For those of you who aren't currently living in your home country...

[SirDuff]

Impossible to believe they aren't allowed. I've had one in 5 of 7 of the homes I've lived in over the past 30 years. There's nothing inherently "unCanadian" about a garburator.

Heck, we even have our own word for it! None of my US friends/colleagues had heard the word "garburator" when I used it (they tend to call it "garbage disposal"). Google told me that it was a Canadian term (though, of course, my US sample is small, so may be some Americans do call it a "garburator").

Wikipedia (I know) agrees that it is a Canadian term. Also, that they are more common in the US than other countries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_disposal_unit

A garbage disposal unit (also known as a garbage disposal, waste disposal unit, garbage disposer, or in Canadian English a garburator) is a device, usually electrically powered, installed under a kitchen sink between the sink's drain and the trap. The disposal unit shreds food waste into pieces small enough—generally less than 2 mm (0.079 in)—to pass through plumbing.[1]

Garbage disposal units are used extensively in United States households, but are far less common elsewhere.

Definitely had them in Canadian places that I lived but a lower percentage than in the US places I lived. Don't think I've seen one yet in Switzerland (but I've not looked in many houses/apartments).

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Heck, we even have our own word for it! None of my US friends/colleagues had heard the word "garburator" when I used it (they tend to call it "garbage disposal"). Google told me that it was a Canadian term (though, of course, my US sample is small, so may be some Americans do call it a "garburator".

My experience (having lived in a number of places around the U.S.) is that the term garburator is Canadian. Apparently words like parkade (parking garages) and pylon (traffic cone) are also Canadian words that we use that no one knows what we are talking about. I mean, there are lots of Canadian words that we try to pre-translate for, but those three seem to be ones we assumed people would know, but that they don't necessarily. I'm sure there are other words as well.

 

[dish rag]

Garburator is definitely a Canadian term. I never heard a garbage disposal called that until I heard my Canadian wife use it. I thought maybe it was a name of a company that makes them, maybe it is. Any way, she too misses not having one when we are back up north.

 

[dish rag]

Oh pylon, I've heard that all my life in the USA.

 

[dish rag]

Now touk, for a hat is a Canadian term. Took me awhile to figure that out since we don't use them in fla. Not sure if the spelling is correct. But I do have one lol and it stays up north.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Oh pylon, I've heard that all my life in the USA.

Hmmmm. That's interesting. We haven't found anybody who knows it. I thought maybe it was a British or European-inspired word, but we asked people from overseas once, and they hadn't heard of it either.

I'm still trying to get used to the reverse translating after over 20 years. The first time someone asked me if I needed help with my carriage, I paused for an awkward amount of time before I realized they were talking about my grocery cart.

 

[SirDuff]

Now touk, for a hat is a Canadian term. Took me awhile to figure that out since we don't use them in fla. Not sure if the spelling is correct. But I do have one lol and it stays up north.

Toque. And, just for others, toque is a specific item (not just generically "hat"). Specifically a winter hat - like this (doesn't need to be exactly like this, but this general idea).

 

[dish rag]

Yes that's it a woolen like winter hat. I had no idea what they were talking about. I had heard the term tossle hat for those.

Pylon, not sure what part of the US you are in but I've always been in the east and south. Maybe it's used mostly in Fla I don't know but we use that word often given all the road construction.

 

[ronandannette]

That's what I think too. One place has a septic tank and is right on Georgian Bay beach so it might not be good there. The other, non of the houses have them and it makes no sense that they weren't put in when the homes were built given the price point ,and the recycle rules are crazy there. Maybe they don't want the extra amount of waiste in the sewage system. So when we get around to it we will check. Every house I know of in Orlando has one but I'm sure there must be some that don't.

Interestingly, a garburator is not a standard item even in very high-end homes, although many will add one in. I work for a home builder and we do about 350 units a year, all between $350K and $1M. A garburator isn't included in any of our standard specifications. And only 1-in-5 new homes in Calgary are built with central air conditioning. Granted, there are only about 10 days a year that it's needed, but I'd trade my guarberator for A/C this week for sure!

Heck, we even have our own word for it! None of my US friends/colleagues had heard the word "garburator" when I used it (they tend to call it "garbage disposal"). Google told me that it was a Canadian term (though, of course, my US sample is small, so may be some Americans do call it a "garburator").
Wikipedia (I know) agrees that it is a Canadian term. Also, that they are more common in the US than other countries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_disposal_unit



Definitely had them in Canadian places that I lived but a lower percentage than in the US places I lived. Don't think I've seen one yet in Switzerland (but I've not looked in many houses/apartments).

Hilarious - thinks!

 

[Sydney2977]

Not a different country but a different region in the US. I miss going out and being able to get queso blanco, enchiladas, chicken fried steak, white gravy, and kolaches. A few places have opened that offer the stuff but it isn't nearly as good or readily available in NY.

Me too! "Mexican" food we get here in South Carolina or anywhere else is not the same as the Tex-Mex I grew up with. If we order queso here, the waiters say "You mean cheese dip?" like I don't know what I'm ordering. I haven't found anywhere good for chicken fried steak (and I sure can't make it at home), and no one knows what kolaches are! BBQ is no the same either- it's all pork and mustardy sauce. Even if you can find a red sauce it's not the same. Thankfully we have family that brings us stuff or we bring things back when we visit, and go out to eat plenty when we are back there!

A couple of decades ago a friend of mine moved to NYC and eventually joined a Texas expat group. She said that it was the first time she saw A&M and UT alums get along. Every year they'd have a chili cook off and the winner got a 6 pack of Shiner that was flown up from Texas for the occasion.

It is funny- in Texas grads from different schools will act like enemies, but in other states it's what brings them together! Chili is another thing that is not the same. We actually found Wolf chili and Shiner beer at our local grocery stores in the last couple years and had to laugh. DH said people her knew were acting like Shiner was some new, cool brand!

 

[dish rag]

Interestingly, a garburator is not a standard item even in very high-end homes, although many will add one in. I work for a home builder and we do about 350 units a year, all between $350K and $1M. A garburator isn't included in any of our standard specifications. And only 1-in-5 new homes in Calgary are built with central air conditioning. Granted, there are only about 10 days a year that it's needed, but I'd trade my guarberator for A/C this week for sure!

Hilarious - thinks!

I think every house in Fla would come with a disposal. Only $105 retail for one in the USA. That's what I was getting at in that they aren't common in Ontario. It is an upscale nieghboor hood. It's also surprising that they don't finish the inside of the garage and it didn't come with a garage door opener on both doors, only one. We do have and all the houses have central AC in Ontario but our home in Tobermory further up north does not but it doesn't get as warm up there.

 

[tcufrog]

Is it really that hard? It's kind of complicated, but one place I worked we had some employees who moved in from Texas as well as some who actually worked in an office in Texas. We would actually have the occasional beer and wine party, and since several of the participants had lived in Texas we got Shiner Bock. It wasn't even all that hard to find since BevMo had it.

20years ago it was.

 

[penn19]

Hmmmm. That's interesting. We haven't found anybody who knows it. I thought maybe it was a British or European-inspired word, but we asked people from overseas once, and they hadn't heard of it either.
I'm still trying to get used to the reverse translating after over 20 years. The first time someone asked me if I needed help with my carriage, I paused for an awkward amount of time before I realized they were talking about my grocery cart.

I think that's all I've ever called a traffic cone, is a pylon. I'm in the US. Maybe a regional thing.....