Hi SusieQ, I am from Mississippi, in the Deep South, not Appalachia, and I do say "might could", "used to could", etc, on a daily basis too. And where I'm from in Mississippi, it's quite common to hear the expression. I don't know if it is typical, but I've always heard it being said. Well, I live in Scotland now, and folks here don't ever get used to it, but I'll be damned if I'll ever change my accent. Besides, they love it here anyways, and actually give me compliments, such as "that's a lovely accent", just for the way I talk. Most folks never met an actual Southerner and all they get to hear, as they describe it themselves, are "cheesy Yank accents" they get from the tourists that come up here.

The comment from the New Yorker was very poorly worded and indeed offensive, but unfortunately, a very common attitude. We Southerners live under the assumption that because of our accents and dialect we are stupid somehow. Nothing satisfies me more than reading well-educated Southerners retaliating with interesting, eloquent and intelligent comments, some of y'all holding degrees and all - very pleased to see it! I am myself not educated, barely had any formal education myself, but I'm always glad to see fellers that are well-educated, but don't see that as a reason to shun their own heritage, forget where they come from and come up with a fake anchorman from nowhere accent. Congratulations to all y'all for being yourselves and standing by it.

Oh, and if someone wouldn't wanna be my friend just because I didn't speak English to their standards, I couldn't care less except for being glad that I didn't get to befriend such a shallow person to begin with. I am proud to be a Southerner and very proud of my accent, my modal verbs and my double negatives. If a New York can get away with their regional accents, I don't see why we Southerners can speak our own dialects. By the way, people here in Scotland talk with a strong accent, have many expressions that some of y'all snobs out there would consider incorrect. I don't reckon you would be treated nicely here if you're heard saying they are stupid just because of the way they talk., so I don't see why I should tolerate a Yankee calling me stupid for the way I grew up speaking, alongside millions of others, including well-educated and successful people. Couldn't care less about some scalawags getting rid of their own natural accent for something phony and unnatural, it's their loss. God bless the South.