Question

A 2009 study by Kara Becker discusses how variation in this feature builds place identity, noting that older people did not use this feature in talking about their neighborhood. In a study of Say Yes to the Dress, bridal consultants modulate use of this feature depending on perceived willingness to pay. The high-prestige dialect in antebellum Charleston was marked by the absence of this feature, which reversed from low to high-prestige in (*) New York City after WWII. (10[1])The prestige of this feature unusually reverses polarity between the dominant dialects of American and British English. (-5[1])Lower-middle-class people aspirationally adopted this feature in a survey of three NYC department stores that asked people to pronounce “fourth floor.” For 10 points, urban East Coast accents exhibit what feature of pronouncing “r”s? (10[1])■END■ (10[1]0[1])

ANSWER: rhoticity [prompt on descriptive answers like pronouncing “r”s; reject “prestige”] (The Say Yes to the Dress study is by Maeve Eberhardt and Corinne Downs.)
<RR>
= Average correct buzz position

Back to tossups

Buzzes

PlayerTeamOpponentBuzz PositionValue
Sarod NoriCornell B-Cornell C++7610
Young Fenimore LeeWhat is BH! And you are asking me? BHSUHouston and friends93-5
Kenji ShimizuRollin in from Sturgis, The Cheyne GangDr. Christopher Manners, MD – Samarra, Iraq12710
Ash SeetharamanHouston and friendsWhat is BH! And you are asking me? BHSU1280
Arya KarthikThe Enrique Trastamara Military Academy BHutto Hippos12810

Summary

2023 BHSU @ Maryland03/11/2023Y3100%0%0%101.33
2023 BHSU @ Berkeley03/18/2023Y3100%100%33%61.67
2023 BHSU @ Yale04/08/2023Y3100%0%0%87.33
2023 BHSU Online04/15/2023Y475%0%25%110.33
2023 BHSU @ Sheffield04/15/2023Y2100%0%0%98.00
2023 BHSU @ Waterloo04/15/2023Y367%33%0%74.50