Date:  Mon, 29 Apr 1996 21:45:34 -0500

From:  Beth and Ed Deluzain <bethed[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]INTEROZ.COM>

Subject: Florida l-lessness



    David Johns noted that younger Floridians substitute [O] for l in

some words. In the Florida Panhandle, the dialect is almost completely

l-less post-vocalicly. Thus, the Gulf of Mexico becomes the Guff, golf

becomes goff, wolf becomes woof, help becomes hep, etc. One of the counties

in the Panhandle is Holmes County, which is always pronounced Homes. I

always assumed that was the result of l-lessness.



    I was somewhat surprised by his observation that younger Floridians

don't have the cot/caught distinction because my observations, as well as

the results of my direct questions about that pair of words, suggest that

they do, at least in this part of the state. Those who don't usually are

recent arrivals to the area. By the way, I live in Panama City, FL.