Have Americans ever asked you about Canadian stereotypes?

[andysgirl360]

Once when my Dad was on a cruise, some lady thought he had a Scottish accent....I mean really! The hockey strike was on at that time, and she asked if we had hockey in Canada too. My Dad looked at her like she was crazy.

 

[Ham Ham]

CNNN hit the streets to ask a few questions.
Link to video

I wonder how some of our fellow citizens would fair in front of cameras.

My favorite, name a county that starts with U?

 

[Ted in Halifax]

My Brother was Married in Abilene Texas 20 years ago .... when he and I came out wearing Nova Scotian Tartan Kilts ... the whole church murmured/gasped ... Most of the people there had never seen a grown man in a kilt. I think this was the most fun I ever had. ..... absolutely great.

One Elderly Texas lady came up to me and asked in a Texas accent ..."Ya'll gotta tell me .......... what ya'll have under that Kilt?"

I looked at her (shaking my head from side to side) and said with my Nova Scotian accent (which undoubtedly sounded Irish/English) "Nothing but Trouble lady, nothing but trouble ..."

She laughed so hard, her eyes watered. She kept getting her friends to come back to see me (one at a time) ... every time, she asked the same question. The more beverages I consumed the more pronounced my accent became.

Love Texans!

 

[fan1080]

I was in Epcot in Dec --Yes in the "Canadian Pavillion",,side note my adult sons were very disappointed by the whole Canadian Theme,,anyhow this young boy looking at Sports T-shirts says "Hey mom what are "Canucks"? and she says they are Canadians,,
Oh mY

Hugs Mel

I know they were looking at Sports t-shirts, but what exactly did you find wrong with her response. Yes, We have the Vancouver Canucks, but "Canuck" is a nick name for a Canadian.

Some may find it derogatory, I don't think it is.

 

[Csaks]

CNNN hit the streets to ask a few questions.
Link to video

I wonder how some of our fellow citizens would fair in front of cameras.

My favorite, name a county that starts with U?

The only problem with videos like this is they don't show the people that actually know something. I'm sure there is one out there with some of us Canucks doing the same thing. They are funny though.

The only thing that amazes me is that there are people out there that don't know a lot of this stuff. Then again I'm a fountain of useless information my family and friends tap into all the time .

 

[LSmith]

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard the "Americans driving to Canada in the summer with skis on the roof" story I'd be able to take another trip to Disney.

 

[amberg@eastlink.ca]

hubby and i have been several times over hte years and we always strike up conversations with the folks around us while waiting in lines, on buses you name it- pick a line! once we tell them were from nova scotia- after a they ask us where it is and we tell them, they often state theyd swear we sound just like we're from the states. they cant pick up a different accent.

 

[Cdn Gal]

LSmith, honestly it was true!! I couldn't believe it really!! I remember going home that night and telling my dad about it. I was shocked and it was one of those things that you experience that you just don't forget!

 

[Cdn Gal]

The cool-aid thing made me lol!

 

[LSmith]

LSmith, honestly it was true!! I couldn't believe it really!! I remember going home that night and telling my dad about it. I was shocked and it was one of those things that you experience that you just don't forget!

Cdn Gal,

I believe you! It's just mind blowing that this was happening.

 

[sean-1966]

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard the "Americans driving to Canada in the summer with skis on the roof" story I'd be able to take another trip to Disney.

Sorry but I've seen it myself. I live in Niagara so we get a lot of Americans here. I was 13 or 14 and they stopped us on the road to ask how far to the mountains. True story.

Another story, my Step Father is from Britan, he had relatives coming over for a visit. They called to ask if we could get them reservations in Vancouver. They wanted to drive there for the weekend.

 

[SaskDisNut]

Tell an American that you live in Saskatchewan and see what looks you get.

However, when we were in WDW in December we were having lunch at Pizzafari. There was an older, retired couple sitting next to us. We struck up a conversation and they lived in Florida and come to WDW every couple of months. We told them we were from Canada and then Saskatchewan. Much to our, and probably his, surprise he had actually been to Saskatchewan in his days as a pet supply guy. He would come up here to a salt lake between Regina and Saskatoon that harvested brine shrimp and he would buy a bunch and take them back to Florida.

 

[wannago2disney]

Last month at WDW my family and I were at Earl of Sandwich and while my parents were in line I was at our table and this couple sitting next to me from South Florida asked if I was from Toronto because they saw my Maple Leafs hat. Anyway I said yes and then that persons wife asked me to say the world about, because she must have heard it on TV or in a movie the way some Canadians say it in a funny way. So I said it and she was shocked that I said it the correct way if you want to look at that and I said not all Canadians are like that. Honestly I was not angry or anything because I thought it was more funny and I did prove not all Canadian stereotypes are true. So has anyone been in situations like that?

I used to work as a 411 operator for bell...they serviced several US companies as well and everytime I had to have a conversation with an American they would always tell me I had an accent...especially the "aboot" thing.....I have lived in SW Ontario my whole life...what accent?

Also, we live in a border city (right across from Port Huron Mich) and there is a definite difference between the way we talk and they talk, and all that separates us is a river.

