Quote:
Originally Posted by lio45
The state line, no?
i.e. if you’re on the MA side, you’re in Boston’s orbit; if you’re on the RI side, Providence’s.
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No way. Not close to accurate.
Fall River, New Bedford, Attleboro, North Attleboro, Taunton . . .
most of Bristol County MA, especially the old whaling coast / Buzzards Bay, is Providence/Newport-focused. So, about half a million people. Southern areas of Norfolk County, MA are also more RI-oriented. All the towns on the border, plus a few more in. The Providence MSA includes all of Bristol County, MA btw. Which is why I bring this up in the first place. Bristol County's northern point is less than 10 miles south of Boston's city limits as the crow flies.
You can hear it in the accents, if you know the subtle RI-MA differences. The Rhode Island accent is a bit more forward in the oral posture than the Masshole accent, so "coffee" sounds closer to the New York pronunciation than the Boston one: "CAW-fee" vs "COFF-ee". Order from a Dunkin in Attleboro or Mansfield and you'll hear "CAW-fee".
Maybe it's just wherever you stop/start seeing Portuguese bakeries.