"The thread title immediately reminded me of a long ago radio program that featured Professor Somebody who was a pronunciation and dialect expert. He'd have members of his studio audience come up and speak set sentences and then tell them, with amazing accuracy, where they came from or had been raised.My favorite test line was, "Merry Mary married hairy Harry."When it came out "Mary Mary mary-ed hairy Hairy.", he'd immediately zero in on the greater Detroit area, and go on from there."

There is a story of a young student from Leeds (who went on to become a high court judge). He went to Oxford University and at some social gathering met a southern student with a 'plum' voice. After a while the Leeds student spoke a few words; the southern student turned to him and said, 'Ah, and how are things in Leeds?' TLS was very impressed that TSS could tell so accurately where he came from on so little evidence and assumed he was a dialect expert. At the end he hung around and buttonholed him.

TLS: How did you know I was from Leeds?
TSS: You have an unmistakably northern accent.
TLS: But how were you so sure it was Leeds rather than for example Bradford?
TSS: (After a long pause)Ah yes. Bradford.Of course. Sorry! I just assumed everyone with a northern accent was from Leeds.


Noone seems to have mentioned The Four Maries aka Mary Hamilton.