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  1. #1
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    Default Teej meata right leica mainer tawks.

    When I lived in Maine, I figured I should learn how speak English in the manner it's spoken there. Try as might, I was told I couldn't and wouldn't ever get it right.

    Maybe they were just playing with me. Could be it can be learned only as a 1st language. Perhaps it's in the genes. Might be it's all part of their sophisticated training in detecting people from away and proper pronunciation is so subtle only natives can detect a difference, I don't know.

    I may be a dumb Dutchman who will never get it, but I'm still willing to try, so give it your best shot and have fun with it.

  2. #2
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    Easy. Don't talk. Lips tight, Hmmph. Covers most everything.

    Bring your Leica, bring your Zeiss. Just don't expect to blend.

  3. #3
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    Default Some tips on how ta

    Shades of Gray: Some time ago, I threatened to start a thread I knew would be too much fun. Since you've now invited it with your comment, I'll start it


    Figures it'd hav somthin ta do wit tha way we talk
    How to sound like a native Mainah, disregard any spelling errors.......

    If you're a visitor to Maine and would like to be able to fit in with the natives, here are a few tips on how to speak like a Mainah. The key is to relax your jaw. Say "Mainer." Notice the tension in your jaw and how it opens only slightly. Now say "Mainah," letting your lower jaw drop on the "ah" paht (er, I mean "part"). Practice saying it in an exaggerated manner to get the feel. Now you're ready for the rules of Mainespeak.
    1. Words that end in "er" are pronounced "ah." Mainer = Mainah. Car = Cah. Mother and Father = Muthah and Fathah. Water = Watah. You get the drift.
    2. Conversely, words that end in "a" are sometimes, but not always, pronounced "er." California becomes Californier. Idea becomes idear. Yoga becomes Yoger.
    3. Drop the "g" in "ing." Stopping and starting = stoppin' and startin', or more correctly, stoppin' and stahtin'.
    4. Broaden a and e sounds. Calf becomes cahf. Bath becomes bahth. Can't becomes cahn't.
    5. Drag out some one-syllable words into two syllables. There becomes they-uh. Here becomes hee-ah.
    Getting the accent down is not all there is to speaking like a Mainah. You also need to learn some Maine lingo. Here are a few of my favorite Maine words or phrases. I'd love to hear some of yours.
    Apiece: An undetermined distance: He lives down the road apiece.
    Ayuh: Yup. Sure. Okay. That's right. You Bet.
    Bug: Lobster
    Cah: A four wheel vehicle, not a truck.
    Chowdah: Chowder
    Crittah: Any furry animal
    Cunnin': Cute
    Finest Kind: The very best
    From Away: Not from Maine
    Gawmy: Awkward or clumsy
    Numb: Dumb. Stupid.
    Pot: Lobster Trap
    Prayer Handle: Knee
    Quahog: Thick-shelled clam (pronounced co-hog)
    Scrid:A tiny piece
    Steamers:Clams
    Wicked: Very. To a high degree, such as wicked good, wicked bad, wicked exciting, etc.

  4. #4
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    Default Hier

    Won uff the wurts witch awlwase fascinated me iss hier oar as the English say here. In Maine, if ime knot mistakin, I thought the wurt hass 3 syllabulls.

    Here may be thuh won wurt I most duhzeye-ah to learn how to spell as its pronounced. I do love the sound of ovah and othah, but here, which I can't spell as its spoken since I never mastered it, is absolutely incredible when spoken by a master.

    I re-red the instructions. I'll work on it sum moe-ah.
    Last edited by emerald; 04-06-2008 at 12:52. Reason: Added a line to indicate I saw here listed above.

  5. #5
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    I re-red the instructions. I'll work on it sum morah.
    Teej meata right leica mainer tawks.
    I hope so, that second line looks like tha dam spam that shows up in my E-mail inbox

  6. #6
    Registered User boarstone's Avatar
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    Wanna' no hos ta tawk lyka maina? try it during black fly season while standing still w/all your friends on trail....then you'll know why we shorten our words and phrases...and we don't stop to talk...if that don't get to the point, check it out in winter...we use quick shortened words to keep the mouth closed as tight as possible during freezing cold and clouds of black flies/muskeetoes!
    Do one thing everyday...that makes you happy...

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    I always figured Maine-speak might be some sort of adaptation which evolved in response to blackflies. Some Mainers don't really open their mouths much. They just kind of part their lips and the most remarkable sound comes out.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shades of Gray View Post
    I always figured Maine-speak might be some sort of adaptation which evolved in response to blackflies. Some Mainers don't really open their mouths much. They just kind of part their lips and the most remarkable sound comes out.
    That and living on the edge of civilization we say whatever the hell we want when and how we want cause there isn't usually anyone around to hear it.

  9. #9

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    Hiyah Woodsy

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    Quote Originally Posted by warraghiyagey View Post
    Hiyah Woodsy
    Hiyah Wargy, o master of humor

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    Quote Originally Posted by woodsy View Post
    living on the edge of civilization we say whatever the hell we want when and how we want cause there isn't usually anyone around to hear it.
    I noticed most times y'all don't hold back much and just let 'er fly. Kinda refreshin' actually.

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    Default Posten etiquette

    Where R thowse rules posted some timago that covahud propah spellin and such?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shades of Gray View Post
    I noticed most times y'all don't hold back much and just let 'er fly. Kinda refreshin' actually.
    Only a problem in public places and social gatherings, neither of which appeal to me
    Wonder what the birds think when I hang a tree up cuttin farwood, all them funny soundin werds and all

  14. #14

    Default Mainah cursin

    C'mon Woodsy, what do those birds REALLY hear when you're cuttin up farwood?

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    Quote Originally Posted by warraghiyagey View Post
    C'mon Woodsy, what do those birds REALLY hear when you're cuttin up farwood?
    well when the tree doesn't fall to the ground like its suppose to, just kinda leanin up against all the others standing there,
    it goes something like this....... !*%#!%*#!*%#

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    I don't expect wonufthoes wurds is fathah.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shades of Gray View Post
    I don't expect wonufthoes wurds is fathah.
    Ayuh, tha otha is muthah

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by woodsy View Post
    Wonder what the birds think when I hang a tree up cuttin farwood, all them funny soundin werds and all
    There's your problem right there. You should be concentrating on the nearwood. When you get to the farwood, you're already into Canada. I guess that's what you mean by the edge of civilization. Just keep going; it gets more and more civilized the farther you go.

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    Quote Originally Posted by woodsy View Post
    Wonder what the birds think when I hang a tree up cuttin farwood, all them funny soundin werds and all
    Isn't wirds spelled write like birds? I can see this isn't about to happen overnight.

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    On the sixth day, God turned to the Archangel Gabriel and said: “Today I am going to create a land called Maine. It will be a land of outstanding natural beauty. It shall have tall, abundant mountains full of pine trees and eagles, beautiful sparkling lakes bountiful with bass and trout, forests full of deer and moose, high cliffs overlooking sandy beaches with an abundance of sea life, and rivers stocked with salmon”. God continued, “I shall make the land rich in resources so as to make the inhabitants prosper, I shall call these inhabitants Mainers, and they shall be known as the most friendly people on the earth.” “But Lord,” asked Gabriel, “don’t you think you are being too generous to these Mainers?”
    “Not really,” replied God, “just wait and see the winters I am going to give them.”

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