can o can't in americano
army1987
suonano uguali...
--
Armando di Matteo <a r m y ONE NINE EIGHT SEVEN AT e m a i l DOT i t>
Vuolsi così colà dove si puote / ciò che si vuole; più non dimandare.
[ T H I S S P A C E I S F O R R E N T ]
Joe/Joey da New York
(in article <hh8j3m$8gp$1...@news.eternal-september.org>):
> Come fanno gli americani a distinguere "can" da "can't"? A me spesso
> suonano uguali...
>
>
Except for those times when it's necessary to emphasize the word "can," it's
usually pronounced as though there's no "A" in it: c'n.
I c'n help you do anything.
as opposed to
I can't help you do anything.
"I c'n see Alaska from my house!
No, can't see Alaska from my house; I was lying, as usual." (Sarah Palin)
I c'n try to explain this, but it's more or less intuitive.
I can't figure out how to explain this very well.
For those occasions where it's necessary to emphasize "can," it's pretty
clear that the word ends in "N" and not "T".
Yes! I CAN help you!
No! I CAN'T help you!
(Did that help you? I can't be sure... but I c'n keep trying... :)
--
Joe/Joey da New York
English as she is spoken (and sometimes written) in the US.
"English as She Is Spoke" is the common name of a 19th century book credited
to Josￜ da Fonseca and Pedro Carolino, which was intended as a
Portuguese-English conversational guide or phrase book, but is regarded as a
classic source of unintentional humour.
Joe/Joey da New York
(in article <hh8j3m$8gp$1...@news.eternal-september.org>):
> Come fanno gli americani a distinguere "can" da "can't"? A me spesso
> suonano uguali...
>
>
More thoughts on the subject.
Even when you have sentences like
"I can tell you what I know." (where "can" is pronounced "can")
and
"I can't tell you what I know."
the distinction is made because in the second sentence, the two "T's" are
pronounced, much like double consonants in Italian.
Giovanni "Darke"
> Except for those times when it's necessary to emphasize the word "can," it's
> usually pronounced as though there's no "A" in it: c'n.
> I c'n help you do anything.
> as opposed to
> I can't help you do anything.
e' vero! non ci avevo mai pensato.
ora la so anche formalizzare, la regola, oltre che padroneggiare.
:-P
--
>Giovanni
nbvcx
> Come fanno gli americani a distinguere "can" da "can't"? A me spesso
> suonano uguali...
>
La "t" non la senti?
Enrico il Pentolaio
> La "t" non la senti?
No, because they don't usually pronounce it. The only difference you can
perceive is where the stress goes. If it's on "can", then it's "can't".
If it's on the following verb, then it's "can".
Ciao,
Enrico il Pentolaio.
nbvcx
> nbvcx wrote:
>
>> La "t" non la senti?
>
> No, because they don't usually pronounce it. The only difference you can
> perceive is where the stress goes. If it's on "can", then it's "can't".
> If it's on the following verb, then it's "can".
Non lo sapevo. Ora capisco perché amo più l'inglese britannico...
Joe/Joey da New York
(in article <hhb8c5$19n$1...@speranza.aioe.org>):
I respectfully disagree. The T is pronounced, but only minimally, as a
discreet tongue flap, but enough to be discerned. The rest of what you say is
true, though, regarding the stress.
One of my favorite songs has the line "If you don't want to ride this roller
coaster..." but it's sung (and would probably be spoken as) 'F you don't want
to ride ..."
A Belgian friend visiting a while ago asked why "Few don't want to ride this
roller-coaster," and I had to explain it was "IF you..." Same concept:
clearly audible and understandable to a native speaker; not so to a
foreigner, even one with a fairly good command of English.
It made me realize that very often "If you" is pronounced "'F you" in
ordinary speech.
Giovanni "Darke"
English as she is spoken (and sometimes written) in the US.
"English as She Is Spoke" is the common name of a 19th century book
credited
to Josￜ da Fonseca and Pedro Carolino, which was intended as a
Portuguese-English conversational guide or phrase book, but is regarded
as a
classic source of unintentional humour.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_As_She_Is_Spoke
--------------------------------------------------------
if only i knew portoguese....
anyway it reminds me of All your base are belong to us. do you know? :-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us
--
>Giovanni
Giovanni "Darke"
> One of my favorite songs has the line "If you don't want to ride this roller
> coaster..."
> A Belgian friend visiting a while ago asked why "Few don't want to ride this
> roller-coaster,"
ah the misheard lyrics...there were sites about this stuff, if i'm not
mistaken.
by heart...theantsaremyfriends.com
obviously from the answer my friend :-)))
I myself once misheard worn instead of warm.
I might add to my defence that my choice would have sounded much more
poetich while instead warm was rather trivial...
"Oh baby...I'm so warm inside" -> trivial
"Oh baby...I'm so worn inside (by the love I feel for you, that consumes
my very flesh)" -> a whole other thing don't you think?
some of these days I might as well say two words about the song itself,
but please don't let me :-))))
--
>Giovanni
Joe/Joey da New York
(in article <CQa_m.115028$9f6.1...@twister1.libero.it>):
> if only i knew portoguese....
>
> anyway it reminds me of All your base are belong to us. do you know? :-)
Yes! I remember the phrase but I didn't know the source until now. Thanks!
--
Joe/Joey da New York
English as she is spoken (and sometimes written) in the US.
Joe/Joey da New York
(in article <9Wa_m.115029$9f6.1...@twister1.libero.it>):
> Joe/Joey da New York wrote:
>
>> One of my favorite songs has the line "If you don't want to ride this
>> roller
>> coaster..."
>> A Belgian friend visiting a while ago asked why "Few don't want to ride
>> this
>> roller-coaster,"
>
> ah the misheard lyrics...there were sites about this stuff, if i'm not
> mistaken.
