Why is Canadian English unique?

Post by jghn » Sun, Aug 23, 2015, 12:55 PM UTC

colomon wrote: post #10

ckcheng wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was a light-hearted article, but the maple syrup issue made me wonder, so I (unbelievably) did some checking. The quote about "poutine, Nanaimo bars, and butter tarts" was in the context of "Some words refer to things Americans don’t seem to have:". But apparently Americans do have maple syrup: "Vermont is the largest producer in the United States, generating about 5.5 percent of the global supply" [1]. Vermont ap…

Right, maple syrup goes back to colonial times, and we still make enough in Michigan that with a little effort you can always buy locally produced. At least some Michiganders say "eh", too -- my impression is it is especially common in the UP. It's not at all surprising, the border here has been pretty porous for centuries. When I was a kid, we'd have to cross over to Canada for Chinese food or hard-packed ice cream…

Post by jasonlotito » Sun, Aug 23, 2015, 12:59 PM UTC

pmelendez wrote: post #6

sandworm101 wrote: post #2

>> Though English-speaking Canadians remain loyal to the Queen, they aren’t truly interested in being British or sounding British; they’re just interested in using the British connection to assert their independence from the independent United States, which they left because they didn’t want to leave. What horrible highschool textbook is this from? When did Canada separate from the US? And to say english Canadians ar…

>The queen is a total irrelevance in Canada. Maybe, but new Canadians still have to swear loyalty to the Queen in the citizenship ceremony.

Post by pmelendez » Sun, Aug 23, 2015, 1:05 PM UTC

arethuza wrote: post #9

pmelendez wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The queen is a total irrelevance in Canada. Maybe, but new Canadians still have to swear loyalty to the Queen in the citizenship ceremony.

What about the Canadian armed forces?

Post by notahacker » Sun, Aug 23, 2015, 1:38 PM UTC

branchless wrote: post #16

pmelendez wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The queen is a total irrelevance in Canada. Maybe, but new Canadians still have to swear loyalty to the Queen in the citizenship ceremony.

I'm a Brit who moved to Canada and I find it _amazing_ that anyone here supports the queen. You moved to a new land where you were not serfs. Where you could live free and your children could escape a suffocating class structure. To a land where you elected your own leaders. Do you want oppression back?

Post by dljsjr » Sun, Aug 23, 2015, 1:57 PM UTC

goodcanadian wrote: post #18

There are some errors in the article. May two four is a distinctly Eastern Canada slang. In western Canada, it is simply May long weekend. Two four to refer to 24 beer is also Eastern Canada. In western Canada, you call it a flat. Finally, as a Canadian who has lived outside of Canada for a long time, Canadians really do use eh a lot. It is just that it is a subconscious element of the language that we are not aware…