I was asked this question by friends. Before answering, I need to point out that we're senior citizens, white, married 43 years and quiet, despite my unusual choice in clothing. When you travel it is difficult to strike up conversations other than banalities.
Waiting in line in the Food Lion, a local grocery chain, I listened to the conversation between the cashier, African American and a senior, to a customer, white male and middle aged. The conversation flowed freely and friendly. When it was my turn to check out, I greeted the cashier, who responded How's Chicago? It appears that my Chicagoese immediately marks me. My sense is that about 80% of what I say is understood.
This holds true for us, despite our hearing (which is getting worse), about 3 in 4 statements in Georgian are understood. This Southern patois is soft and silky with a tendency to go fast and trail off. South Carolinian seems to be the southern spoken the most in Chicago because we both recognized it immediately. North Carolinian and Tennessean are twangy.
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