Maybe it's a 'native' thing. I'm Canadian and have never said 'aboot' or end my sentences with eh, as much as linguistic experts claim. Yet, I can immediately tell if someone is Canadian and/or American. We just sound different... I know it and they know it. No big deal.
When I first moved to the North East of England, I quickly realised that a many accents meant nothing to me. I couldnt tell the difference between corrie characters and eastenders. For real. I still struggle with Irish and Scottish. Sounds the same as far as I'm concerned...and before I get 'oh no it doesn't '. Don't I sound like everyone who has commented on this thread? It's a personal opinion and if you don't live in the areas you aren't going to catch the nuances of accents living there there for awhile.
All this to say, I know for a fact I don't sound American - sorry to disappoint but please keep up the discussion. Maybe I can start one about how aussies and English sound the same #bullshit
Maybe it's a 'native' thing. I'm Canadian and have never said 'aboot' or end my sentences with eh, as much as linguistic experts claim. Yet, I can immediately tell if someone is Canadian and/or American. We just sound different... I know it and they know it. No big deal.
When I first moved to the North East of England, I quickly realised that a many accents meant nothing to me. I couldnt tell the difference between corrie characters and eastenders. For real. I still struggle with Irish and Scottish. Sounds the same as far as I'm concerned...and before I get 'oh no it doesn't '. Don't I sound like everyone who has commented on this thread? It's a personal opinion and if you don't live in the areas you aren't going to catch the nuances of accents living there there for awhile.
All this to say, I know for a fact I don't sound American - sorry to disappoint but please keep up the discussion. Maybe I can start one about how aussies and English sound the same #bullshit
'
You're absolutely right of course. An English person might react with disbelief that someone couldn't tell the difference between a Liverpool, Birmingham, London or Newcastle accent. Well equally there are numerous accents around Canada and the United States. It's not even limited to the usual New York, Texas, California, New England variations. Canadians don't all have the same accent either and Quebec is in some ways like a separate country from the rest of Canada for many reasons. In New York City a native will know the difference between the accent of someone from Brooklyn, Bronx or Northern New Jersey. It's the same as a Londoner may well notice a difference in accent between someone from the East End or South London. I can pick out the different British accents because I've spent time there but I couldn't tell which part of London someone was from like a native of that city might be able to.
You're absolutely right of course. An English person might react with disbelief that someone couldn't tell the difference between a Liverpool, Birmingham, London or Newcastle accent. Well equally there are numerous accents around Canada and the United States. It's not even limited to the usual New York, Texas, California, New England variations. in New York City a native will know the difference between the accent of someone from Brooklyn, Bronx or Northern New Jersey. It's the same as a Londoner may well notice a difference in accent between someone from the East End or South London. I can pick out the different British accents because I've spent time there but I couldn't tell which part of London someone was from like a native of that city might be able to.
Thanks for that. I've gotten better over the years but I still ask my English hubby 'where are they from?' it sounds ridiculous to anyone in the uk but I struggle to catch many accents here. And what is obvious to many in the uk isn't to my Canadian ears.
So I find it crazy that there's a 'can Americans tell Canadian accents' thread. It's so subjective! You can only weigh in once you've lived there. And I swear, whenever I've met Americans in this neck of the woods I have never claimed them as Canadian! I knew immediately they weren't!
I too have never heard any negativity towards this usage. /Even some in the US when abroad will say the states. Or even when referring to the US while still here, lol, It's okay to use.
To be honest, there are mainlanders who come to vacation here in Hawaii and will refer to the mainland as 'the States". Which irritates people in THIS STATE to no end, because Hawaii IS a state. I guess this falls under when not to use.
You're right, a Yankee is someone from the upper east coast. Not all of us are yanks and it sounds offensive to me.
I certainly can see your point being fron Texas, or the southern US. Obviously we as Americans understand where it intially came from, but I do think that it was World War II that gave that term a more wider usage for the entire US population. I'm certainly not a Yank beinng born and raised in California, but it s one of those things that I just brush aside and say 'whatever'. Not big harm done (for me).
It makes me cringe when people use the term "yanks". They're usually the same people who would use terms like "chinks", "nips", "krauts", "frogs", "rag-heads" etc....
I dont think Yanks is at all as severe as those words you use. Not at all. It may be used by southerners to describe a northerner in older usage, but when used by a Brit, it really is only meant as a refernce to an American, and I take it in a friendly jibe.
