Funny Things that 'Foreigners' Do -

[Golden Wattle]

Originally Posted by GMac

Just saw a news article about a foreign animal. Apparently in Aussie they found a pile of Crop Circles are were trying to figure out how they got there. After some investigation they found that the Kangaroos were eating too many poppy flowers, getting stoned and then in a dazed state, bouncing around the place leaving the circles. Now they are calling the Roos, Tippy Skippies


The one thing I don't understand about all this foreign stuff even after all my travelling is why with all the countries, lands, races and so on on this planet of ours, why is it NZ is the only country where everyone doesn't have an accent. I suppose we must be just lucky

Fushnchups?
Swung bowling?
Hula Hups?
Nope, there's no accent there.

Cheers
GW

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by GMac

Just saw a news article about a foreign animal. Apparently in Aussie they found a pile of Crop Circles are were trying to figure out how they got there. After some investigation they found that the Kangaroos were eating too many poppy flowers, getting stoned and then in a dazed state, bouncing around the place leaving the circles. Now they are calling the Roos, Tippy Skippies

And just "who" was eating the poppy flowers


And do I get my final gold star with this post?

[drew.ward]

Originally Posted by GMac

The one thing I don't understand about all this foreign stuff even after all my travelling is why with all the countries, lands, races and so on on this planet of ours, why is it NZ is the only country where everyone doesn't have an accent. I suppose we must be just lucky

haha. I'm also on a linguistics forum and we just happened to be having a conversation this past week about how the dialects of the upper Midwest (Milwaukee, Chicago, etc) are among the least documented. Our final reasoning was that the reason there is so little research there is because almost every midwesterner seems to believe that he doesn't have an accent, rather everyone else in the entire English speaking world has one!

[canuck1955]

Originally Posted by GMac

The one thing I don't understand about all this foreign stuff even after all my travelling is why with all the countries, lands, races and so on on this planet of ours, why is it NZ is the only country where everyone doesn't have an accent. I suppose we must be just lucky

My parents immigrated to Canada and have a dutch accent. They had a choice of Australia or Canada. I always complained that they picked Canada because now I don't have an accent. It would put them into peals of laughter. I guess since I couldn't have an Aussie accent, a NZ one would be my next choice, they I could talk like my music teacher, it was almost English but not quite! ! !

Flashing headlights at oncoming traffic-radar ahead.
Flashing lights when a truck is trying to change lanes going in the same direction means I will let him in and he has clearance in front of me. Often they will flash their backup lights to say "Thanks"

Since JErsey is now in the UK, is New York there too. I just found out that Surrey, a city across the river from me has been re-located to the UK too. Why do they keep taking our cities.

Speaking of the weird English in England, I understand that "knock me up" doesn't me pregnant. My doctors wife found that out when they first came to canada. She asked the 20 year old clerk to knock her up at 6 in the morning and the poor guy was mortified. And to be so blatantly open about it asking right in front of her husband.

At least here in Canada, MG owners and TR owners all flashed lights at each other. recognition of our wonderful 'sports' cars not some american lead sled. Of course I think driving an Austin Healey 3000 they all recognized that I had the best car and they were honored that I would acknowledge them.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by canuck1955

I guess since I couldn't have an Aussie accent, a NZ one would be my next choice,

Accent? What Accent?.................. Ay

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by canuck1955

My parents immigrated to Canada and have a dutch accent. They had a choice of Australia or Canada. I always complained that they picked Canada because now I don't have an accent.

Many years ago, I worked on a three-week long commercial shoot for Mazda automobiles with James Garner as the on-camera talent. Every scene that had him saying Mazda for the American market (first syllable sounds like the first syllable in "Molly") had to be shot twice.

Why? So that Garner could do the line for the Canadian market, saying Mazda the Canadian way (first syllable sounds like the first syllable in "Madam").

A three-week commercial probably sounds like a short project, but it was actually the longest commercial shoot I ever worked on in a 25+ year career. Of course (without offering any explanation), three weeks working with James Garner was a lot longer than three weeks working with, well, anyone else.

TaoJones

[Connemara]

Re: James Garner and Mazda:

There are a lot of little things like that. Canucks say Visa (the charge card) to rhyme with Leeza; Yanks rhyme it with Lisa (as in Minelli).

OTOH, you can get it even within families. I pronounce aunt to rhyme with taunt; my younger brother rhymes it with ant.

