> >
> > How do you define a "Canadian accent"?
> >
> > I've had an argument over the years with friends over what a Canadian sounds like; they claim we have "no" accent. But I disagree -- when I've met Canucks in Florida and on the radio in Miami, I *knew* they were Canadian, but it's hard for me to define why.
> >
>
> It's the pronunciations of various words. It's readily noticable in the long O sound:
>
> Outhouse is pronounced "oothoose" or "oothaus" by Canadians. Outhouse is pronounced "awthaus" by Americans.
>
> Route: "root" in Canada, "rawt" in America.
>
> Patronize: pat-tron-eyes (Canada) payt-tron-eyes (America)
>
> -Faux "Extreme Generalizations in use!" Pas

Hey, that's pretty good Faux Pas :-) In conversations with Americans, I've always been taken aback whenever they use the pronounciation "rawt" for "route" -- I literally have to think of what that word means -- because *nobody* says route that way in Quebec. "Outhouse" is interesting, though... the "ootHAUSSE" pronounciation is the way French-Canadians say it, because they can't say the "ow" syllable. The "owthaus" version is the way that Anglos like you and me prefer to refer to the Port-A-Potty. :-)

Wolfspirit