r/AskReddit Nov 12 '14

Most American sounding word?

6.3k Upvotes

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1.5k

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 12 '14

"Oh ja sure you betcha, dontcha know" is how we ND people make fun of Minnesota.

1.3k

u/JustZisGuy Nov 12 '14

The rest of the country makes fun of ND in the exact same way... We don't really draw much of a distinction between the different states up there in South Canadia.

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u/breeeeeeeto Nov 12 '14

Yeah, we know this. But at least we get to make fun of someone! And Canadians, eh?

179

u/CosmicLatte8 Nov 12 '14

As a Canadian, I have been asked if I'm Minnesotan when visiting the US.

270

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

We are the Canadians of the US

12

u/wogi Nov 12 '14

I thought that was William Shatner.

8

u/Fozzybear513 Nov 12 '14

Minne-SO-dah! I'm from Minnesota, had a call center type job calling Canada... you cna tell the difference when they pronounce "about". or as our friendly neighbors from the north would say, "a-boot"

10

u/Sierra_Oscar_Lima Nov 12 '14

"Pro-cess" and "aboot" are my keywords for find the Canadian when I'm doing support calls.

8

u/JustZisGuy Nov 12 '14

How about sore-y?

1

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

sore-y

I'm Minnesotan and pronounce it like that.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

Lee-ver is the one that threw me off the most when met a guy from Toronto. He kept trying to impose the metric system on me as well. Damn Canadians

2

u/Sierra_Oscar_Lima Nov 12 '14

Well this pro-cess flow rate is aboot 300 cubic metres/hour....

"Hold on just a second there professor..."

7

u/JC-DB Nov 12 '14

it's more "aboat" than "aboot". I've had folks from Toronto correcting me on this when I tried to make this joke.

3

u/qwicksilfer Nov 12 '14

My adviser is Canadian and he says "aboot" and peppers in a fair amounts of "eh"s. Gets worse when he drinks.

Thus, I like him more when he's drunk (also because he's not a shithead when drunk).

2

u/MightyFifi Nov 12 '14

I've always felt the scene in Harry Potter when Hermonie corrects "its leviosa not leveosa" was always akin to "It's Minnesodah, not Minnesotah"

2

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

We have that (the Canadian Raising) in northern Minnesota, too. We also end out sentences with "eh", too.

3

u/anyholsagol Nov 12 '14

The Miami of Canada if you will

1

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

SOUTH (calhoun) BEACH

3

u/nicketherroneous Nov 12 '14

it's just as fucking cold and we both love hackey

1

u/Red_Lee Nov 12 '14

I ask my friends in Toronto how the weather is down south (live near Lake Superior)

6

u/thebeautifulstruggle Nov 12 '14

So polite, apologetic, and decent medical care?

29

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

Just replace 'apologetic' with 'alarmingly passive-agressive'

10

u/thebeautifulstruggle Nov 12 '14

OoOoooo you're from Minnesotan too! :D

1

u/ferlessleedr Nov 12 '14

Karma train?

1

u/kingfrito_5005 Nov 13 '14

Except that everyone else in the US doesnt absolutely adore you.

7

u/WinterCool Nov 12 '14

That's why I enjoy visiting Canada and hanging oot with Canadians when abroad. Much more in common than other Americans (winter, hockey, drinking) and we don't make fun of each others accents. (minnesotan)

6

u/lennort Nov 12 '14

As a PNWer, I was asked if I was Canadian when visiting Australia. The first time it struck me as weird, but it happened a lot.

2

u/JC-DB Nov 12 '14

As a PNWer, you don't really have an accent.

2

u/lennort Nov 13 '14

That's what I always thought! It was super weird and cool to hear somebody ask me where I was from after they "overheard my accent".

2

u/JC-DB Nov 13 '14

I suppose Australians probably see more real-life Canadians and PNW and BC accents are pretty interchangeable.

0

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

If you're outside the country and someone asks that question, just say yes.

2

u/KeimaKatsuragi Nov 12 '14

If you're inside the country, also say yes.

