About telling people you're Canadian when you're abroad,

[raccoon]

But you’re really American.

I don’t know if I could get away with it. I have a distinctive southern accent. When I was in ME A few years ago, as soon as I said anything people were asking me where I was from.

I suppose I might say I’m from Southern Canada.

Seriously I wonder if somebody whose first language isn’t English and hadn’t been around English speaking people a lot could tell the difference in American regional accents.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

1. I'm from Florida

But I’ve been married to a Brit for 25 years. It screwed up my accent. We live in England now and most people I meet think I’m from Canada. I like it.

[Croney]

2. My husband is Canadian (Albertan) and I'm U.S.

We always say we're Canadian when we travel (not that it comes up much). It just seems like the more comfortable thing to do.

[Dreampuff]

3. With a Southern accent

You would have to find a way to change it or say you grew up there as a child and married a Canadian and now have citizenship there. I don't know the reception you would get since you were originally American.

You would have to be sure to be cautious with words like " house or out" since they are pronounced quite differently in Canada and parts of the North Central U.S. just my opinion, but I don't think you could pull it off.

[OregonBlue]

18. In eastern Canada but in the west, the Canadians sound just like Montanans

Washingtonians, Oregonians......

[lark]

4. We did that on a river cruise in 2016.

We got some nasty pushback the first day from some Australian asses that said since we were American we were pro-Trump because they read that in their newspaper - the Sun. They were such asses we left dinner early because I was about to start screaming at them. So, to avoid future nastiness, we just started saying we were from Canada. We made friends with 2 older Canadian women and they shared in the ruse with us. They were very cool & a lot of fun. Now Europe won't even let Americans come there and I don't blame them one bit.

Oh, lots of people in Europe can't tell the differences between accents and would ask if we were Australian, Canadian or American.

[a la izquierda]

5. I was asked recently if I was Canadian.

I was in England and I have a pretty neutral accent despite growing up near NYC with two parents who have very heavy Staten Island and Bronx accents.

The lads thought I sounded Canadian, but I was honest and said I’m from the NYC area. I never admit I currently live in WV.

[LisaL]

6. Who is going to let us abroad?

Considering we are number 1 in infections.

[beachbumbob]

7. exactly. Travel bans may last a year or more

[GoneOffShore]

9. Some of us do live abroad. I have no problem saying that I'm American, but

I don't make a big deal about it.

Apart from saying that I didn't vote for him.

[Tipperary]

25. Thank you.

Never had a problem saying where I am from. What an odd idea.

[raccoon]

15. Good point. Nt

[dem4decades]

8. Isn't it unfair to Canadians? We own our mess.

[lark]

10. I don't feel as if I own him.

Not one bit. I did everything possible to help him lose, talked to all my friends, wrote letters, signed petitions, volunteered with the FL Democrat party for phone banking and door to door GOTV efforts. The people that own him are the 30 - 35% I've always disliked or even hated, the rednecks, the criminals, the grifters, the haters, the racists, the anti-science idiots, the ignorant and stupid folks.

[hlthe2b]

11. I worked overseas for years in mostly so-called 3rd world countries and the ME.

I NEVER said I was Canadian. I was always assumed to be, apparently because I interacted without hesitation with locals and "average people" rather than hanging out with Americans or other ex-Pats. That that alone was enough to cause many to draw the conclusion that I couldn't possibly be American, but must be Canadian, says a lot about our reputation overseas--even decades ago.

[sl8]

12. Sounds awfully sexist. n/t

[BannonsLiver]

24. In what way?

Please explain how regional diction is sexist?

[sl8]

30. Because "when you're abroad" sounds like "when you're a broad".

Just a (very) small play on words.

[DFW]

13. I don't mind. I even say I'm from Dallas

More than 90% of my time abroad, which is most of the year, I’m in a country whose language I speak well, so when they learn I’m American, they know I’m not a typical one.

About 15 years ago, I was at a fruit stand in Paris run by Arabs. I asked the guy checking me out to give me a good bag, as I was taking the apricots back to Germany. “Ah, you are from Germany.” I explained that no, I just lived there. This whole conversation was all in French, of course. I then said I was from Texas, USA. He frowned.