Connemara

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Connemara

Canucks say Visa (the charge card) to rhyme with Leeza; Yanks rhyme it with Lisa (as in Minelli).

I'm not sure what you're trying to point out, but Visa in the US is pronounced VEE zuh, while Liza Minnelli's first name is pronounced LIE (rhymes with eye) zuh. Are you claiming Americans pronounce Visa as VIE zuh to rhyme with LIE zuh? If so, you're incorrect.

TaoJones

[Wotname]

YES, I did

[anjou]

Without even venturing into the rest of the world, the language differences between UK and USA make me laugh

Last year i was sitting at a dining table with an American girl who joined us late and the waiteress asked for her order. Without looking at the menu, my guest replied

"Can I get a Pizza"?
No Madam, its not self service, I will take your order and serve you at the table.

I explained that a "Please may I have" was by far the most polite way of asking.

After that, it seemed that everything my guest said irritated me.

A few years ago I went to visit my Aunt in NS, and mum gave me some tips and advice before I left. Dont wear perfume as the locals dont like it and dont drink alcohol in the mid day, even though your on holiday as locals will find this most vulgar.

Who needs booze when canning lobster is so cheap and everywhere serves fantastic chowder?

Whats the obsession with ice though? I checked into a motel and the receptionist told me where the nearest ice machine was even before she gave me the room key.
Maybe they dont get enough of it in the winter?

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by anjou

A few years ago I went to visit my Aunt in NS, and mum gave me some tips and advice before I left. Dont wear perfume as the locals dont like it and dont drink alcohol in the mid day, even though your on holiday as locals will find this most vulgar.

Who needs booze when canning lobster is so cheap and everywhere serves fantastic chowder?

Whats the obsession with ice though? I checked into a motel and the receptionist told me where the nearest ice machine was even before she gave me the room key.
Maybe they dont get enough of it in the winter?

Does NS = Nova Scotia? If so, I can assure you the locals do not find midday drinking vulgur - the ice machines are to put ice in your drinks.

[anjou]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

Does NS = Nova Scotia? If so, I can assure you the locals do not find midday drinking vulgur - the ice machines are to put ice in your drinks.

But the ice machine was on the side walk outside the motel room. I take my drinks at a bar.

One thing that puzzled me was the state run liquor stores that were only open 9-5, monday-friday. What happens when you get a thirst out of hours?
And the beer was like water and so cold the flavour couldnt be tasted.

But the seafood.........bliss.
County Mounties wernt bad either

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by anjou

One thing that puzzled me was the state run liquor stores that were only open 9-5, monday-friday.

Reminds me of whe down in NZ around 10 years ago. Drive in Off Licences (Liqour Stores)

The massage parlours (Knocking shops) in every town (and village?!) was also an interesting concept

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by anjou

But the ice machine was on the side walk outside the motel room. I take my drinks at a bar.

That's standard in N. America - you should have had an ice-bucket in your room. Maybe it's a N. American thing to drink on the cheap in your hotel room, before going to the bar.

One thing that puzzled me was the state run liquor stores that were only open 9-5, monday-friday. What happens when you get a thirst out of hours?

Well, obviously you have to plan ahead. Depends on the province - they all have different rules and different types of stores. Some have off-sales allowed at pubs. In Quebec you can stock up at the depanneur (corner store) late at night. I always thought Nova Scotia was backwards - don't know if it's changed, but you couldn't buy groceries on a Sunday, but the pubs were open. Go figure.

And the beer was like water and so cold the flavour couldnt be tasted.

Two part answer - yes most of the commonly-available brews are mass-produced swill. Look around though, and you'll find a lot of excellent beers - different areas seem to be more fanatical about beer; in BC they have a very active CAMRA chapter.

Second part - maybe due to the cool, dreary weather in the UK, you are unaccustomed to the delightful thirst-quenching properties of an ice-cold beer on a hot summer day.

[Cheechako]

"At least here in Canada, MG owners and TR owners all flashed lights at each other. recognition of our wonderful 'sports' cars not some american lead sled. Of course I think driving an Austin Healey 3000 they all recognized that I had the best car and they were honored that I would acknowledge them." You definitely had the cream of the crop with that Healey, not that it could be relied upon to run, drive, or especially have the electrical system work! But then again, it cant get out of it's own way compared to to 300 hp 327 Camaro "lead sled"! Hi Hi