[trackratte]

$1:

To take a simple example of the re/er thing in Canada:

Centre = a building, organization, or venue (ie. The Corel Centre)
Center = the center of an object, geometrically for example (ie. the center of the circle is located at (x,y))

I was never sure about the centre/center thing. Collins English Dictionary-Canadian Addition, does not differentiate between the two spellings, but simply presents both, as though they were interchangeable, regardless of meaning. Microsoft Word says that 'center' does not exist in the Canadian English lexicon, and will automatically mark it as misspelled. In Math I have always spelt it Centre (middle), for I spell metre, litre, ect, so it just made sense.

As for organization, the aforementioned dictionary says that it is spelt organization. However Microsoft Word when set to Canadian English says that it is spelt organisation. In english english, it is spelt organisation, so I do not know which form is correct.

[Evan]

In my civilian job I work in a callcenter giving technical support for the internet. I once worked for the Earthlink campaign, an american isp. I would talk to the custs and we would fix the problem and nothing would be said about an accent. As soon, and I mean as soon, as they found out I was from Canada, well.... Hows the weather up there EH?? and then they would just say aboot without putting it in a sentence. I had one woman form Brooklyn give me a lecture on how to speak!!! lol. I've acutally heard some americans say aboot while talking. not as pronounced but still sounded closer to aboot then we say.

I couldnt get over the brooklyn lady though. lol.

[blubs]

Evan I have to ask you this. It is about the lady from Brooklyn. Just did you say to her that made her give you a lecture on english? And did you have have trouble understanding her? I had a good friend yrs ago played hockey for the Rangers he told me he had a hell of a time understanding some Brookynners.

[Evan]

I didnt do anything in the way I talked to bring on the lecture. Just halfway through the call she asked where I was from I said saint john New Brunswick. After the distant oh. and the obvious lack of knowing where that was and to avoid the "is that in New Jersey?" question I said that is in Canada. She said "Oh, its aboot time you told me eh!" and they she told me there was a u in the word and that a boot goes on your foot not your mouth. Of course you have to understand I heard this about 30 times a day so I was trying to speak my mind and tell her she slaughtered the language worse than I. lol. I didnt have trouble understanding the brooklyn people. It was the southern people I had the most trouble with. lol. Depends on the person most times. Some people will talk with an accent but you can understand them. Some say everything at the same time while mumbling. crazy!!!

[blubs]

I bet that it does get just a tad annoying. After hearing the same old same all the time. I applaud your patience tho. If it were me I would have laid into her from the git go.
You also mentioned something about mumbling. Have you ever watched King Of the Hill? My god that Boomhauer sure mumbles. It is a lucky thing I am hard of hearing and use closed caption I would never understand what that toon says.

[Evan]

Lol. I have and I know exactly what your talking about. Most of the time All I could understand was somthing about internet and not working and stupid connection. So I had to guess what the problem was and get lucky. Beleive me Blubs I have no patience. I have turned into a bitter bitter person since starting to work at a call center. Any patience I have is forced and sarcastic.

Small story. I am in the reserves and I didnt want to have to join the regular force to make a living because I didnt want anyone telling me what to do or where to do it. lol. I goto college and my first job is in a call center. I hate it!!! I hate it so bad that in may of 2003 I put in my application to go reg force Air Force as an atis tech, Aerospace telecommunications and information technology technition. lol. Right now I'm just waiting for the call.

Now anytime that the reserves has a weekend I dont miss it. I love it due to the fact I'm off the phone for a whole weekend. That and I go away with the military for two full days and a half day, which is the same as going to the callcenter for a week. so I make in a week what I make in a weekend with the miliitary. Right now I make 21, 000 at my civi job. thats starting.
with the miiltiary I beleive its around 33 -38, 000 starting from private untrained. I'm a corporal in the reserves so. But still. I love going to the military weekends for th money and the getting off the phones. lol. sorry all small rant. Just trying to give our military a much needed plug!!

