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Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Old Apr 25th 2018, 2:09 pm
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Default Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Today was a good example of why I dislike phone conversations, preferring email or face to face. But even in person has difficulties.

The number of times I have to repeat LAWTONS even mentioning its street, to a taxi driver and eventually they say "Oh LAHT'NS". It would be easier if I just said Laht'ns but I can't bring myself to do it.

But today was funny. A combination of lack of energy and weight of shopping meant I couldn't cycle back home so a taxi (a Van) was needed. So when I'd paid for my stuff I asked the cashier to call me a taxi. "I need a van."
In response to me stating my preferred company she acknowledges with "Anita?" which is pronounced Aneeda.

Does she think I'm an Anita/Aneeda? It's obvious she hasn't twigged that I need a van, so before she picks up the phone I say "That's a van I need."

So now she knows, and I hear her ask for a van. But then she says "He's asking for Aneeda." (sometimes people have favoured drivers)

So now I say "no, no, it's just a van needed" and I try to explain that I said I-need-a-van. The next two customers are falling about laughing and then the cashier twigs and we all have a good laugh.

Maybe I should try "Hellair...would you be so kind as to call me an air cab (preferred company) taxi please...and please request they send a van. Pip-pip."

What's that in Canadian?
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 2:39 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Originally Posted by BristolUK
Today was a good example of why I dislike phone conversations, preferring email or face to face. But even in person has difficulties.

The number of times I have to repeat LAWTONS even mentioning its street, to a taxi driver and eventually they say "Oh LAHT'NS". It would be easier if I just said Laht'ns but I can't bring myself to do it.

But today was funny. A combination of lack of energy and weight of shopping meant I couldn't cycle back home so a taxi (a Van) was needed. So when I'd paid for my stuff I asked the cashier to call me a taxi. "I need a van."
In response to me stating my preferred company she acknowledges with "Anita?" which is pronounced Aneeda.

Does she think I'm an Anita/Aneeda? It's obvious she hasn't twigged that I need a van, so before she picks up the phone I say "That's a van I need."

So now she knows, and I hear her ask for a van. But then she says "He's asking for Aneeda." (sometimes people have favoured drivers)

So now I say "no, no, it's just a van needed" and I try to explain that I said I-need-a-van. The next two customers are falling about laughing and then the cashier twigs and we all have a good laugh.

Maybe I should try "Hellair...would you be so kind as to call me an air cab (preferred company) taxi please...and please request they send a van. Pip-pip."

What's that in Canadian?
LOL!! that is hilarious! It sounds like a two Ronnies or Monty Python sketch.... you probably made the day of the two customers next to you.... I have been in very similar situations.... the pronunciation of a "D" where there should be a "T" causes all sorts of issues.... or like your other example pronouncing the "aw" sound in a word "ah" instead.

I had a similar example recently I was talking to a friend and he said, "oh you need to talk to Dawn about that.... " but "Dawn" sounded like "Don" to me, I thought there for a minute....as we have a mutual friend called "Don" but he had absolutely nothing to so with the subject we were discussing... I said "Don? what would he know about it???" my friend paused with a really confused look and said... "he?" then proceeded to say "You know Dawn Human Resources Dawn....." of course this still sound like "Don" to me... I replied "there isn't a Don in HR?" Then I clued in.... "oh you mean Dawwwwn!!! not Don!!" he said "yeah....Don!!" lol!! When I pointed it out, he actually acknowledged that the Canadian proununciation of the two completely different names sounds very similar....but Canadians never get confused when talking to each other about those names!
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 3:25 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

I'll have to add one to this.

This was in the US so does it still count?

I was ordering a sandwich and asked for tomatoes (toe-mah-toes) and the woman looked at me like a had 2 heads and asked me what I wanted and I again repeated tomatoes. It wasn't until a laughing gentleman behind me said "Man, he wants toe-may-toes" which she said "oh my god tomatoes that is so weird".

I was ready to give up on the tomatoes 😂
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 3:39 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Don't despair.

On meeting my then fiancee's grandmother, a black country woman through and through, we had a short converstion during which I hadn't understood a word she'd said and reportedly she hadn't understood me. It must have been gut busting for those present who could understand both...

You don't have to be in North America to meet those who, for whatever reason, think you're way of speaking is odd.
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 3:44 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Originally Posted by dave_j
You don't have to be in North America to meet those who, for whatever reason, think you're way of speaking is odd.
True enough but taxis have headed in the opposite direction over here and I could have been waiting ages for Anita.

I don't remember the equivalent back in England.
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 4:34 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Originally Posted by BristolUK
Today was a good example of why I dislike phone conversations, preferring email or face to face. But even in person has difficulties.

The number of times I have to repeat LAWTONS even mentioning its street, to a taxi driver and eventually they say "Oh LAHT'NS". It would be easier if I just said Laht'ns but I can't bring myself to do it.

But today was funny. A combination of lack of energy and weight of shopping meant I couldn't cycle back home so a taxi (a Van) was needed. So when I'd paid for my stuff I asked the cashier to call me a taxi. "I need a van."
In response to me stating my preferred company she acknowledges with "Anita?" which is pronounced Aneeda.

Does she think I'm an Anita/Aneeda? It's obvious she hasn't twigged that I need a van, so before she picks up the phone I say "That's a van I need."

So now she knows, and I hear her ask for a van. But then she says "He's asking for Aneeda." (sometimes people have favoured drivers)

So now I say "no, no, it's just a van needed" and I try to explain that I said I-need-a-van. The next two customers are falling about laughing and then the cashier twigs and we all have a good laugh.

Maybe I should try "Hellair...would you be so kind as to call me an air cab (preferred company) taxi please...and please request they send a van. Pip-pip."