>
> by heart...theantsaremyfriends.com
>
> obviously from the answer my friend :-)))
That's a great example. LOL. I think I'll adopt that expression...
"The ants are my friend!"
There are probably thousands of misunderstood lyrics.
A young friend of mine used to sing "Who's got the penguin? We do the mambo!"
The line is really "Who's got the pain when we do the mambo?" (from "Damn
Yankees.")
And in our own Pledge of Allegiance (to the flag), kids are often heard
misstating the words. Toward the end, the line goes "...and to the Republic
for which it stands... " but it comes out as "... and to the Republic, for
Richard Sands..." (whoever he is!)
>
> I myself once misheard worn instead of warm.
>
> I might add to my defence that my choice would have sounded much more
> poetich while instead warm was rather trivial...
>
>
> "Oh baby...I'm so warm inside" -> trivial
> "Oh baby...I'm so worn inside (by the love I feel for you, that consumes
> my very flesh)" -> a whole other thing don't you think?
I agree: your version is more provocative.
> some of these days I might as well say two words about the song itself,
> but please don't let me :-))))
Don't "let" you? I might "ask" you to... :)
PS: 'poetic' no 'h' on the end.
Giovanni "Darke"
>> by heart...theantsaremyfriends.com
>> obviously from the answer my friend :-)))
> That's a great example. LOL. I think I'll adopt that expression...
> "The ants are my friend!"
now i remember...www.kissthisguy.com
comes from "excuse me if i kiss the sky"->"kiss this guy" [J. Hendrix] :-)
> A young friend of mine used to sing "Who's got the penguin? We do the mambo!"
> The line is really "Who's got the pain when we do the mambo?" (from "Damn
> Yankees.")
ahahhahah!!!
> And in our own Pledge of Allegiance (to the flag), kids are often heard
> misstating the words. Toward the end, the line goes "...and to the Republic
> for which it stands... " but it comes out as "... and to the Republic, for
> Richard Sands..." (whoever he is!)
rotfl :-)))
>> some of these days I might as well say two words about the song itself,
>> but please don't let me :-))))
> Don't "let" you? I might "ask" you to... :)
i happened to download a miriam gonzalez (God bless her) video. and the
soundtrack was with this original strummed love song...
...it's just a touch, a touch of your hair...
oh baby...i know you understand... etc.
> PS: 'poetic' no 'h' on the end.
just mistyped but thank you.
ciao ciao
--
>Giovanni
Janis
news:4b392ce1$0$826$4faf...@reader5.news.tin.it...
Mii quanto sei antipatico!
E sei inutile in questo thread. Pure.
Per poter (far finta di) essere utile, aggiunto che concordo col Pentolaio e
un po' meno col caro Joey. Aggiunto che per me � la stessa cosa del Bart
(metropolitna di SF) e bar. Ossia che in can't non la pronunci ma sai che
c'� e quindi la parola finisce prima di can, � pi� secca.
ciao, J.
Joe/Joey da New York
(in article <hhdu2i$2nn3$1...@newsreader1.mclink.it>):
> Per poter (far finta di) essere utile, aggiunto che concordo col Pentolaio e
>
> ciao, J.
>
>
You and 'Arry Potter have made a good point. I've been walking around for a
day or two mumbling things like
"I can't understand the problem!"
"I can't tell the difference between the two."
"I can't begin to tell you..."
"I can't figure out how explain what I mean..."
(by now my neighbors are wondering if I've slipped a cog.* :)
I had previously mentioned the slight tongue flap that occurs in "can't" but
not in "can," and I've come to the conclusion that it's more of a halt in
voicing the "n", cutting it short, so to speak. So yes, Janis, that's a
better explanation: it's shorter; it's cut short.
Not to overlook the normal pronunciation of "can" as "c'n" in unstressed
usage, but that's not really the problem here it seems.
*slipped a cog: begun to lose it [my mind].
Joseph Curtin
"Enrico il Pentolaio" <enricoilpentol...@gmail.com> wrote in
message news:hhb8c5$19n$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
> nbvcx wrote:
>
> > La "t" non la senti?
>
> No, because they don't usually pronounce it. The only difference you can
> perceive is where the stress goes. If it's on "can", then it's "can't".
> If it's on the following verb, then it's "can".
>
>
Did you ever make it to the Big Apple?
Joe from Massachusetts
Joseph Curtin
"Enrico il Pentolaio" <enricoilpentol...@gmail.com> wrote in
message news:hhb8c5$19n$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
>
> > La "t" non la senti?
>
> No, because they don't usually pronounce it. The only difference you can
> perceive is where the stress goes. If it's on "can", then it's "can't".
> If it's on the following verb, then it's "can".
>
We do pronounce it, you just can't hear it, especially if the following word
begins with "t".
Joe from Massachusetts
army1987
> Joe/Joey da New York ha scritto:
>
>>> by heart...theantsaremyfriends.com
>>> obviously from the answer my friend :-)))
>> That's a great example. LOL. I think I'll adopt that expression... "The
>> ants are my friend!"
>
> now i remember...www.kissthisguy.com
>
> comes from "excuse me if i kiss the sky"->"kiss this guy" [J. Hendrix]
> :-)
"I can't hide" (I Want to Hold Your Hand) -> "I get high". (And I'm not
alone in that: Bob Dylan heard it the same way I did. Actually, "I get
high" makes little sense in that context, but hindsight's always 20/20.)
army1987
Bah, ci sta quel matto di Jim Morrison che non rilascia una plosiva
finale manco a pagarlo... Finché è "ride the sna'e" è abbastanza chiaro
che intende "snake", ma quando inizia a essere "I can' / see your face /
in my mind"... â poi vedè o nno 'sta faccia n'â mente tua?