According to a recent press release, a survey of over 2,000 men and women by dating site Cupid.com found that Georgians have the most attractive accent of all the other regions of the United States — as in “attractive to the members of opposite sex.”

So why Georgia? What makes it so appealing? Well, according to the release it is because when it comes to romance, it says most of us dream of long lazy days in the sun and epic sunsets, a vision you get from the soft sing-song tones. This was particularly true among the men surveyed, who seemed to prefer the deceptively soft, lady-like Scarlet O’Hara type.
Interesting enough, the New York accent (the complete opposite of Georgia’s) was voted as number two. It seems that New York’s fast and straight talking is actually very popular, especially among the women surveyed.
Not so true for New Jersey, however, which came in 5th.
Other finishers are: Western 3rd place, New England 4th, Canadian 6th, Midwestern 7th and coming in dead last was the Mid-Atlantic region of Delaware to Pennsylvania.
So, given Georgia has a soft, appealing accent. That is fine, if you can understand what they are saying.
Georgians have some unusual expressions that others have a hard time translating at times.
A quick survey of some transplanted residents of Bainbridge who “don’t talk like us” has revealed several sayings they consider “doozies.”
One remark referred to us is that someone was “crazy as a Bessie bug.” While that leaves no doubt as to the meaning, one wonders just what is a Bessie bug?
Other quaint sayings that paint vivid pictures are:

• “Licken’ em like a new-born calf” used to describe someone who is “buttering up someone.”
•  “Does a cat have climbin’ gear?” Or “Does a one-legged duck swim in circles?” Both expressions used when someone states the obvious.
•  “That’s messed up worse than a chicken wire canoe,” needs no explanation.
•   One transplant from the north is puzzled and amused by the use of the word “britches” — Southern slang for pants or jeans. Wikipedia describes it as a derivative of the word breeches, or knee high pants.
•  “I’m wore slap out.”
•  Cattywhompus
•  Go “cut” on the coffee or the vacuum cleaner, or whatever else you intend to start.
•  “Mash the button.”
•  The length of an object is described as “Yay long.”
•  “Carry me to the store.”
•  “Scootch up a bit.”
•  It’s not “stuffing” in the bird here. It is “dressing.”

And, of course, Georgians are always “fixin” to do something or other.
Carole Albyn, talks to many people of all ages and levels of society in her position as youth services and community relations librarian with Southwest Georgia Regional Library. She says “I love the Georgia accent. Deep voices are especially calming and charming to hear. I always understand what people are saying, so that isn’t an issue with me. One saying I haven’t heard elsewhere is, “He (or she) can’t hear thunder” when talking about a hard-of-hearing person. I thought that was cute the first time I heard it here.”
So, perhaps it isn’t so much about what we say, but the way we say it that “really tickles folks,” when they hear it.