I know many people who grew up in the midwest but who now live in NYC and are raising kids.

On occasion they will say "my toddler has a NYC accent where did she get it from?"

Because most of my friends are communist nerds their kids don't watch TV much. Most of their language exposure is their parents in person interactions around the city, and as they get older school.

But this is true of toddlers who are not in school. My brother is convinced "it's something in the water"

1/

I don't think I can rule out the water or gravitational fields, or just something about the architecture that does things to a child... but more seriously. I have a theory about what's really going on.

The toddlers are picking up the NYC accent from their parents who "don't have one" --because we are talking about people who have lived in the city for a decade or more.

The real question is WHY do parents notice it when their child says it.

"over here" is a phrase they *really* notice.

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