Minnesotans, have you ever been mistaken for canadian when travelling elsewhere in the USA

[missmousern]

All the time! Then they want to know if we really do drive on the lakes in the winter....or if I know "so & so" from Minneapolis.

[LilBlue]

When I was abroad in Australia everyone assumed we were from Canada.

[mncamper]

Oh my gosh! Do I hear that everywhere I go! Yikes!!! Plus to respond to the other post about the Fargo movie, I get asked about that too! I was in Vegas last June for a convention and met these people from Boston! (Now you wanna talk accent!) The first thing the man teased me about was the Fargo movie! I wanted to slap him. He's like all are you MN people that way! I think that people automatically think because your from MN any part of the state, that your considered Canadain. Whatever! Let's not make fun of the Northern area, if you want to talk accent let's talk about the people from the South!

[K-Luv]

You know, in the ten years that I have lived here, I can honestly say that I don't remember hearing a stereotypical Minnesota accent. Well, okay, people pronounce coupon weird and a few other words, but it is almost not as pronounced as I would think.

One a side, the first few times I went back to the Motherland, people always asked me if everyone in Minnesota talked like they did in the movie Fargo. I answered no everytime.

[missmousern]

To be honest the "Fargo" accent is alive and well in central MN. I live in Alexandria and there are quite a few people who do still talk minnesotan. Most are older of course, but I know young people who will throw out a "pass me dat der lefse". So what is the coupon pronunciation? Are you referring to Coo-pon, or Cyoo-pon?

[Isaysos]

I have lived in Minnesota for over 20 years, and can honestly say I have never heard anyone talk like they do in the movie Fargo. When I go out to California I think people there talk just like they do in Minnesota because I dont notice an accent there. The accents in the south east stand out way more than how someone from Minnesota would talk.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Isaysos

I have lived in Minnesota for over 20 years, and can honestly say I have never heard anyone talk like they do in the movie Fargo. When I go out to California I think people there talk just like they do in Minnesota because I dont notice an accent there. The accents in the south east stand out way more than how someone from Minnesota would talk.

California does have an accent, it is just neutral and somewhat blended. Water is pronounced wadder, cot and caught are pronounced the same, coupon is pronounced q pon, tooth rhymes with roof and hoof (roof and hoof have the 'ewe' sound in the middle), etc. It pretty much can be understood throughout the country, but native Californians have a hard time with understanding accents from certain parts of the country.

[Jim Stokes]

I'm most often mistaken for a space alien, which I categorically deny. Never mistaken for a rich man.

[Scotchiro]

I would order "pop" and the questions came up if I was from Wisconsin or Canada.

Also the way we say "CAR". I have no idea, but they can tell.

[Jim Stokes]

The biggest giveaway for a Canadian used to be the way they say "about." It's "ab-oot" to Canadians. Or it used to be. That's from the Scots influence.