# I don't CARE that you don't like Americans! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 14, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602 "2005-09-14T15:25:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/61 "2005-09-17T05:03:07Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > No you can’t. Go on, I dare you: > > 1. Use “eh” correctly in a sentence. > > 2. Say “out and about.” Not “oot and aboot.” > > Most non-Canadians I’ve met are unable to do these. > > Of course, even if you say it perfectly I wouldn’t be able to hear you … I don’t know what **Neurotik** is capable of, but we have plenty of Americans that do this naturally everyday. In particular, the entire northern mid-west states (Not everyone, but quite a bit). ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/62 "2005-09-17T05:14:41Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Many years ago, when I first went to SE Asia, I met a Kiwi fellow in a loud bar. He was a nice enough chap but once he had a few drinks in him he was like a dog with a bone. > > He kept insistently asking me, “Why do all you Canadians sound like Yanks?”, “Doesn’t it bloody bother you to sound like an Amerikan?” and so on, endlessly. There were other people along so I just avoided him for a time, but eventually he was back again. > > So this time I asked him, “Why do all you bloody Kiwi’s sound like freakin’ Auzzies?”. > > It worked perfectly, as he was deeply and truly offended that I dared to make such a comparison. 😕 > > Refused to speak another word to me. 😃 I used to know a girl from New Zealand. Whenever she started to rag (good naturedly, of course) about America, I’d point out that she was from the Canada of Australia, and had no room to talk. We never could figure out if that was more insulting to Canadians or Kiwis. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/63 "2005-09-17T06:08:59Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > No you can’t. Go on, I dare you: > > 1. Use “eh” correctly in a sentence. Oh, you Canadians think you’re soooo special. 😛 But how about that word crossing the border, eh? Bad influence, that’s what you are. It’s okay if you think we’ve bastardized the use of “eh”, but can you use “ayah” correctly in a sentence? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/64 "2005-09-17T13:27:03Z")
“Ayah.” “Yup.” “Mmm.” “Huh.” “Been nice visitin. Time to git back ta work.” ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/65 "2005-09-17T13:40:24Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I don’t get this “oot and aboot” thing. I’ve never heard a human being say that, either in Canada or the USA. Never seen Fargo\*, I take it. They weren’t even Canadian, somewhere near the Twin Cities in MinneSODA IIRC. Seeing Mr. Pink fed through the wood chipper is enough reason to watch it. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/66 "2005-09-17T13:42:44Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > “Ayah.” > > “Yup.” > > “Mmm.” > > “Huh.” > > “Been nice visitin. Time to git back ta work.” YONE–Toooo? Ahhhh-ITE! /mississippi ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/67 "2005-09-17T14:41:14Z")
> [@Eleusis](#): > > Never seen Fargo\*, I take it. Seen it 20, maybe 25 times. They don’t say “oot and aboot” either. I’ve actually been to Brainerd, MN on business, and they really do talk funny like in the movie. But they still don’t say “aboot.” ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/68 "2005-09-17T16:00:43Z")
I guess you’d have to contrast it against “uh-BAY-yut”. “What’s that all au-BAY-yut?” 😉 But that’s as much or more of an anachronism as “aboot”, so what can we do? 😃 My wife receives flak for supposedly saying “Sex” when she means “Six” (we’re from Chicago). Down here it’s pronounced “SEE-ix”. It’s simply a north/south thing. If it sounds like “aboot” to some of us, or “sex” to some of them, it’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just is. ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/69 "2005-09-17T16:16:17Z")
Living in Detroit and working in the auto industry, I’ve had lots of co-workers located in Ontario, spread out between Windsor and Toronto. I’ve heard “oot” and “aboot”, as well as “oat” and “aboat”. And lots of “Project management” with a long “O” “project”. Which sounds kind of cool and exotic. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/70 "2005-09-17T17:26:37Z")
You’s guys all talk funny. I ain’t got no accent. None of us guys around heah got no accent. Fahgeddaboutit. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/71 "2005-09-18T01:43:52Z")
> [@Eleusis](#): > > My wife receives flak for supposedly saying “Sex” when she means “Six” (we’re from Chicago). Down here it’s pronounced “SEE-ix”. > > It’s simply a north/south thing. If it sounds like “aboot” to some of us, or “sex” to some of them, it’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just is. Hmm. Let’s see if I’ve got this straight. And I’ll spoiler it, 'cause it’s really not refined. It really _sacks_ a porn star up for a gang-bang when she fondles the ball-_sex_ of _see-ix_ fellers before they git down to the actual _six_. That about cover it? ---
**Author:** ![Grits\_and\_Hard\_Toast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Grits\_and\_Hard\_Toast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grits_and_Hard_Toast)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/72 "2005-09-18T17:47:05Z")
This is something I have wondered about… I am watching a show on the Golf Channel called Big Break 4. This time around they have amatuer golfers from the US playing against amatuers from Europe. They are from England, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Scotland. When the European team is interviewed, although the all speak English, the show scrolls the dialouge down at the bottom of the TV screen, like they do when translating for English speakers. I find this very funny, but understand that some people have more difficulty understanding certain accents than others do. My question is if this is ever done to those from the US when they are interviewed in another English speaking country? Or might it be done just for certain regional US accents, that people in other countries might not be as familiar with? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/73 "2005-09-18T18:12:24Z")
