Americans and Canadians culture Q&A Thread.

[SirDuff]

Okay, I'll take Week 1...

Is there anything in your culture or area that would confuse outsiders or that doesn't fit what would be considered the norm? This is wide open to anything, from food combinations to driving habits. Whatever may take others by surprise.

I know I have mentioned fans of the Saskatchewan Roughriders wearing watermelon helmets before.

From the US, I would say, dipping pizza crusts in ranch dressing (something I had never seen, considered, or tried before watching people in the US do it. (It is common enough here, that if you order pizza, you can often order a side of ranch dressing to go with it.) Maybe I just led a sheltered life in Saskatchewan???

The Hokey Pokey
Polk-a-roo

Both took a lot of explaining when accidentally mentioned in a group of non-North Americans (Polk-a-roo got even the Americans).

I may have mentioned this before, but I've been known to say "But that's how we say/spell/do it in Canada" when I make a mistake. People generally are not sure if I'm lying or not

 

[NAB]

I would say in our family we always ate our lobster cold .

My dad was from Cape Breton. Every summer we went back there from Ontario. They would buy live lobsters cook them than sit at a picnic table and just eat them. So it is always odd when I get warm lobster with butter. Not a fan of lobster rolls either with mayo.

I really miss those times.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

The Hokey Pokey
Polk-a-roo

Both took a lot of explaining when accidentally mentioned in a group of non-North Americans (Polk-a-roo got even the Americans).

I may have mentioned this before, but I've been known to say "But that's how we say/spell/do it in Canada" when I make a mistake. People generally are not sure if I'm lying or not

I seriously had to go and look up Polkaroo! Ha! Polka Dot Door came out after my formative years. I remember hearing the title, but I don't think I have ever seen an episode. It kind of reminds me of how we will say, "Let's see if I have one in my tickle trunk!" which I'm sure that anyone not familiar with what one is, would be baffled.

 

[ronandannette]

...and I see Frozen, and NAB and Duff. And I see YOU too!! I always waited with baited breath to hear my name but because it’s a little unusual and wasn’t in fashion, of course I never did.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

I would say in our family we always ate our lobster cold .

My dad was from Cape Breton. Every summer we went back there from Ontario. They would buy live lobsters cook them than sit at a picnic table and just eat them. So it is always odd when I get warm lobster with butter. Not a fan of lobster rolls either with mayo.

I really miss those times.

I'm with you. Lobster should never be tainted with mayo...ha! (Spoken as someone living in New England...home of the lobster roll.) I love your tradition of sitting around a picnic table and just eating lobster together.

 

[NAB]

...and I see Frozen, and NAB and Duff. And I see YOU too!! I always waited with baited breath to hear my name but because it’s a little unusual and wasn’t in fashion, of course I never did.

Romper room……loved it when a kid as well as Mr Dress Up and Friendly Giant.

 

[SirDuff]

...and I see Frozen, and NAB and Duff. And I see YOU too!! I always waited with baited breath to hear my name but because it’s a little unusual and wasn’t in fashion, of course I never did.

I never heard my name either.

 

[fab1976]

Okay, I'll take Week 1...


From the US, I would say, dipping pizza crusts in ranch dressing, something I had never seen, considered, or tried before watching people in the US do it. (It is common enough here, that if you order pizza, you can often order a side of ranch dressing to go with it.) Maybe I just led a sheltered life in Saskatchewan???

We have a chain called Pizza Pizza that sells dips for your pizza. Not sure what parts of Canada they are in, I’m in Ontario. They started with a creamy garlic one but have branched out to several different ones now. I like the horseradish cheddar, and my husband likes the sweet chili Thai. Lots of other places offer dips now too, and I have seen ranch!

 

[prairie_girl]

Some may have heard of it, but we have a thing called a Social

Basically, it’s a big party that helps the bride and groom out with money. Tickets are $10 and that gets you in the door. Then you buy drink tickets. There are also 50/50 draws, a draw for some ‘perfume’ (a bottle of alcohol) and silent auction prizes. The prizes are always good. There are usually 20-25 smaller prizes which might be a movie night pack with a DVD player, some dvds, and popcorn and chips. There’s also usually golf packs and kitchen packs and so on. The big prizes are separate tickets and they are usually huge TVs, outdoor fire pits, vacations, you get the idea.

Usually, you don’t even know the people who the social is for. It could be your friends coworkers niece, or your hairdressers doctors son and so on.

Oh, around midnight they bring out the food which is sandwich meat, bread, cheese, pickles, rye bread (has to be rye bread) and so on.


They are a staple around here, especially with our long winters.

 

[Moliphino]

Some may have heard of it, but we have a thing called a Social

Basically, it’s a big party that helps the bride and groom out with money. Tickets are $10 and that gets you in the door. Then you buy drink tickets. There are also 50/50 draws, a draw for some ‘perfume’ (a bottle of alcohol) and silent auction prizes. The prizes are always good. There are usually 20-25 smaller prizes which might be a movie night pack with a DVD player, some dvds, and popcorn and chips. There’s also usually golf packs and kitchen packs and so on. The big prizes are separate tickets and they are usually huge TVs, outdoor fire pits, vacations, you get the idea.

Usually, you don’t even know the people who the social is for. It could be your friends coworkers niece, or your hairdressers doctors son and so on.

Oh, around midnight they bring out the food which is sandwich meat, bread, cheese, pickles, rye bread (has to be rye bread) and so on.


They are a staple around here, especially with our long winters.

Sounds similar to a Jack and Jill, which are not super common where I am anymore but used to be popular.

