Palin's way of talkin' dissected, you betcha

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By Jason Overholt

Story Created: Nov 16, 2009 at 9:05 AM EST

Story Updated: Nov 16, 2009 at 9:05 AM EST

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — When Sarah Palin burst onto the national political stage, there was a lot of talk about her distinctive way of talkin', you betcha.

She moved to Alaska when she was too young to speak, and grew up in the small town of Wasilla — so why did she sound like someone from the movie "Fargo"?

Three University of Wisconsin-Madison linguists have determined in a research article to be published in the Journal of English Linguistics next month that her speech was heavily influenced by the people who settled the Wasilla area in the 1930s from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

It also says that Palin's speech stood out to many because she used more informal words, like "darn" and "heck," than most politicians.

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