American and Canadian accents - Telling them apart

[khaaan!!!]

You can tell a Canadian accent typically if they sound mildly retarded. People from the South tend to sound mildly retarded too, but they're easy enough to distinguish from the Canadians. Having grown up in northern Minnesota, I guess the Minnesotan accent does sound a bit dumb, not as dumb as Canada though. Really, it's more grating than anything.

Bart: So, what are you in for?
Gordy: I moved here from Canada, and they think I'm slow, eh?

Also, if you ever see Income Properties on HGTV, the host, Scott McGillivray is pretty obviously Canadian sounding. No American speaks like that. For the love of God, he pronounces progress as pro-gress (emphasis on the 'pro', eep!) instead of praw-gress.

Wow have you ever talked to a Canadian, I would respond with mean words but i will try and stay above that. Just really insulting. Any other nationalities you want insult and call mildly retarded or is Canadian and Scottish the only ones? Funny we are in a Star Trek forum, here we are fans of a show that encourages us to "PRO -gress" toward a humanity in harmony and unity and we have people saying things like this.

 

[Yoda]

You can tell a Canadian accent typically if they sound mildly retarded. People from the South tend to sound mildly retarded too, but they're easy enough to distinguish from the Canadians. Having grown up in northern Minnesota, I guess the Minnesotan accent does sound a bit dumb, not as dumb as Canada though. Really, it's more grating than anything.

Bart: So, what are you in for?
Gordy: I moved here from Canada, and they think I'm slow, eh?

Also, if you ever see Income Properties on HGTV, the host, Scott McGillivray is pretty obviously Canadian sounding. No American speaks like that. For the love of God, he pronounces progress as pro-gress (emphasis on the 'pro', eep!) instead of praw-gress.

Wow have you ever talked to a Canadian, I would respond with mean words but i will try and stay above that.

Of course I've talked to Candians. I lived a good portion of my life about 90 miles away from Canada. Nice enough people. Terrible drivers though.

Just really insulting. Any other nationalities you want insult and call mildly retarded or is Canadian and Scottish the only ones? Funny we are in a Star Trek forum, here we are fans of a show that encourages us to "PRO -gress" toward a humanity in harmony and unity and we have people saying things like this.

I didn't say Canadians were mildly retarded, I said they sound like they are. The Simpsons quote I posted implies that I'm not the only one who sees it that way.

We're not all here for Kumbaya utopia. Personally, I just like spaceships and lasers!

 

[khaaan!!!]

You can tell a Canadian accent typically if they sound mildly retarded. People from the South tend to sound mildly retarded too, but they're easy enough to distinguish from the Canadians. Having grown up in northern Minnesota, I guess the Minnesotan accent does sound a bit dumb, not as dumb as Canada though. Really, it's more grating than anything.



Also, if you ever see Income Properties on HGTV, the host, Scott McGillivray is pretty obviously Canadian sounding. No American speaks like that. For the love of God, he pronounces progress as pro-gress (emphasis on the 'pro', eep!) instead of praw-gress.

Wow have you ever talked to a Canadian, I would respond with mean words but i will try and stay above that.

Of course I've talked to Candians. I lived a good portion of my life about 90 miles away from Canada. Nice enough people. Terrible drivers though.

Just really insulting. Any other nationalities you want insult and call mildly retarded or is Canadian and Scottish the only ones? Funny we are in a Star Trek forum, here we are fans of a show that encourages us to "PRO -gress" toward a humanity in harmony and unity and we have people saying things like this.

I didn't say Canadians were mildly retarded, I said they sound like they are. The Simpsons quote I posted implies that I'm not the only one who sees it that way.

We're not all here for Kumbaya utopia. Personally, I just like spaceships and lasers!

Fair enough. Needless to say i was pretty insulted by your comment. I know you are just saying Canadians sound retarded but it is still insulting and it is only natural to stand up for myself and my country. Willing to put it behind me and hold no grudges. Besides anyone who has Baltar as an avatar can't be all bad

 

[Michael Chris]

I don't know. I have a hard enough time understanding people from neighboring states to the north and east. My brother moved to Texas for college, and his voice is sooo grating now. Depending on where you are in New Mexico your accent is usually also quite different. I apparently have a standard American accent, which I'd say is pretty typical around most of Rio Rancho (although Rio Rancho actually has some New York traits) and parts of Albuquerque.

 

[Ashu]

I would fail the Zee/Zed test, although I'm as Canadian as they come. I almost always say Zee because I had to condition myself to after years of working at a call center serving Americans. I'd be spelling something and come to a Z and it'd stop them dead in their tracks. Lots of them thought I was making letters up.

I wouldnt be surprised if you were making things up. Seems the DeafPoet thing to do

 

[DeafPoet]

I would fail the Zee/Zed test, although I'm as Canadian as they come. I almost always say Zee because I had to condition myself to after years of working at a call center serving Americans. I'd be spelling something and come to a Z and it'd stop them dead in their tracks. Lots of them thought I was making letters up.

I wouldnt be surprised if you were making things up. Seems the DeafPoet thing to do

Low blow, but I'll live.

 

[MANT!]

In my travels, I've met many Canadians , the only real test was the "eh"..EVERY Canadian I met did it without exception..

I'm from California, lived in the American South (Arkansas / Texas) and the UK and visited all over the world and was always told of my Californian accent...What are the characteristics of a Californian accent anyway?

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I think this might be interesting.

21 Accents

I can't tell you if the Canadian accent will please Canadians here. It sounds like someone from Minnesota to my ears, but there's definitely connections between a northern US and some Canadian accents.

 

[B.J.]

Meh. Her Southern accent is definitely a "Hollywood" Southern, nowhere close to the real thing.

 

[Yoda]

I think this might be interesting.

21 Accents

I can't tell you if the Canadian accent will please Canadians here. It sounds like someone from Minnesota to my ears, but there's definitely connections between a northern US and some Canadian accents.

Doesn't really sound like Minneota to me. Sounds like a cartoon voice more than anything. A lot of her accents weren't very convincing.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Which, the Charleston or the Texan? I thought the Charleston one sounded similar to people I met in Savannah, GA. Granted, there is a bit of a Scarlet O'Hara thing going on, but it's not too bad.

 

[backstept]

an extremely regional name for asphalt is tarvia which is the name of a pavement resurfacing and sealing company here in Syracuse
it somehow managed to become like Kleenex or other brand names that displace the item's generic name
though I haven't heard anyone say 'tarvia' in a really long time

 

[ancient]

I've never heard of this "Zed" thing before. Stop trying to trick me!

I think local Indian (native) words work themsleves into language, but I don't know if any of them are regional enough to make a difference between USA & Canadian English.