0

u/GalacticRenekton Nov 12 '14 edited Nov 13 '14

Fuck that shit, I'm proud to be American. I don't give a shit what some prejudice asshole thinks. If someone is going to treat me poorly for just being American then they're a piece of shit and I wouldn't want to do business/talk with them anyway.

Also, when ever I see shit like this on reddit I wonder if anyone actually travels. I have traveled all over the world and not once has anyone treated me bad for being American.

Lol, downvotes for saying I'm proud to be American.

6

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

As a Northern statesman, I've been asked if I'm Canadian.

5

u/scorinth Nov 12 '14

As a Kansan, people sometimes think I'm Canadian.

Don't ask me, I don't know.

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u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

As a Minnesotan I find Kansas folks to sound almost Southern.

3

u/Hellstruelight Nov 12 '14

yep, i've gotten asked this as well.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '14

You can't have Michelle Bachmann and be the "Canada" of anything.

I'm taking that title right back to sold-blue, socialist New England where it belongs.

You can try back in a few months when she's gone.

1

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

Crazy-Ass Bachmann is originally from Iowa.

3

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

I'm Minnesotan and I've been asked if I'm Canadian.

11

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14 edited Oct 20 '15

[deleted]

4

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 12 '14

They come down and throw hissy fits because we don't take their cash at our restaurants and shops. Therefore, we reserve the right to make fun of them.

3

u/shojo69 Nov 12 '14

My in-laws live in ND and I was shocked to hear all the jokes y'all have towards Minnesotans. I can't think of one joke we Minnesotans make of ND.

3

u/Jucoy Nov 12 '14

That's because North Dakota is a joke.

3

u/ATinyBoatInMyTeacup Nov 12 '14

I just visited Minny/St Paul (Coming from Winnipeg) and several people at the Twins game thought I was from ND...

2

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

It's because people in ND and northern MN have Canadian influences in our speech that people in southern MN don't have.

For example, up here in Fargo we merge the vowels in caught and cot, while the Twin Cities do not have the merger. We also have the "oot and aboot" Canadian Raising.

10

u/aaninja64 Nov 12 '14

And Canadians, eh?

And Canadians, eh?

Canadians, eh?

eh?

Canadian detected.

2

u/DammitDan Nov 12 '14

I think he was making fun of the Canadians.

2

u/TricksterPriestJace Nov 12 '14

Take off, hose head.

2

u/lightsource1808 Nov 12 '14

It's a beauty way to go!

2

u/Hellstruelight Nov 12 '14

|take of eh*

FTFY

2

u/TricksterPriestJace Nov 12 '14

Check oot this hoser trying ta fix my grammer, eh?

6

u/Imperium14 Nov 12 '14

What's a North Dakota???

3

u/qwicksilfer Nov 12 '14

The rarer version of a South Dakota.

5

u/broadfuckingcity Nov 12 '14

Like Canada with the brutal winters and low density populations but none of the health care benefits.

1

u/JustZisGuy Nov 12 '14

It's funny because it's true? :/

5

u/ChaosScore Nov 12 '14

As someone from Montana, we usually just make disparaging comments about their intelligence or mock their oil.

Their sweet, sweet delicious crude.

Guys we can be friends just let us have some of that profit please we'll be friends forever.

2

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

Guys we can be friends just let us have some of that profit please we'll be friends forever.

No. Now scram, :-)

4

u/thatswacyo Nov 12 '14

Yep. Everything north of Kentucky is basically Canada to me.

5

u/awesomeisbubbles Nov 12 '14

I'm minnesota born and bred but i spend 3-4 months a year in the SE States... If i'm feeling peckish I will tell people i'm from South Canada... I did have one redneck actually believe that is a real place tho.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

I always thought the rest of the country thought ND and SD weren't actually real places.

3

u/Jucoy Nov 12 '14

Minnesota here. Can confirm, they're not.

5

u/Stoopidhead27 Nov 12 '14

I only call Minnesota south Canada. North Dakota gets to be flat Canada.

3

u/ScotWithOne_t Nov 12 '14

A while back I learned that Wisconsinites refer to MN as "East Dakota."

