Ok, so I was reading about How to Spot a Canadian, and nodding sadly at the terrible truth of Nickelback, and understanding the “Canadian slang” just fine even though I don’t live in a cold part of the country (this winter notwithstanding), and I don’t really like hockey… but really? Long johns is a Canadian thing? Do non-Canadians really refer to it as “long underwear” or “thermal underwear”?
Huh. The things you learn.
Canadians also have different words for many things that Americans find common. Canadians say “pop” instead of “soda,” “chocolate bar” instead of “candy bar,” “garbage” instead of “trash” and “universal health care” instead of “you’re screwed, poor sick people!”
I admit it, I laughed.
Well….I say long johns-only Gen X pseudo-outdoors people say thermal underwear. Garbage or trash-either works. Soda on the west coast-but pop down in the south. Won’t dare say SkiDoo, it’s a snow machine, mind you I’m an Arctic Cat supporter.
And yes I take my shoes off before entering a house. It’s something about the layer of mud/snow/wet that clings to them.
The rest of those items…you’re on your own. I’m betting none of those stereotypes fit someone from Montreal….they all think they’re French.
:-)
A certain former American Zoner, now a Canadian Zoner, seems to feel the opposite way about health care.
I think in her case though it’s part of her generally hyperconservative outlook, which mandates that people should pay their own way in all matters.
Said former American zoner still sees herself as very much American, however. I don’t think that counts. :)
From having spent several years living with an american, plus over half my family is american I can definitely agree with some of those comments. I’ve always said Long John’s, and no one down south knows what those are, I said the word Touque (sp?) once and people had no idea what i was talking about, (the ones from florida called it a winter hat). I dont’ think I’ve ever said the word soda, it’s always been pop, and american smarties aren’t chocolate!?! Although I have a friend down south that always begs to have all dressed chips mailed to him as they can’t buy them down there lol
Nah, “long johns”, “thermals” and “long underwear” are pretty interchangeable here south of the border.
“Pop” is what pretty much most of the mid-west calls it and we use “garbage” and “trash” pretty much interchangeably to, though usually “garbage” to mean refers to kitchen garbage and other “wet”.
“Candy bar” is probably more common, but we do say “chocloate”. :)