Americans and Canadians

darwinstheory

Hobbes said:

Canada is full of eh-holes.

That made me lol...like a Canadian getting upset abooot the use of abooot. :rofl:

HesCalledDyer

I've never NOT heard a Canadian say aboot.  I mean, perhaps it's not that exaggerated, but it definitely sounds different than any other non-Canadian, western English-speaking person I've ever heard say it.  It's more lilke "abeauwt."

elvistheking44

HesCalledDyer said:

I've never NOT heard a Canadian say aboot.  I mean, perhaps it's not that exaggerated, but it definitely sounds different than any other non-Canadian, western English-speaking person I've ever heard say it.  It's more lilke "abeauwt."

Absolutely.  Been traveling to Canada for almost 15 years.  Never NOT heard it.....and it still makes me giggle every, single, time.

HughFreakingDillon

while I acknowledge that we have some linguistic difference, we do NOT say ABOOT. If we did, I'd hear a difference in how you folks say it. and I don't. We say "roof", and you guys bark when you say it "ruff". But our abouts are the same. I think you guys are hearing something you want to hear. too much southpark maybe. 

Meltdown99

Worst part of Canada is somehow we ended with gun loving eh-holes as neighbours...

KC138045

No Coder said:

mickeyrat said:

yes canada gave us Uncle Neil, Rush, Triumph, even Alanis and Avril (I guess)


however , the unforgiveable is they also forced Nickelback and Justin Beiber on us. So, really, they should be wiped off the face of the earth......

Shall I list some of the shit music the US has given the world??? 

USA - Jimmy Buffett
Canada - Celine Dion

HesCalledDyer

HughFreakingDillon said:

while I acknowledge that we have some linguistic difference, we do NOT say ABOOT. If we did, I'd hear a difference in how you folks say it. and I don't. We say "roof", and you guys bark when you say it "ruff". But our abouts are the same. I think you guys are hearing something you want to hear. too much southpark maybe. 

Like I said, "aboot" is a bit exaggerated, most likely due to the likes of South Park.  It's not like putting a boot on your foot. But there IS a difference and I've heard EVERY Canadian ever say it.  It's not an "ow" sound like ouch or owl. It's almost like a french -eaux but with a very minor tweak.

dankind

I say roof, not ruff. I think that's a regional thing. 

HesCalledDyer

Meltdown99 said:

Worst part of Canada is somehow we ended with gun loving eh-holes as neighbours...

That's gun-loving, woman-hating, racist, greedy, obese, freedom providing eh-holes to you...

HughFreakingDillon

dankind said:

I say roof, not ruff. I think that's a regional thing. 

ruff was actually not the correct way for me to spell it phoneticaly. more like "reuf". 

PJ_Soul

elvistheking44 said:

HesCalledDyer said:

I've never NOT heard a Canadian say aboot.  I mean, perhaps it's not that exaggerated, but it definitely sounds different than any other non-Canadian, western English-speaking person I've ever heard say it.  It's more lilke "abeauwt."

Absolutely.  Been traveling to Canada for almost 15 years.  Never NOT heard it.....and it still makes me giggle every, single, time.

As a Canadian from the west coast, where we don't think we have any accent, I agree. No, it is NOT "aboot" for 99% of Canadians. Not even really close. So I think that's why some object to this stereotype - it's just too inaccurate for us to humour. But yeah, Canadians definitely have slight regional accents all across the country, and most of us do have a "softer" pronunciation for some words, "about" being one of them.

dankind

Well, I and most people I know still say roof, with an oo sound similar to nearly every song on Pink Floyd The Wall.

My family from bumfuck Ohio say ruff; they also say warsh. We should just take 'em out back and shoot 'em, but blud is theeker then warter.

mcgruff10

Do people from Quebec look down on fellow Canadians when you talk English instead of French?

HughFreakingDillon

my gradmother from rural manitoba also said warsh. 

HughFreakingDillon

besides all the talking differences, the original question was about cultural differences...I'd say the biggest one is patriotism. 

HesCalledDyer

I've heard Americans say roof, reuf, and ruff.

dankind

mcgruff10 said:

Do people from Quebec look down on fellow Canadians when you talk English instead of French?

I'm not Canadian, but I've been to Montreal and its surrounding towns enough to say that I think it depends on the person and where his/her loyalties lie. I'd say it's about half and half where I've been.

For example, I'd walk into a store in Longueuil to purchase a two-four, and the clerk would say, "Bonsoir." I'd answer, "Hello." After which the clerk would either speak to me in English or continue speaking to me in French. If the latter, I'd take my business elsewhere, knowing that, by law, that motherfucker knows how to speak English and is just being an asshole.

HughFreakingDillon

mcgruff10 said:

Do people from Quebec look down on fellow Canadians when you talk English instead of French?

tha'ts mainly a rural quebec issue, but yes, I have HEARD they can be extreme dicks aboot it. in montreal they are all awesome, probably because many of them are not from there anyway, and those that are, they have such a massive tourism industry they'd be idiotic to turn therir noses up aboot it. 

what's really ironic is that, regarding language skills, I've heard people from France treat Quebecers the same way Quebecers treat English Canada. 

jeffbr

mcgruff10 said:

Do people from Quebec look down on fellow Canadians when you talk English instead of French?

Quebecois have no room to look down at anyone for language. The French people I know say that it is like nails on a chalkboard listening to them speak French. They basically butcher both English and French. 

darwinstheory

HughFreakingDillon said:

mcgruff10 said:

Do people from Quebec look down on fellow Canadians when you talk English instead of French?

tha'ts mainly a rural quebec issue, but yes, I have HEARD they can be extreme dicks aboot it. in montreal they are all awesome, probably because many of them are not from there anyway, and those that are, they have such a massive tourism industry they'd be idiotic to turn therir noses up aboot it. 

what's really ironic is that, regarding language skills, I've heard people from France treat Quebecers the same way Quebecers treat English Canada. 

^^^^^ SEE?!?! You just did it right there! Haha haha :rofl:


Sorry, I could not resist.