What's that in Canadian?
You need to learn to speak proper!

I always throw in odd words they don't know. It's a talking point and sign of sophistication with the girls at Hooters.
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 6:48 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Canadians often comment that they love my "hardcore" British accent whatever that means?

needless to say i have to correct them on two counts..firstly i dont have an accent you do..and secondly even if i did have an accent which i dont..its an English accent not British.

finally i will bamboozle them with English slang terms which is a polite way of telling them to do one and leave me alone!
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 7:48 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Interesting ................

Most Canadians don't have an accent to me, apart from Maritimers, Newfoundlanders and some people from Hamilton (one of our friends form there sounded more like someone from the Bronx in NY).

BUT there are differences in the words used for the same things ..............


but you also find that back in England. I could always bamboozle my university roommate from Essex by doing that. Think of all the different words for a rwa cake, depending on where you come from.

Only it's called dialect in England!


IMHO ....... you adapt to the country.

Or to the county in England!
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 8:16 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Originally Posted by scilly
Interesting ................
Most Canadians don't have an accent to me, apart from Maritimers, Newfoundlanders and some people from Hamilton (one of our friends form there sounded more like someone from the Bronx in NY).
Yes I hear a distinct Newfoundland accent, a distinct Maritime accent, an Ottawa Valley accent (although that is in decline I gather.). People who have lived their lives in the Niagara area or in the Sarnia, Windsor area with lots of US influences tend to have a slight American accent, they refer to an Avenue as 'Ave', use american spelling more than other Canadians.

In the US I hear a New England accent, a Boston accent, a New York accent, a deep south accent and a Fargo accent and the rest just sounds american to me.
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 8:41 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

I told a waitress in a pizzeria we often go to that the soup there is usually cracking but, on that particular day, it was exceptional. What she somehow heard was that the soup is usually crappy except that day. Took us a few moments to establish effective communication, and I am still not completely sure she got it.
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 9:25 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Originally Posted by scilly
Interesting ................

Most Canadians don't have an accent to me, apart from Maritimers, Newfoundlanders and some people from Hamilton (one of our friends form there sounded more like someone from the Bronx in NY).

BUT there are differences in the words used for the same things ..............


but you also find that back in England. I could always bamboozle my university roommate from Essex by doing that. Think of all the different words for a rwa cake, depending on where you come from.

Only it's called dialect in England!


IMHO ....... you adapt to the country.

Or to the county in England!
I thought the woman down the road was foreign, some sort of east European, turns out she's from New Brunswick,
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 9:49 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Originally Posted by scilly
...IMHO ....... you adapt to the country...
Yes, but not in every single situation surely.
I mean, do you buy the fatty bacon so readily available or do you prefer some version of back bacon like you'd have in England? Do you have cinnamon with everything? Orange cheese?

I happily use North American words - sidewalk, for example, comes naturally to me. Parking lot. ER or emerge instead of Casualty. (I was trying to avoid this being another different words topic )
But I draw the line at daft pronunciations.

Originally Posted by bats
I thought the woman down the road was foreign, some sort of east European, turns out she's from New Brunswick,
Ha. The first time I heard Montreal French in 75 it sounded Russian. Sometimes when my MIL is speaking French to her granchildren, it sounds Chinese.
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 10:35 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Originally Posted by BristolUK
Yes, but not in every single situation surely.
I mean, do you buy the fatty bacon so readily available or do you prefer some version of back bacon like you'd have in England? Do you have cinnamon with everything? Orange cheese?

I happily use North American words - sidewalk, for example, comes naturally to me. Parking lot. ER or emerge instead of Casualty. (I was trying to avoid this being another different words topic )
But I draw the line at daft pronunciations.


Ha. The first time I heard Montreal French in 75 it sounded Russian. Sometimes when my MIL is speaking French to her granchildren, it sounds Chinese.
Hah, it's "ED" or "Emerge" "ER" is American.

When I was working I would have to try local pronunciations otherwise many of the older patients wouldn't understand me.
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 10:43 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Originally Posted by bats
Hah, it's "ED" or "Emerge" "ER" is American.
Ah but that's why I said North American. (I like to keep my options open )

I have never heard of ED. Well not in that context anyway.
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Old Apr 25th 2018, 11:51 pm
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Default Re: Accents, pronunciation, Canadianisms

Originally Posted by BristolUK
Yes, but not in every single situation surely.
I mean, do you buy the fatty bacon so readily available or do you prefer some version of back bacon like you'd have in England? Do you have cinnamon with everything? Orange cheese?

I happily use North American words - sidewalk, for example, comes naturally to me. Parking lot. ER or emerge instead of Casualty. (I was trying to avoid this being another different words topic )
But I draw the line at daft pronunciations.


Ha. The first time I heard Montreal French in 75 it sounded Russian. Sometimes when my MIL is speaking French to her grandchildren, it sounds Chinese.

To answer your question ............

We buy bacon from an independent butcher who sells lean bacon from local farmers. I don't like, never have liked, bacon so crisp that it shatters, but that's what you get if you eat in most N American cafes etc.

I'm dairy intolerant so haven't eaten cheese for about 15 years, but would buy Lancashire, Cheshire or Gloucestershire cheese or a Danish blue cheese as I did back then. Our Safeway (now Sobeys) often sells cheeses from England as they did back then, but there are Canadian cheeses that I liked.

I use cinnamon a lot, always have done .............. I now sprinkle it on top of my soy latte as it makes the soy taste much better, but I've always liked it as a spice in fruit cake, apple pie, etc.


Incidentally, I discovered the other day that "bacon medallions" are now popular in England. Had to google to find out what they were .............. back bacon rounds
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