> [@](#): > > My question is if this is ever done to those from the US when they are interviewed in another English speaking country? Or might it be done just for certain regional US accents, that people in other countries might not be as familiar with? Sorry, nhever heard of anything even remotely like this in America. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/74 "2005-09-18T18:46:43Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I don’t get this “oot and aboot” thing. I’ve never heard a human being say that, either in Canada or the USA. I saw an episode of “The Vicar of Dibley” where Dawn French said “There’s a joose loose aboot this hoose”. Does that count? A friend said to me last week that the only time she knows I’m Canadian is when I say the word ‘against’. Apparently, I pronounce it differently than Americans. I say a-gaynst, they say a-gehnst. ---
**Author:** ![goitazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9a140/32.png) [@goitazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goitazi)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/75 "2005-09-18T19:30:42Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally Posted by Grits and Hard Toast_ > My question is if this is ever done to those from the US when they are interviewed in another English speaking country? Or might it be done just for certain regional US accents, that people in other countries might not be as familiar with? > [@](#): > > _Originally Posted by smiling bandit_ > Sorry, nhever heard of anything even remotely like this in America. When I was in the U.S. I saw some Australians subtitled. i think it was some show late at night on UPN. Why I was watching UPN late at night, I cannot explain. The accent was broad, but I thought it was ridiculous that anyone would need subtitles to understand it. Then again, I do know that occasionally I would talk to someone and it was clear that despite their best efforts to hide the fact, my accent was preventing them from understand what I was saying. And I don’t have a very broad accent at all. I have also seen Scottish accents subtitled. Outside of the U.S., the only American accents I would imagine requiring any subtitling at all would be very thick southern accents, and I can’t think of any instances of actual subtitiling I’ve seen. Foreigners tend to be familiar with American accents because of our high exposure to your media, and because, in general, the American accent is very clear - most consonants are sounded, etc The only U.S. accents I’ve had to concentrate to understand are those of Big Tom on Survivor, or that comedian that hangs out with Jeff Foxworthy. I can’t remember his name. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/76 "2005-09-18T22:08:36Z")
Here in Australia, I’ve seen thick Southern accents and Scottish accents subtitled. I’ve also seen subtitles for people who were speaking English but normally spoke another language (Japanese, Middle Eastern languages, etc.) and were heavily accented. There were points during the Katrina coverage that I wish they’d had subtitles while they were interviewing survivors. Good grief. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/77 "2005-09-19T03:13:48Z")
> [@Grits and Hard Toast](#): > > \My question is if this is ever done to those from the US when they are interviewed in another English speaking country? Or might it be done just for certain regional US accents, that people in other countries might not be as familiar with? Here in Canada we get a lot of American football players in our Canadian Football League, and when they interview those guys for the sports news, I wish they _would_ subtitle them - I can’t understand a word they say. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/78 "2005-09-19T11:36:41Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Of course not. But then, most New Yorkers don’t realize their accent makes them sound like morons to civilized English-speaking society (which is pretty much everywhere else.) 🙂 What, this coming from someone from Warshington? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/79 "2005-09-19T12:42:35Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Apparently, we are more like Americans than we would care to admit, the rest of the world knows it, and we’re in deep denial. I suspect he might be onto something. My brother did some undergrad work at Kent State. One free weekend, he decided to drive up to Canada. He’d never been out of the US before, and thought it’d be fun. So, he hopped into his truck and tooled around just in Canada on afternoon. Just before heading back, he stopped in a bar to meet some locals. He was sitting at the bar talking to the bartender, and mentioned that this was the first time he’d ever been out of the US. Another bar patron asked what he thought of Canada. My brother thought about this question for a minute and replied, “It’s nice. It’s just like the US.” The coolness that followed quickly indicated that was the wrong answer. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602/80 "2005-09-19T16:22:39Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > What, this coming from someone from Warshington? 🙂 Noo Yawkahs ain’t got no accent. It’s all dose uddah guys what got accents. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-care-that-you-dont-like-americans/321602.md?page=5)