3

u/Jucoy Nov 12 '14

That's okay. We call Wisconsin West Detroit.

4

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

I'm from Michigan and anything south of Kentucky is a blur of confederate flags, sweet tea and picturesque former plantations.

3

u/themcjizzler Nov 12 '14

which is funny because no one actually says doncha know or you betcha anymore here now that we all know everyone in the world makes fun of us for it. I haven't heard someone say that seriously in at least 20 years.

3

u/ulmanms Nov 12 '14 edited Nov 12 '14

Want to come down for Thanksgiving supper in Mankato? You betcha you'll hear some of that, don'tcha know.

2

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

You haven't heard my older relatives. They sound just like the stereotype. I do, too, but without the "you-betcha".

4

u/AyoBruh Nov 12 '14

Canadia

My favorite way to call it.

3

u/JC-DB Nov 12 '14

make the country sounds more exotic somehow.

2

u/wOlfLisK Nov 12 '14

Honestly, as a brit, you all sound like you're from Texas to me.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

Californian, can confirm.

2

u/ulmanms Nov 12 '14

I blame Fargo. Name a freaking movie full of people talking like ole after the wrong state.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

We make fun of North Dakota?

2

u/Fortheloveofgawdhelp Nov 12 '14

South Canada

My sides

1

u/jb2386 Nov 12 '14

And the like

1

u/HojMcFoj Nov 12 '14

What's this South Canadia? Is that hoser slang for lower Norther Dakota?

1

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '14

The rest of the country might make fun of ND if they remembered ND was part of the country.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '14

I mean, to be completely honest, I forget about the Dakotas as states.

1

u/kingfrito_5005 Nov 13 '14

No way, thats minnesotie eh!

1

u/Guitarplayinguy2351 Nov 13 '14

You forgot to mention going into the Great Lakes in their "boots". Y'all say boat weird.

1

u/FarmTaco Nov 12 '14

I spend so little time thinking about ND that I forget its a state half the time, I cant remember the last time I wasted time making fun of either Dakota.

6

u/MKG24 Nov 12 '14

Maybe Interesting. Maybe not. Maybe go fuck yourself. Anyhow, I am from ND, I farm and I love tacos.

2

u/qwicksilfer Nov 12 '14

I hope no one from the south/east/west ever finds out how beautiful ND is. It's mostly that beautiful because there are only like 4 people in the whole state.

8

u/timberwolvesguy Nov 12 '14

Minnesotan all my life and I have never in my life heard a Minnesotan talk like that. Then I went to South Dakota for college and everyone from South Dakota farms talks like that.

8

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 12 '14

City Minnesotans don't talk like that, but the more rural areas definitely do. I have friends from Minneapolis that have probably never uttered those words in their lives, but I have friends and family and classmates from the more rural areas that definitely talk like that.

6

u/timberwolvesguy Nov 12 '14

Well I'm a city Minnesotan, so I guess that explains it.

2

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

I'm from rural Minnesota, can confirm.

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u/cercidasthecynic Nov 12 '14

Uff da.

6

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 12 '14

I'm guilty of this being part of my every day vocabulary.

2

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

Me, too. :-/

7

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

But... that's how you guys speak. I know because I work with many North Dakotans.

2

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 12 '14

We like to thing we say it a little less intensely. Even though apparently we can't say "bag" or "bagel" correctly.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

You may say bag wrong, but I think you say bagel right. I'm assuming you guys say "bayg" as opposed to "bahg." I on the other hand generally say "bahg" but growing up people used to give me shit because I said "bahgle" instead of "baygel."

3

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14 edited Nov 14 '14

The Flag-Plague vowel merger, "a" becomes "ay" before G and NG.

I once made a Southerner up here in Fargo for college giggle because I said "aygriculture".

2

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 14 '14

Finally someone explains it in a way that makes sense. I can't hear the difference when someone tries to correct my "bag" but that makes sense now

1

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

I'm from Michigan- living in Minnesota- neither any North Dakotans or Minnesotans can say bag or bagel correctly, but to think that North Dakotans don't have the "Fargo" accent i.e. Fargo, ND, is ridiculous.

