What American's Ought to Know About Canada, But Don't

[joncha]

Originally posted by Tingkai
This is a sports story from Canadian Press. Only in Canada, eh.

(CP) - Monday's NHL scores as provided from a season simulated for The Canadian Press by Electronic Arts, using the NHL 2005 video game. A roundup of the week's games is reported every Tuesday.

Second entry is the home team in each score.

Columbus Blue Jackets 1 Buffalo Sabres 4
Pittsburgh Penguins 2 Atlanta Thrashers 2
Florida Panthers 1 Phoenix 2
Detroit 2 Vancouver 3
Dallas 1 Anaheim 2

http://www.canada.com/sports/hockey/...6-758be113d2cd

Here's the link to the full virtual season:

http://www.easports.com/games/nhl2005/season.jsp

Calgary beat Montreal in 5 to take the Stanley Cup.

[Asher]

Originally posted by JimmyCracksCorn
Where's the fun then?

You still pick up guys, Jimmy. Think outside the box.

[joncha]

Originally posted by Tingkai


Is that out and about thing still true?

How would you pronounce "about"? How do Americans pronounce it?

Most Canadians pronounce it as "ow", but somewhat less strongly than do most Americans. The "oo" pronunciation is most common in Northern Ontario and Manitoba (as well as Minnesota and the Dakotas... think Fargo)

edit: "ow" as in "cow", not "snow"

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by Tingkai


Is that out and about thing still true?

How would you pronounce "about"? How do Americans pronounce it?

Nah. Ontarians at least say it more like "abeh-oot", whereas Americans say it like "a-bowt". Bowt rhymes with bow, like bowing down.

Americans just hear it as a-boot.

New Englanders actually say it more like "a-boot"... but it sounds like "a-boat".

[Imran Siddiqui]

Calgary beat Montreal in 5 to take the Stanley Cup.

I think they were may have been some messing around with the simulation .

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by joncha


Most Canadians pronounce it as "ow", but somewhat less strongly than do most Americans. The "oo" pronunciation is most common in Northern Ontario and Manitoba (as well as Minnesota and the Dakotas... think Fargo)

edit: "ow" as in "cow", not "snow"

Better description than mine. This is what I meant.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by Asher

You still pick up guys, Jimmy. Think outside the box.

Can't...wrap...mind...around.....

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by joncha


Here's the link to the full virtual season:

http://www.easports.com/games/nhl2005/season.jsp

Calgary beat Montreal in 5 to take the Stanley Cup.

Well that's just wrong. No friggen way could Montreal make the final.

And then there's the EA awards:
Hart Trophy (MVP): Milan Hejduk, Colorado
Ross (Scoring): Segei Fedorov, Anaheim
Richard (Goals): Sergei Fedorov, Anaheim
Norris (Defenseman): Sheldon Souray, Montreal
Calder (Rookie): Andre Fleury, Boston
Vezina (Goalie): Andrew Raycroft, Rangers
Smythe (Playoff MVP): Jarome Iginla, Calgary

[DaShi]

I like Canadians. At least the ones I've never met. For some reason every Canadian that I have met has been a complete and utter ****er (maybe the Canadian government is shipping them off to China). Except for the crazy paranoid one. He was just scary.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by DaShi
I like Canadians. At least the ones I've never met.

Definitely sig material if you don't mind.

[DaShi]

In context, please.

[Uncle Sparky]

Originally posted by joncha


Most Canadians pronounce it as "ow", but somewhat less strongly than do most Americans. The "oo" pronunciation is most common in Northern Ontario and Manitoba (as well as Minnesota and the Dakotas... think Fargo)

edit: "ow" as in "cow", not "snow"

Absolutely wrong. The movie "Fargo" caricatured the "new Norwegian" accent you'll find in a few communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. You will not find it in Manitoba, Northern Ontario or for that matter Fargo, ND.

[joncha]

Not really. The only map I could dig up is centred on the US, but the linguistic areas continue across the border (you can see how the general contours will go). The "upper midwest" dialect on the map is where you'll hear it most strongly as "aboot." You may be referring to differences within that area, but that's not what most people outside of the area pick up on.

[Uncle Sparky]

joncha : I've spent most of my life in the area and as an actor that also does voice work, I'd have noticed if people sounded like the cast of "Fargo".

If you have assumed what an upper Midwestern accent is based on the movie, you have been misled. When CBS came to Canada to make a TV pilot off the Fargo movie, I was asked to assist actors with the unique "Fargo accent". I did point out to the director that the accent was a fallacy. Of course I ended up rewatching the movie and gave them a 'New Norway' accent that made them all happy.

I believe the South Park Canadian accent was based on a Hallegonian they met. If you sing maritime Canadian songs (think "I's the B'y") you will find 'aboot'. The Upper Midwest accent is quite neutral.

[joncha]

First off, the Fargo reference was just to give people a general idea that the accent they think of as "Canadian" is not unique to Canada. I'm not saying people who say "aboot" also end every sentence with "dontcha know."

But I have travelled all across Canada, and the only place I've ever heard anyone say "aboot" is in Manitoba and Northern Ontario. East of there it's similar, but far less pronounced, and West of there its far more flat, nasal and "american". I've done more than enough linguistic work to know the difference between regional accents... I'm not just getting this from Hollywood.