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The Canadian Accent

AhnimusAhnimus Posts: 10,560
edited October 2006 in A Moving Train
Hello, I am from Canadia.

I watched the South Park movie again last night and it struck me as odd. The way Canadians are in the film, saying "aboot". I've lived in Canada my whole life and I've been to many parts of it. I've never heard anyone talk like that in my life. The closest I've ever heard is SCTV, but those guys are comedians.

Additionally, I used to work for Nextel and many Americans thought I was from Florida. Do Floridans talk like Canadians?

Many people asked where I live and I said "Ontario" they replied "California?" the idea I might be Canadian never crossed their minds. One man even said "Oh great, an American, I'm sick of talking to Canadians" when I took his call.

And "about" isn't exactly an easy word to avoid.
I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • JackhammerJackhammer Posts: 122
    Now that's funny!

    Got the same idea last night, watched it, and I noticed the "aboot" joke ;)

    Still I have nothing to say about it, cause I'm not canadian, don't know any, never was there.

    So it make my post pretty useless ;)
    Reality isn't what it used to be.
  • hippiemomhippiemom Posts: 3,326
    Ahnimus wrote:
    Hello, I am from Canadia.

    I watched the South Park movie again last night and it struck me as odd. The way Canadians are in the film, saying "aboot". I've lived in Canada my whole life and I've been to many parts of it. I've never heard anyone talk like that in my life. The closest I've ever heard is SCTV, but those guys are comedians.

    Additionally, I used to work for Nextel and many Americans thought I was from Florida. Do Floridans talk like Canadians?

    Many people asked where I live and I said "Ontario" they replied "California?" the idea I might be Canadian never crossed their minds. One man even said "Oh great, an American, I'm sick of talking to Canadians" when I took his call.

    And "about" isn't exactly an easy word to avoid.
    My sis-in-law's parents live in Manitoba and they say "aboot."
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
  • Hope&AngerHope&Anger Posts: 260
    hippiemom wrote:
    My sis-in-law's parents live in Manitoba and they say "aboot."
    I had a friend from Vancouver who used to say "aboot." He also added "eh?" to the end of his sentences.
    "Things will just get better and better even though it
    doesn't feel that way right now. That's the hopeful
    idea . . . Hope didn't get much applause . . .
    Hope! Hope is the underdog!"

    -- EV, Live at the Showbox
  • AhnimusAhnimus Posts: 10,560
    hippiemom wrote:
    My sis-in-law's parents live in Manitoba and they say "aboot."

    Are you seriously? I've been to Manitoba and I don't remember that.

    I got the one road joke in the movie. Saying Canada only has one road. In other words, the transcanada highway.

    I didn't get the part about Saddam taking control of Canada though.

    Anyway, most Canadians I think are pretty articulate with language when they want to be. The rest of the time we jus' talk slang like everyone else.
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • AhnimusAhnimus Posts: 10,560
    Hope&Anger wrote:
    I had a friend from Vancouver who used to say "aboot." He also added "eh?" to the end of his sentences.

    Eh is cool though, it's a reaffirmation like saying "right" except it's shorter and smoother. "What's going on eh?" it's sweet!
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • Hope&AngerHope&Anger Posts: 260
    Ahnimus wrote:
    Eh is cool though, it's a reaffirmation like saying "right" except it's shorter and smoother. "What's going on eh?" it's sweet!
    I always liked it myself. I thought when he said "eh?," he was checking with me to see if I agreed, which is nice.
    "Things will just get better and better even though it
    doesn't feel that way right now. That's the hopeful
    idea . . . Hope didn't get much applause . . .
    Hope! Hope is the underdog!"

    -- EV, Live at the Showbox
  • AhnimusAhnimus Posts: 10,560
    I grew up around Vancouver and don't talk like that.

