Massive Power Outage

[Loser]

Thank E3. Hey, if you like what I'm saying, bump my rating. It's borderline and I'd like to keep the 4 after the next time I tick someone off.

On the other hand, if my statements are ever truly offensive to anyone, I'd understand, even expect them to give it a whack.

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Most don't even know you took part of Maine.

Oddly I don't think it's even tought it schools, or mentioned in most text books. These same text books carry the map of the Colonies where Maine comes to a more severe point, then just don't offer an explaination for why it no longer looks that way. In fact, I don't even remember being taught that Canada was involved in 1812, let alone that exiled loyalists and their kin supplyed so much to it.

[ August 28, 2003, 15:54: Message edited by: Loser ]

[Tigbit]

[quote]Originally posted by geoschmo:

If we like to laugh aboot you it's all in good fun.

Time to start fixing this. We do not say "aboot" we say about, just like everyone else. Perhaps one day in the past an American overheard a scott in Canada say "aboot" and then I would understand if you all bugged scotts from then on about it, but we Canadians say ABOUT... AB-OUT. What? Do you hear us say "get oot" or "I can figure oot this problem"? NO you don't.

BTW, I fully expect a few halfwhits to respond saying stuff like, "I heard a Canadian say it that way" but lets face it, they'd be full of #$@%.

cya

[Loser]

Originally posted by Tigbit:
We do not say "aboot" we say about, just like everyone else.

Now, a lot of you all do have an accent, even if you all don't. It's very close to the accent you'll find in some northern states in the Union, like the Dakotas or Wisconsin. To be fair, we make fun of (laugh about) each other's accents as much as, if not more, than we do at out neighbor's accents. Consider the South, or the myriad accents available for comment on the northern end of the East Coast, or even the accents in the north. In truth, the rural folk here in Colorado have an accent very close to that you'd find in rural East Texas.

I had a friend from North Dakota who pronounced 'beg' and 'bag' almost indistinguishably. Our little clique would give her a hard time about it, but no more than we'd chide any other member of the group about their own little aspects of individuality.

Now what I'm wondering is how many folk who don't live there can tell the difference between a rural Tennessee and rural Texas accent.

(On a side note, I knew it was borderline, but I don't know what I said that was offensive. Oh well, I could scroll back and try to figure it out. Was it the Dome Colony comment?)

[Thermodyne]

Well, when I was there, it took me a week to figure out what the locals were saying.

Now just to add some fuel to this, from the very mouths of some up-overs

http://www.gateway2china.com/communi...ages/1008.html

[tesco samoa]

gotta love 3rd gen from the sausage. Oshawa is too good for them. racist donut shop sun readers where they get thir economic information from.

[tesco samoa]

hey the disappeared..

perhaps you should have given the following warning

This link is full of swear words, random typing and a bunch of yahoo rejects

[tesco samoa]

SO YOU WANT TO SPEAK CANADIAN, EH?
Americans traveling in Canada will likely encounter people who dress and speak English in much the same way as they do, expect for the approximately 25% of french speakers who may (not necessarily) speak english with a french accent.
Canadian speech is much more similar to American speech than to the English spoken in England and other parts of the United Kingdom. However, Americans may hear a British-like accent in Canadian speech. This is due in part to the fact that Canadians often use "raised vowel" sounds, resulting in the more clipped, "British" sound. Listen to a Canadian say "out and about". Americans tend to hear it as "oot and aboot" (rhymes with hoot). Of course, if you mention this to a Canadian he may think you have lost your mind. We Canadians don't hear the difference!

The second way in which Canadian speech differs greatly from American is in the placement of the emphasis in words and division into syllables: PRO-gress vs. prog-RESS, route rhyming with out vs. root, etc.

Thirdly, english Canadians do indeed say "eh". "Eh" is used at the end of a statement or question in order to elicit a response, as in "Hot enough for you, eh?" or "How about them Oilers, eh?". It is similar to the American "huh" but has more uses. For example, Joe doesn't quite hear what Paul said so Joe says "Eh?". Paul will then realize that either Joe:

1) didn't hear him
2) didn't understand him
3) wants more information
4) thinks Paul's statement is interesting and is encouraging Paul to continue.
English speaking Canadians (anglophones) also use a few British words and expressions that may be unfamiliar to Americans. An "eLastic" is a rubber band. A chesterfield = sofa = couch. Runners = sneakers = tennis shoes. Cash register = a till. Bum = the part of the person that meets a chair. There are many more. And unlike the USA, where "ma'am" and "sir" are common polite phrases, many women in Canada (including my mother) will inform you that they are not old enough to be called "ma'am"! It is not necessarily considered polite.

The french spoken in Canada is also quite different from that taught in American classrooms. French-speakers in Canada (francophones), use hundreds of english words mixed with their french, such as "le smoked beef", "le brake drum", and "un party". The French slang spoken in the streets of Quebec or Acadia are very different from the french spoken in France.

Finally, American readers of Canadian text will notice a lot of extra "u"s tagging along behind "o"s, such as in colour, flavour, humour, and neighbour. Some of the "r"s are shy and frightened of appearing at the end of words, as in The Centre of Arts.

Those traveling in the Atlantic Provinces may feel like they have been transported to the fishing villages of Scotland and Ireland. Brave souls who get out to the "Island" (Newfoundland) are not alone in their inability to understand the fishermen's dialect. Most mainland Canadians have difficulty understanding a good "Newfy" twang too! Be careful if a fisherman offers you any "screech" though! [Screech is moonshine made from old rum barrels.]