Separated by a common language

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

As Phyrie pointed out, I don't think our accents in Canada vary much from coast to coast. One has to be from Cape Breton, or very far east to notice an accent, but there are differences in phrasing. I think it's a misconception that most Canadians say "eh". Because a great deal of our population is British first, many of us are quite familiar with British expressions.

I know some Canadians that say "warsh" instead of wash, so I'm not sure if it's regional or not. They also say "ruff" instead of "roof".

Tracy I thought you sounded just fine on the video. I don't know to what you are referring. This is a great thread.

[snoopygirl]

It's weird but I feel like I have NO accent at all but I probably do I just can't hear it myself. Cos we live in an area of the North East that isn't actually like Newcastle Geordie. I know Tracy I hate the sound of my recorded voice on videos!! By the way people while I'm here I'm just like YEYYing because I got my Flash Player to work again so I can watch vids.
My cousin's bf is Scottish, and when he came over we were duscussing how we say the number 4. I was trying to work out if I said "Foe or For" and I actually say "Foe" (you just don't really notice on yourself lol) which he finds really weird cos he says its like stopping in the middle of the word and I've gone 'fo' but not the 'ur'. Being Scottish he says Fo-Wur. I like Scottish accents on men but nothing beats Irish
A really cute small Scottish kid in Year Seven in my school (who talks with such a deep voice it's hilarious) has the coolest voice. I actually didn't understand a word he said the other day because he said, "People were trying to make him eat a worrum." And I was like, "WORRUM???" And he was like, "Worrum, you know like, There's a worrum at the bottom of the garden." Turns out he meant worm lol, which I just say as "WERM"
I like this thread.

[RubyJeansMom]

People in most of my State say Ayah for yes. Not me. I went to Connecticut while in my teens, and I would say Hut, meaning Hot! They made fun of me, I started listening to television, and making my Maine accent go away... I still say things wrong, but if you ever hear some Mainers talk, at least you can understand me. Pauk the caa in the bauk yaud, is park the car in the back yard, I can say that correctly!!!

I love the Maine / New England accents. Maybe because I read a lot of Stephen King books, and they are usually set in that area. So, in my mind that is how they sound. Goofy, huh?

Here in Michigan, we have the Yoopers in the Upper Penninsula, referred to as the U.P., hence the name.
When I go up north, I really do notice the difference. They use a lot of dem's, dat's and doe's. Instead of them, that, those.

[kian]

I like this thread to, it's interesting how we don't know we have an accent. I can almost hear your accent Snoops in your posts. When I lived in California I was told by my Utah friends that I sounded like a Californian, now my Cali friends say I sound like a Utah person, even though some of the Utah friends still say I sound like a Californian. Go figure?

[RubyJeansMom]

When my sister-in-law, who was born and raised in California comes for a visit, I can definitely hear an accent.
When I was in Las Vegas, making small talk in the elevator, someone guessed I was from Michigan right away.
And, I don't think I have a accent either!!!

[rexandbaby]

Ayah, we all do!

[kian]

[aspen's mom]

Hey all!

Snoops' participation in our discussion brought to my mind another kind of separation--generational. My teen-aged sons are basically well spoken, but every so often, they'll say something that I don't even understand! I need an interpreter when talking to some of their friends! LOL!

I love all the comments about accents. I've lived all over the US, so most people just tell me that my accent is...odd.

I don't know if anyone else watches BBC America, but they have been experimenting with subtitles on some of the shows!! Silly and very distracting!

[kian]

I watch BBC America, haven't seen the subtitles yet, however, I love the accent.

[Phyrie]

Hmmm, the "warshrag" one always bothers me, coming from Canadians. My granddaughter's first caregiver was a wonderful woman, born and bred in Alberta. We have no accents in Alberta. She said "warsh". It always sounded like "trailer trash" to me. I have an unreasonable disdain for that, and I have no idea where it comes from. This may say more about me than her?

