Americans sound nasal

A.S.C.M.   Friday, September 26, 2003, 05:15 GMT
I had to consult the dictionary to figure this one out: Newfies = Newfoundland chappies.

The person whose "about" sounded like "aboat" to me came from Nova Scotia, which is close to Newfoundland. It sounded nothing like "aboot".

After thinking about all the Canadians I have met, I must say that most Canadians pronounce "about" as Americans from the U.S. do.

I agree that Australians and New Zealanders sound more nasal than Americans. The Oceanian nasality is quite sharp and therefore does not sound whiny.
Clark   Friday, September 26, 2003, 05:41 GMT
"Newfie" is slang for someone who comes from Newfoundland. They talk funny (apparently). To me, they sound like Scottish people who have been in America too long.
Marie   Friday, September 26, 2003, 13:58 GMT
I think avril lavigne sounds like the English was she says over
wassabi   Saturday, September 27, 2003, 05:57 GMT
newfies sound like fishermen...hard to describe...its like kindof cowboyish, slangish, fishmanish....
Clark   Saturday, September 27, 2003, 07:12 GMT
Maybe we have a different perception of Cowboyish, Wassabi. For Canadian Cowboys, I picture someone from Alberta or Saskatchewan. And for American Cowboys, pretty much anyone (except from areas like New York City, LA, Chicago and Detroit). I would not be surprised if this was the same for Canada, but since I have never experienced Canada, I do not know.
wassabi   Saturday, September 27, 2003, 18:22 GMT
cowboyish...as in the sound you hear people talking with from those old western films from texas. thats generally where we think people sound like cowboys
Ryan   Sunday, September 28, 2003, 00:24 GMT
Thank goodness I don't sound like a cowboy to Clark. :-P
Jay   Sunday, September 28, 2003, 00:52 GMT
The one Canadian I know in my daily life, who is originally from Alberta btw, says those
-out words as "-oat". But, only in rapid speech. And it isn't really "about", it's more like "abo't" and "o't". Vancouver is "Vancooover". Say what you will about Albertans, they have charming accents. Wow, I really got off topic.
Clark   Sunday, September 28, 2003, 01:22 GMT
Um, I think I misunderstood the post, or I did not make myself very clear(which happens often ;-)

I think that anyone in America has the potential to be a cowboy. I grew up riding horses and living on a "city-ranch" when I was with my dad in a medium-sized city surrounded by a lot of other medium-sized cities. So I should have said that anyone in America can be a cowboy.

What I totally was not paying attention to was the bit about accents.

But now that I am aware of the acent bit, the people who I would not see as the "typical cowboy types" are people from New England and some places in the Northern Midwest like Michigan and Wisconsin.

And as for accents in Canada, I still think of people from Alberta as being "cowboyish."

And I might add, that while I was really into rodeo for a couple of years, the Canadians kicked the Americans' asses! Even the French-Canadians were invloved in the rodeo, but mostly people from Alberta and Saskatchewan. GO CANADA!!! VAS-Y CANADA !!!
wassabi   Sunday, September 28, 2003, 02:53 GMT
who knew that saskatoon people and albertans did the rodeo. its so stereotypical that texans would do that stuff. guess you learn knew things everyday!
/   Sunday, September 28, 2003, 04:27 GMT
All this talk of cowboys reminded me of how Prince Harry's is in Australia at a cattle station learning how to be a Jackaroo. It was funny seeing him hearding cattle. Almost made him look like a normal boy. Apparantly the only entertainment is at some distant pub.
wassabi   Sunday, September 28, 2003, 04:49 GMT
they try to be normal people, never works out. you know all those teen celebs that say they're normal....whos normal and has the US weekly taking pictures of your butt?
A.S.C.M.   Sunday, September 28, 2003, 23:54 GMT
Indeed. Texas and Alberta are so far apart yet so similar in some respects. Fancy! A subject of the crown wearing a cowboy hat.
wassabi   Wednesday, October 01, 2003, 05:16 GMT
queen elizabeth with a cowbow hat an boots.... that would be funny...don't those shoes hurt?