four times by age 14, this deep geographic identity feels almost foreign. But listening to these voicemails—waking up to them, sharing the best quotes with colleagues—I felt a strange delight. One reader, Leslie, shared how a Floridian once asked her what country she was from. “I loved it,” she said. In these confusing times, that I’m-gonna-tell-you-exactly-what-I-think attitude feels like a balm.
So, consider this my love letter to Greater Bostonians, accents or not. I may not be one of you by birth, but I am in spirit—and the way my 8-year-old says ‘mirrah’ proves it. Let me leave you with a few lines from Daria, a Roxbury native who wanted to correct the notion that “there are no African Americans with Boston accents.”
Out of bed at half past six,
Grab onto your Dunkin’ fix.
Check the piggybank for quarters,
Drive the rotary like martyrs.
We’ll ask about your mother,
Don’t start about your brother.
To hear Daria’s full poem and other voicemails, check out our collection here [link]. And if you’ve got a story to share, I’m still checking the voicemail at (617) 798-0874.
Now, I want to hear from you: Is the fading Boston accent a loss worth mourning, or just a natural part of language evolution? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments. And while you’re at it, tell me—what’s your favorite regional accent, and why?**
Thanks for reading Starting Point. This newsletter was edited by David Beard and produced by Ryan Orlecki. Got a question? Email us at startingpoint@globe.com. If someone forwarded this to you, sign up for your own copy here [link]. Delivered Monday through Friday. Follow Victoria McGrane @vgmac [link].
