Locals and linguists argue that notorious Queens accent is fading away


BY Leigh Remizowski DAILY NEWS WRITER


Tuesday, May 11th 2010, 4:00 AM


Unisphere from a mile away.


But one thing that won't prove you hail from the borough is the way you speak, insist e xperts and some notable Queens natives. That, or the Queens English is fast becoming a dead dialect.


"No offense to my brothers and sisters in Queens who feel that there is [a Queens accent], but I really don't think so," said Forest Hills-born actor Hank Azaria.


"I didn't hear it, and I have a pretty sensitive ear," said Azaria, a chameleon of diction who voices several of the characters on "The Simpsons."


But some locals beg to differ.


"I would say I have a Queens accent," said Frank Barone, 62, a cobbler who has lived in Astoria for 44 years. "We all speak New York slang, but there's a slight difference between boroughs."


Corkery/NewsFran Drescher, who's title character was a hit on 'The Nanny,' once called the Queens accent 'melodic and mellifluous, with just a hint of nasality.'


There's a slew of ways to prove you're from Queens. Maybe you're a die-hard Mets fan, or you've perfected the art of crossing Queens Blvd., or you recognize the


Despite the fact that proud locals insist their borough has its own dialect - with drawn-out vowels and a distinct nasal sound - it's just a run-of-the-mill New York accent you're hearing on the streets of Queens, said the city's top linguists.


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