    Anyway, I think some American should spend a day using those words. Make sure to say "aboot" and "eh" a lot and let me know what happens.
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    it's a beauty way to go.
  • PJPOWERPJPOWER Posts: 6,499
    Well, if it makes you feel better, I don't say "Nucular" and am from Texas, lol
  • hippiemomhippiemom Posts: 3,326
    Ahnimus wrote:
    Are you seriously? I've been to Manitoba and I don't remember that.

    I got the one road joke in the movie. Saying Canada only has one road. In other words, the transcanada highway.

    I didn't get the part about Saddam taking control of Canada though.

    Anyway, most Canadians I think are pretty articulate with language when they want to be. The rest of the time we jus' talk slang like everyone else.
    They're in Gimli, and they definitely say "aboot." They do the "eh?" thing too. Doesn't bother me ... every place has it's own unique speech patterns.
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
  • AhnimusAhnimus Posts: 10,560
    hippiemom wrote:
    They're in Gimli, and they definitely say "aboot." They do the "eh?" thing too. Doesn't bother me ... every place has it's own unique speech patterns.

    But what I don't get is I talk like the majority of people you see in movies or on T.V. and the majority of those people are Americans. But not the ones that have a southern accent or a brooklyn accent.

    So maybe the "Canadian Accent" is really just certain areas like the Maritimes.
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • VictoryGinVictoryGin Posts: 1,207
    Ahnimus wrote:
    But what I don't get is I talk like the majority of people you see in movies or on T.V. and the majority of those people are Americans. But not the ones that have a southern accent or a brooklyn accent.

    So maybe the "Canadian Accent" is really just certain areas like the Maritimes.

    fuhgeddaboudit.

    I think when you have an accent, you can't really pick up on it like others can. Or maybe I'm just applying my experience to everything and saying it's true.
    if you wanna be a friend of mine
    cross the river to the eastside
  • mwachsmanmwachsman Posts: 474
    You have beady little eyes, and flapping heads so full of lies!
    "So, you must really love Led Zeppelin. That’s the oldest shirt I’ve ever seen on someone who wasn’t a bum."
    "Hey, if God didn’t want me to wear it so much, he wouldn’t have made them rock so hard."
  • Heatherj43Heatherj43 Posts: 1,254
    I have yet to meet a Canadian who doesn't say aboot. Maybe you just don't realize it cuz its the accent there. Like, I don't know I have an accent, but I likely do to other people.
    It seems all words with the "ou" in them Cnadoans say with that accent. Sometimes that is the only way I know they are Canadian.
    Save room for dessert!
  • chopitdownchopitdown Posts: 2,222
    I have a friend from toronoto...not only do i get aboot...it was oot (not out)...pretty weird, A?

    but I too haven't met a canadian or minnesotan or person from the U.P who doesn't have that accent.
    make sure the fortune that you seek...is the fortune that you need
  • qwerty1qwerty1 Posts: 142
    Everyone in the States and Europe thinks Im from Chicago.
    This sidewalk is for regular walking, not for fancy walking!
  • RockinInCanadaRockinInCanada Posts: 2,016
    Heatherj43 wrote:
    I have yet to meet a Canadian who doesn't say aboot. Maybe you just don't realize it cuz its the accent there. Like, I don't know I have an accent, but I likely do to other people.
    It seems all words with the "ou" in them Cnadoans say with that accent. Sometimes that is the only way I know they are Canadian.

    I have yet to meet a Canadian who says "aboot".....and I have lived here damn near 25 years now.....but the "eh" is definetly said.....
  • rebornFixerrebornFixer Posts: 4,901
    If indeed people say "aboot", its out East ... We do all say "eh", though.
  • TransplantedNewfTransplantedNewf Posts: 805
    I think it all depends on what part of Canada you're from. I never met a Canadian who said Aboot until i was in Manitoba. I've only heard people from Ontario and farther west say Eh and i've never, EVER met anyone other than a Newfie that could say "Yes By" like we do ;)
    <a href="http://www.last.fm/user/Krisdababe/?chartstyle=Krisdababe"><img src="http://imagegen.last.fm/Krisdababe/recenttracks/Krisdababe.gif&quot; border="0" /></a>

