You don't get it

Post #155,721 by jake123 5/18/04 12:48:41 PM Reply	You don't get it It's not that we don't use the "ow" sound in about. It's that the American ear has been so coarsened by their version of the english language that they can't hear it anymore in comparison to their version, which to my ear sounds more like "ahw". I was talking to a client in Michigan not too long ago; the one that got me was the word "alright". I didn't even recognise it; in sloppy Canadian usage one might say "awright" - turn the L into a W. However, over in Michigan they just drop the L and the R completely: "a-ite". Truly remarkable. --\n-------------------------------------------------------------------\n* Jack Troughton jake at consultron.ca \n [link\|http://consultron.ca\|http://consultron.ca] [link\|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca\|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca] \n Kingston Ontario Canada [link\|news://news.consultron.ca\|news://news.consultron.ca] *\n-------------------------------------------------------------------
Post #155,722 by lister 5/18/04 1:16:46 PM Reply	That could be it That's why I floated out the third party question. As for alright, I first heard a-ite from those hip-hop-headscarf-baggy-pants-with-one-pant-leg-up wearing doofus' with the strange finger positions, too much jewelry and the I'm-so-impressed-with-myself stance. That sucks if it's started to spread into common usage. A-ite makes one sound like a retard with his mouth full. lister
Post #155,726 by drewk 5/18/04 1:41:14 PM Reply	Nit: s/doofus'/doofi === Implicitly condoning stupidity since 2001.
Post #155,735 by pwhysall 5/18/04 2:13:45 PM Reply	Nit: s/doofi/doofuses/ Peter [link\|http://www.debian.org\|Shill For Hire] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Blog]
Post #155,739 by lister 5/18/04 2:24:29 PM Reply	Thought of the es version afterwards I couldn't be bothered to edit my message though. lister
Post #155,742 by drewk 5/18/04 2:38:17 PM Reply	Nit: s/doofuses/doofusen/ === Implicitly condoning stupidity since 2001.
Post #155,743 by lister 5/18/04 2:42:42 PM Reply	dictionary.com and m-w.com say doofuses [link\|http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=doofuses\|http://dictionary.re...search?q=doofuses] [link\|http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=doofuses\|http://www.m-w.com/c...onary&va=doofuses] Neither show entries for doofusen. Unless that was intended to be a "HA HA!" that doesn't read as such to me. lister
Post #155,751 by drewk 5/18/04 3:47:46 PM Reply	You ... are ... *SHITTING ME!* I didn't think even "doofus" would be in the dictionary. Holy SHIT that's funny. === Implicitly condoning stupidity since 2001.
Post #155,797 by pwhysall 5/18/04 6:30:07 PM Reply	That's because you're an illiterate colonial baboon. As I've long, long suspected. Peter [link\|http://www.debian.org\|Shill For Hire] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Blog]
Post #155,812 by lister 5/18/04 8:00:37 PM Reply	Hey watch the wide swath of that brush! It's not easy fighting the good fight for the Queen's English against the slow witted 800lb gorilla next door. lister
Post #155,809 by lister 5/18/04 7:57:31 PM Reply	No At least I hope not though I thought that chicken last night was suspicious. Fortunately a-ite hasn't been accepted yet. lister
Post #155,744 by Another Scott 5/18/04 2:44:53 PM Reply	There was a SNL skit along those lines ... Amy Poehler was a white suburban teenager sitting at the dinner table with her 1950-ish WASP parents and a sibling. She had the slouch, the frown, was talking about "bustin' a cap in yo' ass!", "aight!", etc., etc. As Homer would say, "It's funny because it's true!" Cheers, Scott.
Post #155,728 by ben_tilly 5/18/04 1:48:34 PM Reply	Exactly Which is why at [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=155707\|http://z.iwethey.org...?contentid=155707] I said, ..to American ears. Canadian ears can tell the difference between a Canadian saying "aboot" and "about". They don't sound at all the same. American ears hear them as being the same. I've been immersed enough in both places to understand how both groups hear the same thing differently. Related to this is the way that Canadians sometimes wind up being pushed into "translating" between, say, Americans and Australians. The Canadian understands both, and both understand the Canadian. The two can literally not understand each other. Oh, written down they would know what the other one is saying. But they interpret what they hear sufficiently differently to create a significant comprehension barrier. And yes, Scott, that means that you're wrong in addition to being right. Even though what you hear a Canadian say is "aboot", I guarantee you that it isn't really "aboot" - you just can't tell the difference. Cheers, Ben To deny the indirect purchaser, who in this case is the ultimate purchaser, the right to seek relief from unlawful conduct, would essentially remove the word consumer from the Consumer Protection Act - [link\|http://www.techworld.com/opsys/news/index.cfm?NewsID=1246&Page=1&pagePos=20\|Nebraska Supreme Court]
Post #155,732 by admin 5/18/04 2:07:15 PM Reply	Actually... You're right, it isn't "aboot", but most people understand that presentation better. It's a much subtler distinction, and I can tell the difference. It's more like "abowoot"... the progression is abowt -> abowoot -> aboot. Enough people hear it as "aboot", though, that that's what I have to say when I'm talking about it. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."

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