 

[NAB]

Some may have heard of it, but we have a thing called a Social

Basically, it’s a big party that helps the bride and groom out with money. Tickets are $10 and that gets you in the door. Then you buy drink tickets. There are also 50/50 draws, a draw for some ‘perfume’ (a bottle of alcohol) and silent auction prizes. The prizes are always good. There are usually 20-25 smaller prizes which might be a movie night pack with a DVD player, some dvds, and popcorn and chips. There’s also usually golf packs and kitchen packs and so on. The big prizes are separate tickets and they are usually huge TVs, outdoor fire pits, vacations, you get the idea.

Usually, you don’t even know the people who the social is for. It could be your friends coworkers niece, or your hairdressers doctors son and so on.

Oh, around midnight they bring out the food which is sandwich meat, bread, cheese, pickles, rye bread (has to be rye bread) and so on.


They are a staple around here, especially with our long winters.

Here I know it as a Stag and Doe.

 

[declansdad]

As for Rick, now that he's all laid in for winter, he may have an opening in his schedule for us.

If you haven't read his biography, you should; it a great read. Has a piece on how Talking to Americans came about and a great explanation about this piece in particular.

I would say in our family we always ate our lobster cold .

My dad was from Cape Breton. Every summer we went back there from Ontario. They would buy live lobsters cook them than sit at a picnic table and just eat them. So it is always odd when I get warm lobster with butter. Not a fan of lobster rolls either with mayo.

I really miss those times.

As a Maritimer, I enjoy it both hot and cold.

 

[ronandannette]

I seriously had to go and look up Polkaroo! Ha! Polka Dot Door came out after my formative years. I remember hearing the title, but I don't think I have ever seen an episode. It kind of reminds me of how we will say, "Let's see if I have one in my tickle trunk!" which I'm sure that anyone not familiar with what one is, would be baffled.

I'll see that and raise you to "...I get the rocking chair!!".

 

[Frozen Canuck]

I'll see that and raise you to "...I get the rocking chair!!".

I guess that leaves me and @prairie_girl in the chair that two can curl up in...but I dibs the rocking chair tomorrow!

The theme music for that show will never be "Clair de Lune" to me. It will always be The Friendly Giant song.

 

[SirDuff]

Having to protect your garbage from raccoons

 

[ronandannette]

Some may have heard of it, but we have a thing called a Social

Basically, it’s a big party that helps the bride and groom out with money. Tickets are $10 and that gets you in the door. Then you buy drink tickets. There are also 50/50 draws, a draw for some ‘perfume’ (a bottle of alcohol) and silent auction prizes. The prizes are always good. There are usually 20-25 smaller prizes which might be a movie night pack with a DVD player, some dvds, and popcorn and chips. There’s also usually golf packs and kitchen packs and so on. The big prizes are separate tickets and they are usually huge TVs, outdoor fire pits, vacations, you get the idea.

Usually, you don’t even know the people who the social is for. It could be your friends coworkers niece, or your hairdressers doctors son and so on.

Oh, around midnight they bring out the food which is sandwich meat, bread, cheese, pickles, rye bread (has to be rye bread) and so on.


They are a staple around here, especially with our long winters.

Fun-sounding tradition but other than when you've described it here before, I've never heard of it. It's not something that is or was done in either rural Northern Alberta (where I was raised) or urban Southern Alberta, where I live now. Maybe they do it in Edmonton though - it's kind of it's own separate thing.

Just being naturally nosey inquisitive, did you have one of these Socials and if so, what kind of a haul did you rake in? Inquisitive minds (on both sides of the border) want to know.

 

[ronandannette]

I guess that leaves me and @prairie_girl in the chair that two can curl up in...but I dibs the rocking chair tomorrow!

The theme music for that show will never be "Clair de Lune" to me. It will always be The Friendly Giant song.

Being raised an only child, one of the greatest perks was always getting the rocking chair. My friends were actually jelouse. (These are the things 8 y.o.'s talk about on the school bus at 6:45 am on a pitch-black, frigid Alberta winter morning. )

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Some may have heard of it, but we have a thing called a Social

Fun-sounding tradition but other than when you've described it here before, I've never heard of it. It's not something that is or was done in either rural Northern Alberta (where I was raised) or urban Southern Alberta, where I live now. Maybe they do it in Edmonton though - it's kind of it's own separate thing.

Just being naturally nosey inquisitive, did you have one of these Socials and if so, what kind of a haul did you rake in? Inquisitive minds (on both sides of the border) want to know.

It wasn't a thing in Saskatchewan when we were married. After reading @prairie_girl description, I was trying to figure out the logistics of everything. At $10/person, how do you make money, when you are renting the space, setting up prizes, doing a 50/50 draw, midnight lunch, etc.? How many people show up? Are prizes donated? People you don't know attend because there are prizes? Is the money mostly made from the sale of alcohol? Do you need to get a liquor license then? What do the people do while they are hanging out besides drink? Are there games? A dance? I have so many questions.

The midnight lunch was common in smaller, rural towns, when they had a community dance, wedding, or whatever.

 

[prairie_girl]

I guess that leaves me and @prairie_girl in the chair that two can curl up in...but I dibs the rocking chair tomorrow!

The theme music for that show will never be "Clair de Lune" to me. It will always be The Friendly Giant song.

No way, I’m hanging out in the bag with Rusty

 

[prairie_girl]

Fun-sounding tradition but other than when you've described it here before, I've never heard of it. It's not something that is or was done in either rural Northern Alberta (where I was raised) or urban Southern Alberta, where I live now. Maybe they do it in Edmonton though - it's kind of it's own separate thing.

Just being naturally nosey inquisitive, did you have one of these Socials and if so, what kind of a haul did you rake in? Inquisitive minds (on both sides of the border) want to know.

Mine was 20+ years ago (didn’t have one for second wedding), but after all the bills were paid (food, any oop prizes, renting the hall, security, and so on) we cleared around $5K. These days, anywhere from $7-$12K isn’t unheard of.