TikTok is freaking over the way people from Staten Island say 'calamari'

For many New Yorkers, Staten Island is a world unto itself. And with that distinction comes plenty of strange “regional” differences — including accents. Enter the “New York accent check,” a challenge on TikTok that’s led users to discover one strange, incredibly specific pronunciation that seems to only exist among Staten Islanders. Calamari, which usually describes a fried squid dish, seems like a simple enough word to sound out. For most Americans, the word comes out as it’s spelled (“kal-uh-mar-ee”). But for Staten Islanders, the word is apparently pronounced as “galamah”. Several videos of the borough’s residents showing off their accents have begun going viral on TikTok, including one from a user named Tonianne Arena. In the clip, several of her boyfriend’s responses differ from other New Yorkers, but one — “galamah” — stands out above the rest. It’s a word that appears in several other “accent checks,” regardless of the speaker’s age and gender. TikTok users had plenty of strong feelings about the word. “Lmao guys.. people who say “galamad” are those of italian descent who live in places like staten island, nj, & LI. REAL ITALIANS SAY ‘CALAMARI'”. Others, however, praised the videos, claiming that Staten Islanders pronounce calamari “the right way”. “EXACTLY A TRUE NEW YORK ACCENT”