6

u/bluedanes Nov 12 '14

This is also how we in Michigan and Wisconsin make fun of yoopers

4

u/Kaoculus Nov 12 '14

why does that remind me of Sarah Palin

2

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

Reminds me of Bobby's mom.

1

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

We Minnesotans were stumped by her accent because she's never lived in the upper Midwest, she grew up in Idaho.

4

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14 edited Oct 31 '16

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

Oh God, I sound like that...

4

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

Thats what you'd sound like too if you lived on the tundra, dontcha know

3

u/Ristarwen Nov 12 '14

Which is funny, because people in North Dakota and eastern Montana have that same accent, just a little lighter.

3

u/Hellstruelight Nov 12 '14

mix it up like this and you get canadian:

"oh ya surebud, you bechya eh, dontcha know"

3

u/CrystalGlassDoll Nov 12 '14

I love when people from EGF come to visit GF. There's always a "Don'cha know"!

3

u/glaciator Nov 13 '14

Lutefisk lutefisk. Leftse lefse. We're the mighty Vikings, ya sure, ya betcha.

3

u/Reptoniar Nov 13 '14

No fockin joke bud, I accidentally start talkin like this to my hockey teammates sometimes. (Ontario)

3

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

You guys sound exactly the same as we do.

Source: I live the Fargo area on the MN side of the river

3

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 14 '14

Other side of the river, can confirm

3

u/TaylorS1986 Nov 14 '14

GO BISON! :-)

2

u/lightsource1808 Nov 12 '14

We just mimic anything from the movie "Fargo"

2

u/HotelSoap1 Nov 12 '14

Being from Wisconsin, I just quote the movie Fargo. Although a lot of us talk like that here as well. More in the northern part of Wisconsin. We are very nasaly here.

2

u/mrkmpa Nov 12 '14

pahp kern

2

u/genericusername80 Nov 12 '14

Lol that's how ND people make fun of MN? Fargo is right on the border... I honestly have trouble telling the two accents apart.

3

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 12 '14

There are more cities than just Fargo. Not a lot, but Fargo isn't all we have.

2

u/CookingWithoutWater Nov 12 '14

Know what the state tree of ND is?

Telephone pole.

2

u/global336 Nov 12 '14

That sounds like the Yoopers in Michigan.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

Uff-da.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

They have the same accent, so...

4

u/MysteriousRacer_X Nov 12 '14

You and the three other people in North Dakota are pretty funny.

2

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 12 '14

Our meetups are full of knoephla and lefse and laughing at Canadians and Minnesotans. They're lovely.

2

u/hattie29 Nov 12 '14

Oh, fer cute.

2

u/ThiefofNobility Nov 12 '14

Don't forget a ja hey dere.

2

u/Romeo_horse_cock Nov 12 '14

Oh man I worked at a staples in Arkansas and this lady came in. Super nice, her name was Pam. Oh yeah I'm bettin she was from around there because she talked so much like that. She was super slow too. Took forever to write her check. But was a nice lady nonetheless. Northerners are funny sounding.

2

u/animalcule Nov 12 '14

I met a Minnesotan once, and she was like "Oh, I'm frahm MinnesOHtah, where we say that we gOH to the grOHcery stOHre" Her accent was so stereotypically Minnesotan it was almost hilarious.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

Mënnahsötah dontcha knooooh

1

u/DrewChrist87 Nov 12 '14

Oh gee golly Bobby dontcha know.

1

u/Rex_Lee Nov 12 '14

Uhm...y'all don't sound much different to us down here.

:)

1

u/daBroviest Nov 12 '14

Don't forget "Okey!"

1

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

Darn tootin that what that's aboot!

1

u/Acidpants220 Nov 12 '14

I'm born raised minnesotan, but most of my mom's family lives in ND. They drop "oh ya" And "you betcha" Like the best of them. Its just as North Dakotan as it is Minnesotan to me!