Sometimes I wish Ina Garten was my mom or my aunt, I'd love to live in the Hamptons and have nothing to do but cook chickens. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wasOe8bAwxE
ETA: There are a whole bunch of videos of her, but most are from Food Network and I'm not sure if they'll play in the UK.
So I find it crazy that there's a 'can Americans tell Canadian accents' thread. It's so subjective! You can only weigh in once you've lived there. And I swear, whenever I've met Americans in this neck of the woods I have never claimed them as Canadian! I knew immediately they weren't!
Exactly. Some of us can tell the difference others can't, there's no right or wrong answer really.
I remember reading about how some of the islands off the New England coast still spoke with an English West Country accent until recent times, but since the advent of mass multi media communication have since lost it and now speak generic American.
I remember reading about how some of the islands off the New England coast still spoke with an English West Country accent until recent times, but since the advent of mass multi media communication have since lost it and now speak generic American.
No, not New England. The puritan settlers were mostly from the East Midlands and that's why New England is one of the few places in the US to foster a non rhotic accent.
You're probably thinking of islands in the Chesapeake Bay, which is Virginia. Interestingly those small islands were populated by fishermen from Newfoundland.
Comments
When I first moved to the North East of England, I quickly realised that a many accents meant nothing to me. I couldnt tell the difference between corrie characters and eastenders. For real. I still struggle with Irish and Scottish. Sounds the same as far as I'm concerned...and before I get 'oh no it doesn't '. Don't I sound like everyone who has commented on this thread? It's a personal opinion and if you don't live in the areas you aren't going to catch the nuances of accents living there there for awhile.
All this to say, I know for a fact I don't sound American - sorry to disappoint but please keep up the discussion. Maybe I can start one about how aussies and English sound the same #bullshit
'
You're absolutely right of course. An English person might react with disbelief that someone couldn't tell the difference between a Liverpool, Birmingham, London or Newcastle accent. Well equally there are numerous accents around Canada and the United States. It's not even limited to the usual New York, Texas, California, New England variations. Canadians don't all have the same accent either and Quebec is in some ways like a separate country from the rest of Canada for many reasons. In New York City a native will know the difference between the accent of someone from Brooklyn, Bronx or Northern New Jersey. It's the same as a Londoner may well notice a difference in accent between someone from the East End or South London. I can pick out the different British accents because I've spent time there but I couldn't tell which part of London someone was from like a native of that city might be able to.
Thanks for that.
So I find it crazy that there's a 'can Americans tell Canadian accents' thread. It's so subjective! You can only weigh in once you've lived there. And I swear, whenever I've met Americans in this neck of the woods I have never claimed them as Canadian! I knew immediately they weren't!
I too have never heard any negativity towards this usage. /Even some in the US when abroad will say the states. Or even when referring to the US while still here, lol, It's okay to use.
To be honest, there are mainlanders who come to vacation here in Hawaii and will refer to the mainland as 'the States". Which irritates people in THIS STATE to no end, because Hawaii IS a state. I guess this falls under when not to use.
I certainly can see your point being fron Texas, or the southern US. Obviously we as Americans understand where it intially came from, but I do think that it was World War II that gave that term a more wider usage for the entire US population. I'm certainly not a Yank beinng born and raised in California, but it s one of those things that I just brush aside and say 'whatever'. Not big harm done (for me).
I dont think Yanks is at all as severe as those words you use. Not at all. It may be used by southerners to describe a northerner in older usage, but when used by a Brit, it really is only meant as a refernce to an American, and I take it in a friendly jibe.
Sometimes I wish Ina Garten was my mom or my aunt, I'd love to live in the Hamptons and have nothing to do but cook chickens. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wasOe8bAwxE
ETA: There are a whole bunch of videos of her, but most are from Food Network and I'm not sure if they'll play in the UK.
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/west_country.html
A delightful couple.
Exactly. Some of us can tell the difference others can't, there's no right or wrong answer really.
Sometimes I can tell, sometimes I can't. I really don't think there are completely distinct sets of Canadian and American accents.
I remember reading about how some of the islands off the New England coast still spoke with an English West Country accent until recent times, but since the advent of mass multi media communication have since lost it and now speak generic American.
No, not New England. The puritan settlers were mostly from the East Midlands and that's why New England is one of the few places in the US to foster a non rhotic accent.
You're probably thinking of islands in the Chesapeake Bay, which is Virginia. Interestingly those small islands were populated by fishermen from Newfoundland.