“Texas. Bush is from Texas. I am from Iraq,” he said. I said, “Yes, Bush is from Texas, but please don’t think that we all support his invasion of your country. Millions of us are opposed to it, and I am one of them. I am deeply sorry for what my country has done to yours.”

Maybe he had only been listening to an Arab version of Fox “News,” but he was shocked and said he had no idea that there was any kind of serious domestic opposition to Cheney’s Iraq invasion. He thanked me profusely for the news, and came out from behind the counter to shake my hand. That was one Iraqi who, from then on, anyway, would no longer automatically hate us for merely being American. OK, I’m just one jerk from Texas, but if a few million of us spread the word in the same manner, then the world slowly gets the idea that we are not all in step with the boorish clowns that sometimes end up in power. After Saddam, it’s a concept any Iraqi understands. They just need an American to explain it to them one on one.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

14. Havent travelled abroad for a while, but generally if I make it clear from the get-go that

I despise and am working against the fascistic elements in my country, people are generally good with that.

I do recall one drunken scots man who blamed me personally for the Vietnam war and wouldnt let up, but that was one out of many hundreds of other encounters.

In general just be low key and ask a lot of questions and be genuinely interested in the country and the people you meet - and above all do NOT dominate the conversation and brag about yourself and all the places youve been (like the stereotype loudmouth American) and youll be OK. Ill never forget "going native" for a few months in Europe, with very little contact with Americans and then horrified to come back here and it was like almost every sentence out of my fellow American's mouths began with "I."

Typical American tourist:: I went here and did this, and bought this, and arent I just the greatest person who ever walked the earth.

THATS what people dont like, not the fact that you came from here.

[haele]

16. Accent tip for trying to sound Canadian....

Most Canadians hold their jaw a bit more forward when pronouncing their R's. Most Americans, especially Southern and Midwestern, sound their rs wide in the back of their mouths, which makes the generic rural American accent a bit more difficult for European actors and vice versa.

Haele

[Blue_true]

20. Wow, that was educational. I never realized that accents came from how one positions

the jawbones. I always thought it was only and totally how people used their tongue and pacing of letters spoken. But your analysis makes a lot of sense.

[HotTeaBag]

17. American television allows folks from all over the world to get to know our accents.

And a Southern one is about the most distinctive (and in my opinion prettiest) accent that we have - although in popular culture it feels like the New York accent is the most recognizable as American.

[roamer65]

29. True.

Most of our news broadcasts are done in Midwestern. It is the most easily understood.

[Blue_true]

19. Just say you are from western Ontario Canada. nt

[cagefreesoylentgreen]

21. Never had a problem

But I’m not white. Last time I was in Los Cabos, some of the locals spontaneously greeted me in Mandarin and I just kept it going.

[LakeArenal]

22. I am half Canadian.

But I don’t mind telling people I’m from US.

Others hate our government not “We the People”... Unless you are an ugly one.

The pushback here in Costa Rica calling ourselves Americans. America comprises two continents and Many countries.

Costa Rica is in North America. Making Costa Ricans just as American as the US

[eppur_se_muova]

23. Is someone asked me if I was Canadian, I think I'd say "I wish!" nt

[BannonsLiver]

26. Got aWay with it over and over again during the bush years.

I worked hard to eliminate my regional diction.

[roamer65]

27. I've actually been asked if I'm Canadian.

Live only about 30 miles from the border. I sound very similar to someone from Ontario.

I speak lower peninsula Michigander.

[Salviati]

32. Likewise, as someone who grew up in Minnesota

I usually get asked by students at least once a year. Once I was asked by an actual Canadian.

[roamer65]

34. You probably sound a lot like a Yooper.

Someone from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It can be hard to tell the difference between a Yooper and a Minnesotan.

[doubleplusgood]

28. I was in France in 2004

I learned one French phrase while I was on vacation in France in 2004: Je suis Canadien.

[Peacetrain]

31. Tell them you are from the Boundary Waters area of MINN-EH-SO-TA..

just like that and you will not have a issue..

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

33. UNLESS I was in danger of getting abducted or my head cut off, Im not

not understanding why anyone would lie about having come from the US?

Wouldnt that pretty much get in the way of having a real, genuine conversation and possibly a friendship developing? Someone invites you for dinner and youre going to keep up the charade for 3 or 4 hours? Better hope you know a LOT about Canada!