Soft 'ehs', Hard 'ohs'

Massa-CHEW-settes offers its visitors, and sometimes, residents a lesson in grammar and pronunciation. I have been corrected on more words that I thought I knew how to pronounce, than I care to imagine. Its "WOOOO-burn" not "Wo-bern", "Con-cerd" not "Con-cord" and "Wo-shter" instead of "War-shter". I used o think "New England" was a bit of a misnomer - I mean an area at the heart of the American Revolution can hardly be comparable to England (didn't they throw off that 'repressive chain'?). But these New Englanders take pronunciation as seriously as anyone at the BBC. And they will spend hours trying to correct you - I secretly think they take pleasure in it.

Moreover my southern-Ontario accent does me no favors when trying to blend in with the locals. Sure I call in Door-chester, not Daw-chester and Har-vard not Ha-vard. If I didn't have the typical Southie accent I figured I could at least pass for someone from Boxborough or Framingham. But no my vowels are a big give away. I say "p-ah-sta" not "paw-sta" and "dr-ah-ma" not "draw-ma" so all too many people hear me speak and say "Hey, you're not frowm around here are you?" The double vowels of my southern Ontario accent have betrayed me more than once.

I've found myself on the phone at work apologizing to reporters for being a foreigner, when simple conversations about what-ever topic turn into accusatory discussions of my secret identity. I've been asked to drop words from presentations because I don't no how to say them right. And on, and on.

And I don't even need to use the 'aboot' thing before everyone has me pegged. My accent remains the demarcation point. Period.