Speech pattern and typographical variations across Canada

[rousseau]

It's not just people in the service industry, though. It's everyone.

What makes it all topsy-turvy is that the formerly standard "thank you" now sounds formal and earnest. Exaggeration is the new normal.

And yes, I'm aware I sound like a curmudgeon.

[SignalHillHiker]

I learned tonight - but only from one person, so Gold only knows if it's true - that Nova Scotians use "ye" too, but it's not plural there.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I learned tonight - but only from one person, so Gold only knows if it's true - that Nova Scotians use "ye" too, but it's not plural there.

But is it pronounce "yee", or is it "yuh", as it is up here? The Ontario plural of "yuh" is "yuz".

[north 42]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

But is it pronounce "yee", or is it "yuh", as it is up here? The Ontario plural of "yuh" is "yuz".

I hate "yuz"!!!! Sounds so hickish!

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by rousseau

It's not just people in the service industry, though. It's everyone.

What makes it all topsy-turvy is that the formerly standard "thank you" now sounds formal and earnest. Exaggeration is the new normal.

And yes, I'm aware I sound like a curmudgeon.

Careful there, that's my role!

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by north 42

I hate "yuz"!!!! Sounds so hickish!

Often incorporated into the interrogative "Whadaryuzuptuh?"

[kwoldtimer]

Here's one from out of the blue.

"Whore". Rhymes with "more" or "moor". Please discuss.

[north 42]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Here's one from out of the blue.

"Whore". Rhymes with "more" or "moor". Please discuss.

Lol, I say both, but my American husband hates when I say "crackwhore" pronounced crackhoor. I think I get that pronunciation from my father, as he always said it that way. I'm not really sure how it's pronounced elsewhere, but I thing the pronunciation that sounds like "more" is the most popular around here.

[SignalHillHiker]

"More" and "Moor" rhyme for me. But I don't think we say "Moor" on its own. Just as part of the compound word "Moorlands", which is type of terrain. Most of the TCH here passes through moorlands.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by north 42

Lol, I say both, but my American husband hates when I say "crackwhore" pronounced crackhoor. I think I get that pronunciation from my father, as he always said it that way.

My mind tells me that it should rhyme with "more", but I can see myself using "Whoor" at least sometimes (not that I use it often). I wonder if that's legit given the Scottish influence in Canadian English? I'm just wondering how widespread it is, or if there's any regional differences.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

"More" and "Moor" rhyme for me. But I don't think we say "Moor" on its own. Just as part of the compound word "Moorlands", which is type of terrain. Most of the TCH here passes through moorlands.

Same with "poor" and "pore"? To me, the pronunciation is quite different.

[SignalHillHiker]

Yeah, they rhyme for me. But I understand what you mean. I can say them differently in my head, and some of the accents here do distinguish between them.

But it's very unnatural for me. To pronounce poor differently my whole mouth just feels weird. "Pooh-err".

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Yeah, they rhyme for me. But I understand what you mean. I can say them differently in my head, and some of the accents here do distinguish between them.

But it's very unnatural for me. To pronounce poor differently my whole mouth just feels weird. "Pooh-err".

Well that would be going too far, like you were from Brooklyn or something. "Poohr" with one syllable would do it.

[SignalHillHiker]

I can do it in my head but if I try to make it sound the way you mean it out loud, it just becomes "pore" again.

[SignalHillHiker]

What about higher/hire? They rhyme for me, same length of I and the works.

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

What about higher/hire? They rhyme for me, same length of I and the works.

Same to me here.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Xelebes

Same to me here.

That's a tricky one. I can hear a difference between the two when I'm listening to how I say them, but I'm not sure that there would be much distinction if I were using them in regular conversation. What I hear in my head (voices!) is "higher' with two distinct syllables, accent on the first. "Hire" has one syllable, but I find it harder to make the "r" sound following the long "i" than I do following the long "o" of "pore" without adding an extra syllable. Never noticed that before.

[GlassCity]

We only say hoor as a joke, like making sure attention is being drawn to the word. I've only ever heard hore in normal speech.

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

What about higher/hire? They rhyme for me, same length of I and the works.

Yeah they sound exactly the same.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

What about higher/hire? They rhyme for me, same length of I and the works.

Higher has two syllables (although subtle, the "gh" sound is a bit like a "Y') the way I say it, hire doesn't.

[SignalHillHiker]

A lot of my Mom's family says it that way. Nice, drawn-out, one-syllable "hire". But not me. '

Would you say my name (Ryan) as Rye-un or Rhine? The ones who do "hire" also do "Rhine".