American's lack of knowledge about Canada is hilarious!! OK TRUE STORY!!! No kidding!! Growing up I used to sell corn off the highway near Lakefield Ont. One day in the heat of July this station wagon pulls up at our corn stand, with skiis attached to the roof, mom and dad in the front and 3 kids in the back seat. They asked us where Canada was. No kidding!! (and it was no joke with no hidden cameras or anything like that) Being teenagers we started to laugh and asked them how they got through the border. They looked at us dumbfounded and asked where all of the snow was. We told them to come back in 6 months and then there would be snow. ANOTHER TRUE STORY!! Same corn stand- it's not only Americans- we had this guy from Toronto convinced that brown cows gave chocolate milk and white cows white milk. He also belived us when we told him that you only eat Black cows hence the name Black Angus. Good times down on the farm!

I know people from TO. that would totally believe this...they just do not use common sence...or concern themselves with information beyond the big city.

had an american ask me if our money was made by monopoly, so i asked him if his beer was made by cool aid . He was not impressed

now that's some funny stuff!

 

[Disney Khi]

I'm from the U.S. living in SW Ontario right now. I've met quite a few Canadians that are ignorant of some American things, too. Now, I am from the Appalachian mountains of VA. Can you imagine how I get stereotyped? (And, btw, where I'm from, it's pronounced App-uh-la-chun, not App-uh-lay-chee-un like in more northern regions of the U.S.)

 

[RumblyTummy]

We were at Disney in Dec. I was sitting outside waiting for my DH and I started talking to a woman. She had asked me where I was from and I told here from Ontario , Canada. She just looked at me for a moment and then asked "why I don't talk with an accent, why don't you say eh?". I had to chuckle a little. I said that not all Canadians say "eh", kinda like not all people from Kentucky say "y'all". She still looked at me funny and then asked "well what language do you speak?"
I could tell that she was being genuine and that she really didn't understand why I didn't say "eh", but asking me what language I speak that was a little much...I mean we had been talking for about 45 mins.
I just chuckled and replied "english".

 

[snickerboo]

Oh heck, yes! The first year we went to WDW, in late April, we met a very nice couple from near Chicago. They wanted to know how we were coping with the warm weather (it was high 70s/low 80s) being Canadian. I nicely explained that, being from Southern Ontario, we were actually further south than Chicago and had similar weather to them. To which they said, "really?" in a tone that let me know they did not believe me. I should have said that we were worried about leaving the dog team at the airport parking for the week. I love Americans, I really do. I know and have met so many great Americans over the years but this is something that does bother me a little. I don't go up to a Southerner and say, "say y'all".

 

[Ham Ham]

Oh heck, yes! The first year we went to WDW, in late April, we met a very nice couple from near Chicago. They wanted to know how we were coping with the warm weather (it was high 70s/low 80s) being Canadian. I nicely explained that, being from Southern Ontario, we were actually further south than Chicago and had similar weather to them. To which they said, "really?" in a tone that let me know they did not believe me. I should have said that we were worried about leaving the dog team at the airport parking for the week. I love Americans, I really do. I know and have met so many great Americans over the years but this is something that does bother me a little. I don't go up to a Southerner and say, "say y'all".

Ummm...... Chicago is Further south than most of Ontario. Not by much though down near Kingsville, ON.

 

[LSmith]

It seems by this thread that the Canadians are just as guilty as the Americans in judging each other. I'm sorry but I know so many intelligent Americans that know their geography.

I can't imagine taking it personally if someone thinks I say "eh". Maybe because sometimes I do! Although I've lived in Toronto for 24 years and have a university education, being a former Nova Scotian, I fall off the wagon occasionally and say a slew of words like, "a boat" (about), "hose" (house), mose (mouse), "what a sin", "don't make no nevermind to me", etc.

O.k. fine. I don't say the last one. Much.

At least I know how to say Dartmouth.

I'm not sure if I know how to say Dalhousie.

I bet if Disneyworld was in Canada, the Americans would kick butt on the Canadian geography.

 

[Cdn Gal]

Snickerdoodle that is too funny with the dogsledding team. What do they think of people that are from Alaska? Does Sarah Pallen go to work in a dogsled??

 

[barkley]

Sorry but I've seen it myself. I live in Niagara so we get a lot of Americans here. I was 13 or 14 and they stopped us on the road to ask how far to the mountains. True story.

Another story, my Step Father is from Britan, he had relatives coming over for a visit. They called to ask if we could get them reservations in Vancouver. They wanted to drive there for the weekend.

it happens in the u.s. too-

when i lived in northern california i had a friend from germany whose family decided to come spend a week with her. her mother wrote to ask if they could plan some "day trips" (her mom's definition of a "day trip" was to travel by car such that you could spend at least 8 hours at your chosen destination with no need for lodging because between travel time and those 8 hours it could be easily accomplished during the day-she did'nt like being in a car at night). my friend said "sure mom" then nearly died when her mom sent her the itinerary she planned:

one "day trip" to disneyland (that's about 500 miles one way )

one "day trip" to vegas (about 600 miles one way )

one "day trip" to the grand canyon (over 800 miles one way) -"oh, and we want to stop by yosemitie national park for a few hours on the way" (correction-now over 1000 miles one way ).

her mother could not perceive how large the u.s. is-in her mind it was a "country" as was germany, therefore since it is divided into 50 "parts", those parts would each be roughly equivilent to 1/50th of the size of all of germany.