Question for Americans

[_liam_]

when you say "eh", how is it pronounced & what does it mean?

when we say "Eh" it rhymes with "hay" - it sounds exactly like the letter "A", and it means you find something questionable or confusing in some way, an example being -

"there's a blue pig in the garden"
"...eh?"

But i've noticed americans use it in this kind of context -

"would you like a goat's eyeball"
"ehhh...no thanks"

do you pronounce it "uhhhh" or something?

[Terran]

When I say "eh"....it is usually coupled with a shrug.....


"You wanna to go to a movie"

"*shrugs*....ehh...maybe not really..."


Pronounciation.....Its like saying the word "egg" without any of the gg's and holding the e sound for like a second or so....


Its nearly entirely synomous with "uuhhhh"...but unlike "uuhhhh" which is a sound of indecision or confusion....."ehhhhh" is a sound of apathy towards the subject matter...or disconnection from the conversation.......

At least this is how I use it....

[Danny]

i allways thought it was meh without the m, thats how i say it, "ay?" is more an alternative to "what?!?" fer me.

[_liam_]

aye that clears things up a bit ;)

whenever i read the US "ehh" i just imagine you guys going "EHH?!?" incredulously

[Danny]

i blame tim allen.

[_liam_]

do you know where tim allen first came up with the idea for tool time?






































in prison


"uuurghhhehhh?"

[fartpants]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[coma]

Uhhh is more of a thinking sound
"uhhh, wait a minute, Im trying to remember"
ehhh is usually more like a "maybe"
Like "ehhh, I'm not sure"

[bassman]

You know.....I'm an american and I've never really known what it means.:lol:

[MinionZombie]

I prefer Canadians saying "eyh" at the end of the odd sentence. :)

Canadians are kind of like the Scottish to America's English, so I kinda identify with them...plus as a nation they seem really chilled out and have animals getting rescued on the news rather than "YOU WILL F*CKING DIE AT THE HANDS OF AN MEXICAN OR BLACK IMMIGRANT DRIBBLING AIDS ALL OVER THEIR CHIN BEFORE THEY RAPE YOUR DOG AND MURDER YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY AT THE POST OFFICE!!!!" type garbage...:eek:

[MissJacksonCA]

I remember my first job working in Canada and my co-workers got together and asked me what huh means. They didn't pronounce it correctly and so my natural response was 'huh'? They laughed for about five minutes and then realized it was a way of saying pardon? It also means dont'cha agree like... these are great, huh?

Canadiens say eh... there's a cute twang when they say it too I really adore it... it basically means the same as huh

For Americans...
ehhh is like so-so ...how do you feel about the wedding... ehhh
uhhh is questionable... do I look fat in this... uhhhh

Personally I like the ooooiiii of britons

[AcesandEights]

i allways thought it was meh without the m, thats how i say it...

That's exactly how I and several people I know say it. Terran was bang on with the definition, though.

I suppose it may sound more like egg (wihtout the Gs), if the person carries the word out a bit, as some people seem to do, and, of course, it'll vary depending on diction and accent.

[darth los]

It could also be used in the context of: "How ya doing?/ Eh. I'm O.K." :cool:

[Danny]

rather than "YOU WILL F*CKING DIE AT THE HANDS OF AN MEXICAN OR BLACK IMMIGRANT DRIBBLING AIDS ALL OVER THEIR CHIN BEFORE THEY RAPE YOUR DOG AND MURDER YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY AT THE POST OFFICE!!!!" type garbage...:eek:

whasnt that posted by tied2thetracks?:p

[Mike70]

around here it sounds like the letter A.

as in "eh, let's go get some fraking beer."

my wife being canadian detests the idea that any canadian has ever said the word "eh" in the history of the english language.

personally i totally love the british OI!!! used to love hearing our friend siriel shout it over top like 50 people at a bar - and having people look at her like she just started speaking swahili in a courtroom...

[MissJacksonCA]

It could be a geographical thing... I never heard anyone in Quebec ever say eh... and the only person I knew in Toronto who said it was from Manitoba and went there with me lol... but in Manitoba EVERYONE says it all de time... and its grrreat

[Cody]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[darth los]

It could be a geographical thing... I never heard anyone in Quebec ever say eh... and the only person I knew in Toronto who said it was from Manitoba and went there with me lol... but in Manitoba EVERYONE says it all de time... and its grrreat


It might be but canadians are famous for saying that. You can't fake a canadian accent without first mastering that.

[MissJacksonCA]

Not all Canadiens are famous for that. Unfortunately our view of so many citizens of countries is so skewed we often mis-perceive people. Funny thing is North Dakotans and Minnesotans often say eh too and they aint be from no Canada. Oddly enough the majority of Canadiens I've run into from the areas directly to the north of ND and MN are the only ones who say the 'eh' we are so fond of.