Americans and Canadians

Hobbes said:

Canada is full of eh-holes.

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

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.

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

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.

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...

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.

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

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

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.

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.