    "To is a preposition.
    Come is a verb"

  • AhnimusAhnimus Posts: 10,560
    Krisdababe wrote:
    I think it all depends on what part of Canada you're from. I never met a Canadian who said Aboot until i was in Manitoba. I've only heard people from Ontario and farther west say Eh and i've never, EVER met anyone other than a Newfie that could say "Yes By" like we do ;)

    What exactly does "Yes By" mean? I've never heard that.
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • TransplantedNewfTransplantedNewf Posts: 805
    Ahnimus wrote:
    What exactly does "Yes By" mean? I've never heard that.

    It's one of those sayings that can mean a hundred different things. When you're suprised, instead of saying, "Really?!" ...or when you don't really believe someone, instead of saying, "Yeah, right."

    Heh...i don't know. It's just something i've always said.
    <a href="http://www.last.fm/user/Krisdababe/?chartstyle=Krisdababe"><img src="http://imagegen.last.fm/Krisdababe/recenttracks/Krisdababe.gif&quot; border="0" /></a>

    "To is a preposition.
    Come is a verb"

  • AhnimusAhnimus Posts: 10,560
    Krisdababe wrote:
    It's one of those sayings that can mean a hundred different things. When you're suprised, instead of saying, "Really?!" ...or when you don't really believe someone, instead of saying, "Yeah, right."

    Heh...i don't know. It's just something i've always said.

    Interesting, very interesting :)
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • EchoesEchoes Posts: 1,279
    I don't notice it at all but sometimes my American friends call me on it
    printf("shiver in eternal darkness\n");
  • SongburstSongburst Posts: 1,195
    None of us annunciate the "ow" in about properly in Northern Ontario. It's not quite aboot, but it's pretty close. I think I say a-boat more than a-bout or a-boot. I also never realized how much I said eh until I went to Memphis.

    On a side note, I live right on the Minnesota/Ontario border and if I drive a half an hour south, everyone from the border to Minneapolis starts talking like the cast of Fargo. Anybody notice that in Minny before?
    1/12/1879, 4/8/1156, 2/6/1977, who gives a shit, ...
  • IgottagoIgottago Posts: 483
    The only people i've met who ever come close to saying "aboot" are people from the maritime provinces. Other than than, "aboot" is extremely rare. "Eh" is quite common though, I think I say "eh" from time to time. I also call the last My Morning Jacket album "zed", not "zee".
  • gleemonexgleemonex Posts: 848
    I'm from Manitoba and I've said "eh?" my fair share of times. However, the only time I've ever said aboot is if I'm making fun of an American who believes all Canadians say aboot.
    “Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’” - Kurt Vonnegut
  • JeanwahJeanwah Posts: 6,363
    My mother grew up in Newfoundland, and the huge amount of family I've met up there have a thick accent, but I've never heard "aboot". They sound like they have an Irish accent. And I hear "eh?" so much that it really has started to bother me...
  • sonicreducersonicreducer Posts: 713
    don't know much about canadian accents, but when i went to the hershey show people said "wooter" vs in the south we say 'water'.

    it didn't make sense, and i laughed a lot. that show was a blast. those dudes i met were really cool.
    you're a real hooker. im gonna slap you in public.
    ~Ron Burgundy
  • decides2dreamdecides2dream Posts: 14,977
    ahhh, stereotypes. if one watches tv, since i am from NY...you'd think i'd speak like the nanny...and yea, i don't...not even close. eh well.

    and sure, apparently, i am not allowed to use 'eh' eiyther...since it's a canadian thing. ;) and well, too bad..i use it all the time.
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


  • buttersbutters Posts: 63
    All Canadians say it differently...
    I didn't think we did, but now I can hear it.

    legend:

    a - as in 'ha'
    o - as in 'boat'
    u - as in 'boot'


    Americans tend to say a-ba-o-t, and they drag the o a bit

    Canadians (in Vancouver, and many other places) tend to say a-ba-u-t, and shorten the u a bit
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