Is Chicago's Accent The Worst? Listen And Decide

CHICAGO, IL — Listen up, Chicagoans. This might be tough to hear: Your accent isn't music to the ears of most Americans. In fact, it's even more unappealing than an Appalachian twang.

According to a survey earlier this month by YouGov, an online marketing and data analytics firm, the Chicago accent was the least popular accent, with only 2 percent of the 1,216 participants saying they enjoyed the sound of it. That's less than the 3 percent who find the aforementioned Appalachian accent irresistible and nowhere near the 12 percent who have a fondness for Texans talking.

So why all the contempt for Chicagoans and the sound of their conversations? Blame it on the '90s. That decade was particularly tough on Midwesterners and their plain-spoken ways. Ask Minnesotans about living in the Paul Bunyan-like shadow of "Fargo." You betcha, eh.

The Chicago accent's equivalent during that same era was the "Superfans" sketch on "Saturday Night Live." It not only introduced America to "Da Bears" but also to an exaggerated speech pattern that some still consider to be authentic. (We've included video from one of the "SNL" sketches, because the comedy — unlike the accent— still stands up.)

That brings up this question, though: Is the Windy City accent — even the one tied to a nearly 30-year-old comedy routine — really that horrible? Or does it just get a bad rap?

Of course, writing about accents is a bit like dancing about architecture, to paraphrase a well-known saying. The best way to decide if the Chicago accent is truly an insult to the ears is by comparing the sound of it with some of the other regional accents included in YouGov's survey. (Go to YouGov's website for the complete survey results.)

This is where you come in: Listen to following clips and tell us your favorite accent(s) in the comments section.

Chicago Accent

Appalachian Accent

Boston Accent

Texas Accent

A Thanksgiving 1991 "Superfans" sketch from "Saturday Night Live. (Screen shot from video via "Saturday Night Live" | NBC)