I. What is a 'stereotype' and how are stereotypes conveyed via language?

1. National cultural stereotype anecdotes from Donald Connery's The Scandinavians

2. Examples in SAE and SBE of 'historical' ethnic or national-culture stereotyping phrases:
   • Dutch treat, Dutch date, in Dutch, Dutch uncle, double-Dutch
   • 'A fine Italian hand', 'French leave' (cf. filer à l'anglaise , 'He got my Irish up', etc.) vs.
   • A 'Polish shower', 'Jewish mother' jokes, Hemingway's 'dumb Swedes', etc.

3. U.S. regional language stereotyping examples
   • Several 'regions' (Northeast, South, Appalachia, Midwest, etc.), states (esp. New Jersey, Louisiana, Texas, Iowa, etc.) and cities (for example New York, Boston) are stereotypically 'known' for having distinctive dialects, behaviors and attitudes which differ from an accepted 'general American' identity (see this Geico Insurance commercial's humorous illustration of southern dialect vs 'standard American media voice');

   • Each of these locations will itself have considerable variation, and overall may have changed considerably since the original stereotype was created;

   • Stereotypes are long-lasting, maintained in part by repetition in advertising and popular media: See for example this 1970 Dodge Challenger commercial (YouTube) portrayal of a 'typical Southern sheriff' from Norman Jewison's 1967 film In the Heat of the Night (see also the "Foul Owl" clip).

     Of particular interest are the uses of 'boy', 'whom', 'peckerwood' and other terms and means by which the language reflects stereotypical concepts and relationships.

   • In contrast, this clip (YouTube) from Joel and Ethan Coen's 1992 film Fargo depicts an 'Upper Midwestern' 'Scandinavian' dialect [the city of Fargo is in North Dakota, although the location of the film is in Minnesota] (see also this description and review of the film and this clip showing how the Upper Midwestern use of 'Yah'/'Yeah' is 'mocked' by others. Another take on the upper-Midwestern, Lutheran Scandinavian-stereotype culture is Lutheran Airlines, and on Lutherans generally the Lutherans Song [YouTube]

   • Compare also the linguistic (and other) stereotypes of this 'New York/New Jersey' 1971 Listerine commercial (see also PBS file on New York/New Jersey dialects), and the perspective of "The Garden State" as stereotypically viewed by New Yorkers

   • Note that there is no common stereotype for Western regional speech (cf. historical demographics and linguistic 'mixing')

II. How regional and other stereotypes are marked in language

• Dialect: phrasing, speed, general pronunciation patterns
  (cf. general difference in pace of speech between SAE and SBE)
• Lexicon: tonic/soda pop, branch/crick/creek, region-specific loan words, etc.
• Syntax: "He didn't do nuthin'...", "He was a-sayin'..." "I ain't no fuckin' nobody!"
• Phonology: yellow/yeller/yellah, A'rab (Huck Finn), SAE/SBE female pitch difference...

III. Attributes most often marked by language stereotyping

• Gender: 'what an adorable package!' — 'oh, how lovely that is ...'
  
• Personal names: Rock, Herman, Adrian, Vivien (cf. GB), 'Pat' ...
  'Dear John' letter, go to the john, a 'john', 'John Hancock', 'John Henry' (see also Comparative Name Connotations)
• Age: 'wee-wee', 'wheels'/car, 'gig', bread/dough/jack/moolah (money), etc.
• Education: 'piss' (vulgar), LBJ: 'better to have him inside pissin' out than outside pissin' in ...'
• Region: polecat vs skunk; cornbread, grits, cornpone; 'hoagie' vs. 'hero,' 'grinder,' 'sub[marine]' or 'dago' sandwiches
• Ethnic Group: Use of recognizable/stereotypical loan words (including Black English, Yiddish, 'Spanglish', etc.) dialects or pronunciations

IV. Examples of distinctive jargons often used to mark certain 'groups'

• Drug addicts/pushers, police officers, prostitutes ('john', 'pimp', 'treat'), medical professionals, mafia members, cowboys — occupational jargons
• Southern California "Valley Girl" language and culture, cf. "Awesome," "mondo," "tubular" (Rhonda, Tracy & Kelli) "So ... like ... what about ..." [see also Cher's monologue in the movie Clueless]
• Computer "nerds" (knowledge/'identity' — who understands and can use the jargon?)