[blubs]

Damn you and would get along great I have absolutely no patience at all when it comes to dealing with yahoos. My line of work carnival ride operator you need patience. I hope you get the call soon Evan. As for me I tried to join when I was 17 in 1967 Dad signed the papers but after taking the physical etc I couldnr join because of my hearing. Which was a bummer I would have been out when I was 37 0r 40 and would have a good pension.(SIGH) oh well.

[Evan]

yeah thats what I am looking at 43 and I have a pension. My Dad and Mom tried to join the military when they where young and they had to wait for 5 years before their papers would be processed. Which is good I guess cause then they wouldnt have met and I wouldnt have been born. lol.

So Blubs, are you of those scary looking carnival operators? The ones that scare you so bad you dont have to get on the ride? lol. I'm just teasing.

[blubs]

not quite that scary though. Sometimes I wish I was. Swear some locals leave their brains at the gate. Like you I do know who frustrating some people can get when it comes to Questions.
I was having a really bad day a while back. This lady comes up and asks how long this ride is. I told her about 48 feet. She was not happy. BUt you get my drift. My personal favorite is this guyasking me how to get up to the second floor of our funhouse. The fun house doesnt have a second floor but if you want there is a ladder at the back you can use. I love it tho.

[LiquidHardcore]

Being a born-and-bred Rhode Islander, I can say that we have our share of language barriers. If you've ever spoken to a RI native, it is obvious that we have butchered the english language. In my visits to the south (and my frequent visits to Canada) I've had to repeat myself numerous times to people who got my drift, but had no idea what I was talking about.

Not to mention how many times I hear "Rhode Island? Where the hell is that?"

-Jes

[Rev_Blair]

It's kind of natural for regionalisms to pop up though. I work with a guy from the north of England and if it wasn't for reading all those James Herriot books as a kid, I wouldn't have a clue what he's talking about half the time. As it is I have to translate for him half the time, especially when he's drinking.

[Mukluk]

Me and few buddies have moved down the WA with our families, we notice a lot of differences in the way we speak, here's what I can think of off the top of my head:

-I used to "write" tests/exams, now I "take" tests/exams
-We really do say "about" differently. Canadians don't really say "aboot" but we tend to pronounce the "u" more than the americans....it is a tough one to explain, but the more time you spend here the more you see it.
-Texans call every kind of pop "coke". So they will ask "what kind of cokes do y'all have?". This would include Sprite, Dr Pepper etc...
-In the power industry, they call them "turbins", we call them "turbines"
-"Process" is pronounced with a short "o" in the US, I tend to use a long vowel
-"data" varies in Canada regionally, I believe, and it seems to be the same here.
-Americans refer to their President as "President Bush". I refer to ours as "You've got to be kidding me".
-zed vs zee
-I always seem to catch myself saying "All we need to do is go to Candian Tire..."
-"mom" is pronounced different here. Canadians pronounce it "mum"
-"huh" replaces "eh" here
-"uh-huh" replaces "you're welcome"
-I still don't know what they call ski-doos.
-"roof" is pronounced as though you're a barking dog down here.


That's it for now, gotto go check out the salmon run.

-m

[Twila]

$1:

-zed vs zee

I remember calling an 800 number to get service for a machine that was on the fritz. In order for them to serve me faster they required the company postal code. I gave it. It contains a Z. I said Zed. She said "how do you spell that?" I almost fell out of my chair! lol

$1:

-"uh-huh" replaces "you're welcome"

Found this one disturbing. Happened repeatedly to us when we were in California on vacation. I had to bite my tongue to prevent me from teaching manners to the retail clerks.

[Laconfir]

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The reason that American English is different from regular English is because they wanted to lose all ties to Britain. That is why there is an American dictionary by Webster. He was the one that changed many of the words after the American Revolution. Such as center/centre, litre/metre. There is no difference in meaning for centre/center.

[ABSOLUT_SS]

...LOL, I love this shit! Hey Laconfir, you live 35 miles from my front door down there in little Chicago, 'n I think you motherfuckers talk funny!...LMAO...