Of course, they also wanted the world to know that Atlanta is more ethnically diverse than the rest of the South, which would hopefully prove that the city did not suffer from any stereotypical Southern prejudices. Atlanta has a right to be proud of the preceding accomplishments. These strides have made it the great city which it has become. First of all, many people would agree that a truly Southern lifestyle would be distinctly slow-paced and easygoing. Secondly, Southerners usually have a slow drawl and definite accent.
Linguists say Southerners smooth out their dipthongs.
Also, the experts say Southerners sometimes do just the opposite by dipthongizing words which don't necessarily need it. Basically, though, if a true Southerner went up to New York City, those folks would be able to tell right away that fellow wasn't from their neck of the woods just by the way he talked. In this day and age, that same Southerner could save his money and just travel to Atlanta in order to receive just as many laughs and strange looks when he opens his mouth. Altanta is fast losing, if it hasn't already lost, any trace of a Southern dialect. The third, and probably most distinctive, ingredient for a Southern way of life is the food.