Thoughts on culture

[Walks on Clouds]

There is a thing I've pondered on for some time now. It's this:

Do all nationalities joke about their neighbours? For example there is an immense supply of jokes about Norwegians in Sweden. (Possibly because of centuries of cat-and-mouse like politics and occasiopnal warfare.)

I will risk my reputation by giving you a typical example, hoping there are no Norwegian citizens on this forum...

Here goes:

"Why do Norwegians always bring a car door with them when they go into the desert?"
"Because if it gets too hot, they can roll down the window."

Do you americans do the same thing? I've been wondering during some of my more philosophical moments.

[Aluscia]

Yes... We Canadians make fun of the Americans all the time... There was even a show devoted to it.

[Ghryphen]

Hehe we make fun of Canadians as well. We do feel bad for them and have offered them our power, but as you can see only those with long extension cords get it.

[Walks on Clouds]

Any good examples? I'd really like to hear some...

[Ghryphen]

Well we often make fun of how they pronounce About > Aboot, however they often disagree

[Aluscia]

We make fun of the general drawl that all Americans have. We pronounce about properly, they just neutralize all vowels so they sound the same.

We also love to make fun of the people who 'Honestly' believe that Canadians live in igloos, or drive dog sleds in the winter, or hunt seals, or peg off the overburdening moose population with timbits... the list goes on and on... It's actually quite disturbing what some Americans think of Canada...

[Ghryphen]

Actually I have never heard of any of those associated with Canada at all, what you just wrote "exactly" describes what people say about Alaska, not Canada.

I pronounce About > A-bowt, which does not neutralize the vowels. Aboot does

[Aluscia]

That's what you think you're saying, but in reality it is your vowels that don't sound right... ask any Englishman who's pronouncing it more correctly

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

Uh. Just so you know...

In the Northwestern US, the way we pronounce words is considered the most proper, and most non-accented way in English. That's why you'll see so many people from the Northwest as news anchors or reporters. They don't have an accent (like a southern drawl) that can really throw you off.

At least that's for those that were raised around here. There are many people from back east that pronounce Oregon as:

or-e-gone.

When the proper way to pronounce it is:

or-e-gun.


There are those from the midwest that pronounce Washington as WARSHington.
My parents do this, since my grandparents were from the midwest. I don't because I thought it sounded stupid, and that's not how it is spelled.

[Ghryphen]

My grandparents were born and lived their whole life in Oregon, and my parents and I have lived in Washington for over 20 years, and my grandparents say WaRshington or put your clothes in the waRshing machine. I don't know where that comes from

[XMEN Ashaman DTM]

Hmm.

I always was told that was how people in South Dakota and Missouri said it. (That's where my dad and step-mom's parents are from, respectively.)

[Walks on Clouds]

Oh, very interesting, indeed. I usually pride myself with having a crisp British accent, when speaking English. But as English is not my primary language, (Swedish is, of course) I'm not entirely sure i get it right all the time. Dut I'd say it is definitely Wash-ing-ton...

This War-Shing Machine sound terribly fascinating, though. Does anyone know how it works?

[Spinning Hat]

People like to add R to their words in Minnesota as well as Iowa. and for the record: We in MN DO NOT talk like those idiots in the movie "Fargo". And besides, Fargo is in NORTH DAKOTA, not Minnesota.