I was a devoted student of the English language for as long as I went to school, (which wasn't as long as it should have been) and I find myself inexplicably annoyed by mispronunciations. I don't mean charming accents, like Snoops love of Irish (ooh, man, if she were a bit older, I'd tell her how I feel about an Irish accent...hubba, hubba), but deliberate laziness annoys me.

My mother-in-law, a lovely lady, mispronounces common words. She says "Wal-mark" instead of "Wal-mart", "Canada Tire" instead of "Canadian Tire". She calls my granddaughters "Katrina and Janna" instead of "Karina and Jenna". To me, she is just being lazy and not remembering, or caring, to say the words properly. I've mentioned it to her, and she has actually made a concerted effort NOT to mispronounce words. I think it just becomes a habit, and then a quirk. And it makes the person sound ignorant.

Another person that I dislike is a low-talker. You know the kind....the person that you have to lean over to hear. And really pay attention to them... I hate that. It's base manipulation of the lowest sort. "If I talk softly, everyone has to be quiet to hear me, and pay attention." I don't usually waste too much time on low talkers. I have a significant hearing loss in one ear (very true) and I will tell a low talker that, although I might exaggerate the loss if I'm really annoyed by them. I don't like to be manipulated, by anyone.

Oh, dear... I seem to have gone off on another tangent....

Phyrie

[rexandbaby]

Low talkers get to me too, as I also have hearing loss in one ear, but what really gets to me is the "close talker" you know, the one that gets into your personal space, you can back up, and they just step forward, kind of like a dance!

[snoopygirl]

I don't mean charming accents, like Snoops love of Irish (ooh, man, if she were a bit older, I'd tell her how I feel about an Irish accent...hubba, hubba),

Phyrie

This is going to sound very ignorant but most American or Canadian accents sound the same to me except from the ones that are obvious like the Wild-West-y kinds. I don't know where any of the accents come from! Please don't hate me...
I don't know how to put it, but there's this accent that I notice on Friends that comes up that I don't know what it is. It's like the accent that (the first) Mindy has.. Not really helping am I.. Erm... I can't think how to do an impression of it... Never mind
Mr Briggs was our Canadian teacher in Year 8 or 9 and we said he sounded American to us, and he said, "No way! Americans suck!"

[rexandbaby]

Ayah, we all have different accents, here in the US. That is a Maine accent. So who else??

Ayah, (yes) We all have strange accents, (Maine )

Whut would I do if you couldn't understand me??

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Phyrie...you make me laugh! I know exactly the type of person to whom you are referring that always uses malaprops...like Archie Bunker, only not as funny. I think waRsh is universal because I had a neighbour growing up who's father was from the east coast who used to say waRsh and Ruff (for roof). He also used to call the driveway a laneway and he always referred to guests and company. Just different, not necessarily wrong I suppose.

Snoops, my mother is English and I rarely notice her accent anymore, but one thing English people tend to do is add an "r" to words that end in "a"...My mother can barely say Canada, she says "Canader", as well as spa becomes spar. My ex-husband was also british, from the north and used to say "ette" instead of ate...drove me mad.

More than the different accents, I find the different uses of words amusing. Pantyhose vs. tights, fags vs. cigarettes, randy vs. a man named Randy! and so on

I enjoy a well spoken southern accent, as well as an Irish, British, French, Italian, Spanish...anything European accent on a man especially. Different is always interesting

[Sadie G]

I love going back and reading all of the posts in here...I chuckled all the way through!

The question on the different accents all over the US reminded me.........I worked with a girl several years ago who was originally from Chattanooga Tennessee........she said we Hoosiers talk really really fast.........but she talked really really sloooooooow...........and had an obvious drawn out twang to her voice. I loved to listen to her talk!

When we went to Georgia a few years back I heard a major accent....very southern drawl.......really liked listening to them talk! I felt like I was at Tara....lol!

Oh and there is a definite Chicago accent and a Boston accent.......I can always recognize those two!

And I have to agree with you all......a man with a foreign accent........melts me like butter!