h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm doing this here so we don't clog up that other thread with weather and pronounciation.

I'll start with this so you know that this is all being taken in the right spirit:

<Smiley>

I'm actually very relieved about your take on the Canadian "about". I've figured out that the American take derives from their own grotesque overpronuounciation of things (i. e. "abawoot") which make our "about" sound quite rounded by comparison. As far as your suggestion to say it on tape: who uses tape anymore? I know from countless times trying the different combinations (and a background in phonology) that my mouth is not making the same shapes and movements (and hence sounds) when I say "about" as it does when I say "a boat". Perhaps when you say "a boat" it sounds the same as when I say "about", but they don't sound the same coming out of me.

as for visiting Edmonton: A997833

But where are you? I want to check the weather conditions there to make a comparison.

Thanks that's interesting. I definately hear the way a Canadian says 'about' as the same as 'a boat'. But it makes sense that my expectation of those words is different from yours. But, coming from a Canadian, they sound the same to me.

Incidentally, to a foreigner that's one of the few things that seperates a canadian accent from a northern USA accent. (You may be horrified to hear that.)

I remember basic linguistis at university and the study of the way words are physically formed in the mouth. And again you're right they are quite different.

The weather thing was just good natured teasing. I know Canada is vast and its variety of weather is huge. I live in Auckland, New Zealand. It's spring here now. Spring's been a little late in coming (as Della will tell you) but the temperature is currently in the low 20s during the day. This is the north of NZ and it's quite moderate. It reaches the high twenties in the summer and never goes below about five degrees at night in the winter.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/weather/

New Zealand gets below freezing in the South Island and very hot in the far north, so I guess it's a mini Canada.

From what I've seen, many Canadian cities are very similar to Auckland and Wellington in their climates.

I knew you were teasing about the weather. If you look at the what's wrong with Canadians thread you'll notice another thing that separates Canadians and Americans: Nobody gets upset on the what's wrong with Canadians thread. At least, not really upset.

Your description of summer in New Zealand reminds me of winter in Windsor, Ontario. I lived there for three years as a kid and never got to see snow. Actually, the weather page for Wellington looks like Edmonton's from the last few weeks: http://www.cbc.ca/servlet/Weather?query=Wellington,New%20Zealand