"SEPARATED BY A COMMON LANGUAGE..." Idioms of English Speaking Countries

i can honestly say i don't think i've used the "more something than something else" example since i was about 12 or 13

just out of curiosity what time is it right now in america, if any amercians are reading this

sorry bout that, i just realised by looking at the time it said on the message. WOW 6 AM, its 10PM over here.

Depends on the time zone doesnt it.
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

yea probs. I should probably retire and get to sleep. I just realised what the time was. haha

it's 08:16 am tuesday june 1st in my part of canada

They've always been a little slow over there. Kinda backwards you know

oh ok. i know this sounds lame, but it seems so wierd that we're talking and for you it's morning and for me it's late night

hahaha! zing!

a fellow aussie started this thread, about time and time zones, you might find it interesting
http://able2know.org/topic/145092-1

hey thanks

pretty sure that this thread has gone completely off track. So you guys like bananas?

To what do you attribute your downfall ?

I find the different pronunciations interesting too, like:
aitch - h - haitch - ireland
The rest of the world - N. America
Aluminium - Aluminum
leisure (lehzure like measure) - leesure like seizure
Although, I've heard both used here in Canada.
Quebec - I'm goan to play 'ockey on da hice...

Us - U.S.A
Herb ... 'erb
Mature (Future, Suture)...Matour
Vase (Vahze) - Vase (Vehsse)
Long Island - Lon gisland
roof (hoof) - ruf
We tend to run tt's together and they sound like dd's. And of course we raise the ends of our sentences, not as bad as valley girls though...

And the MAritimers have a really annoying mannerism where they breathe in rapidly at the ends of sentences and try to say a word while "EEfin" (we call it eefin down SOuth , where the practice is used as a musical talent that also drives people nuts.Hillbilly Hip Hop, I calls it )

Canajuns eef on the end of a sentence , MErkans EEf with the beat of a song

I actually found aYoutube clip about eephing. Its a demo and Id be really embarrased to do this on American Idol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btJfkxjcTAA&feature=related

We may be a nation of retards but we enjoy anything as longas we can do it with our hands or put it between two slices of bread

I've never heard eefing before but this is Inuit throat singing.

Re-reading this thread on a rainy Sunday afternoon in Melbourne:



I really don't think "outsiders" (in this case it appears to be Australians. Or to be more precise, me) are in any way attempting to "force a distinction", or have any intention what-so-ever of causing offense. It is simply trying to to be accurate about which country, exactly, we are referring to in a post here. For example, I wouldn't refer to "South America" if I meant Brazil. I would say Brazil. Same as I wouldn't refer to "Europe" if I meant Italy.

If some citizens of the United States of America take offense at "outsiders" attempting to define which country they are referring to exactly, well maybe they should consider the idea that other countries do these things a bit differently? With no offense at all intended.

Same as those who feel it's OK to call Australians "Ozzians" (which doesn't bother me in the slightest) might feel upset at US citizens being referred to as "US-ians".

I simply can't figure out why there's a touchiness with some of you US folk when there's absolutely no sensitivity to a similar treatment toward Oz A2Kers. Are you more "touchy" than we are? Can you possibly fathom that different countries might use different definitions than you do, without taking things so personally?

WE use varying names with which we call ourselves. I dont think Id worry too much about someone who is concerned about our lack of an official national appellation. MAybe someone will come up with a contest and will have a sponsor support the naming rights to be associated with some big industry . For example
WE could be GE_Merkans. ( gemerkan-pronounced as one word).I think weve got something here.

Some Queenslanders (I suspect its particular districts) say eh or but at the end of every sentence. For particular emphasis they say ehbut.

Many locals will deny they do this, but a quirky and somewhat endearing Queenslander trait is to end sentences with ‘eh’ as an audible ‘full stop’. At first this may sound like a question, as in ‘It’s a hot one today, eh?’ or a request, ‘I wouldn’t mind another beer, eh?’, but it’s really just a habit. Eh.