Where did the notion that Canadians say "aboot" instead of "about" come from? Honestly? I've never heard anyone in my life say "aboot" and I'm just wondering where it came from? I'm guessing there is some province in the maritimes where they have an accent like that? Or is it just made up by the Americans?

Where in Canada do you live? I think most of the Canadian sterotypes originated from the French Canadians, which make up a small proportion of Canada's population. Also, I'm sure a lot of the blame lies on the Movie and Television characters Bob and Doug McKenzie.

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And everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon...

DSettahr's Homepage

It's because Americans pronounce about as "a-ba-oot", and Canadians pronounce it more like "a-bu-oot". When some Americans try to mock Canadians for talking differently, they try to say "abuoot", but can't. So it ends up sounding like "aboot". Which unwittingly turns the joke back on them.

I went down to the States once, and a lady said she liked my accent. Which was weird, because up until that point I hadn't realised I spoke with an accent.

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"Well, it could be worse -- it could be windy!" -popular Canadian saying.

Whaaaa???

Where do you live?? In BC we definitly do not say "a-bu-oot" (i have no idea how that is supposed to sound, I keep gettin aboot). We don't say "a-ba-oot" either, we say "a-ba-out"... as in ABOUT...the right way.

It might shock you to learn that french canadians speak French.


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When bread becomes toast, it can never go back to being bread again.

No way!

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Echoman: Always stare at the sun. It shall tell you the time.

gothicx: Yeah, like, "Time to get sunglasses."

There's a slight difference in inflection. It's not as dramatic and "aboot", but it's there. It's also said similarly in some of the Northern US states like Minnesota, North Dakota and so on.

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I'm not an actor. I just play one on TV.

My point in asking you where exactly in Canada you live was that Canada is such a big country, that its quite possible people have different accents in different parts of the country. And yes, I am fully aware that French Canadians speak French, I was referring to the fact that their accents when they speak English are a lot stronger.

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And everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon...

DSettahr's Homepage

I'd like to know where people come up with the idea that I speak with a bit of a southern accent. If I do, its not as pronounced, I don't think

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Prowling out of the tundra, swinging a jeweled meat hammer, cometh Outlaw Torn! And he gives a gutteral bellow:

"I'm seriously going to hump you until you scream like a banshee!"

Yeah, I know what you meant.. I was just toying with you a bit

And no, that's not where it comes from.


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When bread becomes toast, it can never go back to being bread again.

Same here. I dont notice my accent, I'd like to think it's more Western=non-existant than Southern, but I dunno...



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please

its not 'aboot' that we so stereotypically have been predicted to say. ive noticed that myself and quite a few of my friends, instead of saying 'ub-out' say 'ub-ah-oot'
i dont know if that makes much sense, but we still say the 'out' bit, and the 'ah' following the lteter be, but we put a little more oooo emphasis on words like that. i myself say out with a little more ooish sound than my cousins (live in colarado) who say the more short o-ish noise, like ow-t rathre than ow-oo-t hope that helps? i mean if the word is involving out, we tend to use the letter 'u' as an ooo sound rather than an uh sound.

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[teletubbie voice] BIG HUG!!!! [/teletubbie voice]

I have no idea what you are talking aboot.

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*Joren, Legend, Alleged Egomaniac, Thread-Killer, 2-time Ban Recipient, and 6th Grade Spelling Champ*

I've discussed this at length with Americans. We say it faster. They say it slower. Therefor it sounds like we are saying aboot to them. Same with house and a whole bunch of other words. We just say them faster. It's almost imperceptible but it comes out sounding like an accent.

Then there's the whole 'eh' and 'huh' thing.
Our 'eh' is the equivelent to the American 'huh'.

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To artificial life, all reality is virtual.

You're the first I've ever seen that uses three syllables in the word "about."

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I have become Death, destroyer of newbs.
Statavad-Gita 8:14

Vraiment?


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<scribbly handwriting barely resembling name>

It seems to me that this must come from the newfies. Their accents make it sound very much like 'aboot'.

I had a phone conversation with Stealth from Code Alliance at one point. He's from Canada and he most definitely said "aboot" not "about." Of course, I have no idea where in Canada he is from.

The only speech thing I accociate with Canada is the use of "eh," though I know someone from Charleston, SC and they say "aboot." I don't understand how that little piece of a state could have a totally seperate accent from the whole surrounding area.

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

"Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right." -Isaac Asimov

It's really more like two and a half syllables. There's two distinct vowel sounds in the second syllable, if you listen carefully -- the "ah" or "uh" sound, depending on your accent, and then the "oo" or "w" sound. Just like the word "I". It's two distinct vowel sounds -- "ah" and "ee"... a-ee.

To Raoul: the "u" in my admittedly rough phonetic pronunciation, "a-bu-oot", would be pronounced like the "u" in "tug". If it helps, the "oo" part could also be spelled "w", for pretty much the same sound.

Tolkien was right. Linguistics are fun.

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"Well, it could be worse -- it could be windy!" -popular Canadian saying.