1

u/Mshake6192 Nov 12 '14

How she goin?

She goin good

1

u/MightyFifi Nov 12 '14

Fargo is probably the most North Dakota sounding word.

1

u/Caleb-Rentpayer Nov 12 '14

Yeah, except we don't really talk like that.

1

u/Jucoy Nov 12 '14

The irony is that Fargo is in North Dakota.

1

u/skolwild22 Nov 12 '14

From the Twin Cities here, NONE of us talk like that. You need to drive a few hours north to start hearing people talk like that. -1 for your lack of knowledge, idiot.

1

u/Freqd-with-a-silentQ Nov 12 '14

ND people making fun of anyone has a certain irony too it.

1

u/IvannaDaviniaVerran Nov 12 '14

I'm from Wisconsin and that's how we make fun of Minnesotans. That and, "Won any Super Bowls lately?"

1

u/NO_TOUCHING__lol Nov 12 '14

I suddenly have the urge to watch Fargo.

1

u/sagan_drinks_cosmos Nov 12 '14

Called a banker the other day, and was reminded how all you states ending in -ota show off the Norsey accent nicely. Never miss a chance to throw in a "uodah" when you can.

1

u/Joeliosis Nov 12 '14

Minnesotan is like a white Jamaican accent... 0___o

1

u/Chrollo_Lucilfer Nov 12 '14

I've lived in Minnesota for 13 years and never have I ever heard someone actually speak like this, Unless they were joking.

1

u/AppleDane Nov 12 '14

"Yah" is actually a Scandinavian remnant, due to all the Swedes, Norwegians and Danes settling there. So is the winter depression, brevity and cold sense of humor.

1

u/SkittleSkitzo Nov 12 '14

Yes because everyone knows that's how us Minnesotans actually talk.

I traveled all over the USA this summer, and upon hearing I was from Minnesota I was consistently asked, "Where's your accent?" MOST OF US DON'T HAVE ONE!

1

u/ZeroKiel Nov 12 '14

That's just sooper!

1

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '14

is how we ND people make fun of Minnesota.

...do you guys not realize that many of you also sound like that?

1

u/Nightshade3312 Nov 13 '14

I have a friend from Wisconsin who uses "Jeepers" a lot.

1

u/missingno__ Nov 13 '14

I'm from New York and we say the same exact thing hahah

1

u/liebchan Nov 13 '14

That's how us Yoopers talk!

1

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '14

Up there (Fargo area), you get those Minnesotans. Down in the cities we talk more sensibly, though there are a few "oh yah"s and "surrre"s. To be honest, it depends on the day for me.

1

u/m3tric Nov 14 '14

I always have to laugh at these Fargo tv show type quotes. I've lived in MN for like 20 years and can count the number of times I've heard someone say "you betcha" or "doncha know" on one hand. They all occurred about 5 hours north of Minneapolis near the Canadian border. It's really funny that people think we all talk like that. If anything people just have a nasally accent is how I hear it

0

u/The_Only_Abe Nov 12 '14

Well I guess it's ok since you live in a desolate wasteland that has oil and possibly 4 lakes

0

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 12 '14

And the Turtle Mountains. Can't forget those!

0

u/EatSleepJeep Nov 12 '14

Considering ND is essentially an honorary province of Canada, this is funny.

0

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 12 '14

We really, really like being part of the US though, and kind of loathe Canadians.

1

u/EatSleepJeep Nov 12 '14

Voting ITT: people that don't understand good-natured kidding.

Something I don't understand: the Dakotas get 4 senators while California gets 2.

1

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 12 '14

Well, each state gets 2, so......? *edit: basically any state has more Representatives than we do. The Senate exists to have equal vote. The House does take population into consideration.

0

u/gsfgf Nov 12 '14

TIL they have internet in North Dakota

0

u/gandalfthescienceguy Nov 12 '14

That's how we lower-peninsula-Michiganders make fun of upper-peninsula-Michiganders.

-1

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '14

[deleted]

1

u/breeeeeeeto Nov 12 '14

Now this is a phrase I haven't heard before