35 things Canadians say that Americans don’t understand

[Iron Woode]

it's an interesting list.

We Canadians sure are unique, eh.

http://business.financialpost.com/b...-canadians-say-that-americans-dont-understand

:awe:

 

[Orignal Earl]

"It hasn't been used. This will be 3 years"

Heard this yesterday
Sounds perfectly normal to me, hear it all the time
But thought to myself "Jesus.. those P&N grammar nazis would be giving me the grief"

 

[Murloc]

we say serviette too (I'm italian-speaking and this far north the french influence is strong), the dictionary says it's used in all anglo-saxon countries minus the US though so not really canadian.

I also use holiday and vacation interchangeably because I'm unsure on whether vacation is a false friend or it really means the same thing as in my language.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

You're weird, but you're harmless. We don't really even try to understand what you say, if it's important you'll eventually get around to saying it in our language.

 

[TheVrolok]

I'm familiar with at least half of those. Many of them I don't even think of Canadian (I generally think of them as European). I grew up in Pennsylvania so maybe the region has something to do with it?

Cheque, Pop, College/University, Holiday, Housecoat, Stag parties, Larry/Roger, Runners, Toque, are a few that I don't even associate with Canada.

 

[Orignal Earl]

I'm familiar with at least half of those. Many of them I don't even think of Canadian (I generally think of them as European). I grew up in Pennsylvania so maybe the region has something to do with it?

Cheque, Pop, College/University, Holiday, Housecoat, Stag parties, Larry/Roger, Runners, Toque, are a few that I don't even associate with Canada.

"Things Canadians say" doesn't mean "only said in Canada"
Canadians are multicultural.

 

[mmntech]

Never heard of Hang a Larry or Hang a Roger. Never heard anybody refer to parking garage as a "parkade" either. Those must be west coast things.

 

[norseamd]

Freezies: A favorite summertime treat that consists mostly of sugar and water frozen in a clear plastic tube.

Pop: soda.

What the fuck are these writers on right now?

 

[Orignal Earl]

Never heard of Hang a Larry or Hang a Roger. Never heard anybody refer to parking garage as a "parkade" either. Those must be west coast things.

No parking garages in Sask, it's parkade here
Spelling check wants me to turn parkade into parka

 

[crashtech]

They left out "Bob's yer uncle!"

 

[BoomerD]

"Parkade" isn't exclusively Canuckspeak...Hell, Spokane has had a Parkade since the 60's...

http://www.parkade.org/

 

[TheVrolok]

"Things Canadians say" doesn't mean "only said in Canada"
Canadians are multicultural.

The gist of the article pits Canadian vernacular against the American ear. Of course other speakers use words, but it's kinda silly to use so much verbiage that is not specifically Canadian.

 

[sdifox]

I am sure stupid write is common usage.

 

[who?]

They left out "Bob's yer uncle!"

That's British.

 

[KeithTalent]

I use maybe a third of those words/phrases. Many of them I have never heard and I've lived in Canadia my entire life.

KT

 

[rommelrommel]

I have never heard of:

Hang a larry: Turn left. or

Hang a roger: Turn right.

 

[rommelrommel]

I use maybe a third of those words/phrases. Many of them I have never heard and I've lived in Canadia my entire life.

KT

Some of them are very western.

 

[Ken g6]

As far as I knew, a "mickey" was something someone slipped in someone's drink to make them pass out. Like a "rufie", but much, much older.

I haven't heard of "hang a larry", but I have heard of "hang a louie". Same meaning.

 

[KMFJD]

I have never heard of:

Hang a larry: Turn left. or

Hang a roger: Turn right.

me neither

 

[Imp]

I've switched to 99% American spelling in my writing nowadays because most of my traffic on my website is American.

 

[Mixolydian]

Americans don't give a crap about Canadians

 

[Wordplay]

I prefer a large triple-triple instead of double-double to go with my Timbits.

 

[crashtech]

That's British.

That's weird because I've personally only heard Canadians say it. But you are probably right, I don't know.

 

[HeXen]

I've heard most all those before except homo milk and give'r. I haven't heard hang a larry/roger in quite some time but nothing there outside of the aforementioned was foreign to me.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I heard of most of those but did not realize they were only Canadian. Hang a Roger or Larry is new to me though.

Also we only use cheque to mean an actual cheque. I think in America they use it for a bill. I get confused when I hear it used that way as normally if someone gives me a cheque they're giving me money.