What do Mark Twain, W.C. Fields, Neil Diamond, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Joseph Mascis Jr. have in common?
A nasal drawl.
Or so they say.
From a Boy’s Life of Mark Twain:
By and by there was another report–this time that Mark Twain was dead. A reporter found his way to Tedworth Square, and, being received by Mark Twain himself, asked what he should say. Clemens regarded him gravely, then, in his slow, nasal drawl, “Say–that the report of my death–has been grossly–exaggerated.”
From a biography of Fields:
Because of his special comedic persona, his slow, nasal drawl in particular, Fields became one of the most mimicked and impersonated of performers in 20th-century American comedy.
From the Manila (Philippines) Bulletin:
Another proof why we think he is cool? Six words: “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” (remember “Pulp Fiction?” And all this time we…