Weird Things Americans Have Said To/Asked Me

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Having been an American who had just moved to Canada, I was at a dinner party mingling when I asked a woman where she was from in Canada. She replied that she was from Windsor, Ontario and so I asked nicely where that was because I really didn't know. Her reply was rude as she went on to tell me, in front of a few others, that it was only the most southern point in Canada and she wasn't surprised that I didn't know because Americans never bother to learn geography, blah, blah, blah... The funny thing is that within 30 seconds, she went on to tell me about how she knew the U.S. so well because she had traveled there extensively and that Baja California was her favorite part. I was like, "Baja California? That's in Mexico!" Karma was quick in that instance. It still makes me laugh to this day!

Dalene, that boorish Canuck was most assuredly WRONG! Let me apologize on behalf of all Canadians, the poor woman probably had to reschedule her enema and wasn't thinking clearly. The southernmost point in Canada is Middle Island which sits between Point Pelee Island, ON (southernmost inhabited part of Canada, just off the shore of Point Pelee) and Sandusky, OH. It is about 100m from the border, which sits in Lake Erie. Windsor is up North, somewhere near Baffin Island I think. Some Americans know quite a bit about geography and some don't; just ask President Obama if he ever heard of the Gulf of Tonkin. (What? Too cynical?)

[Lenie7 0]

Having been an American who had just moved to Canada, I was at a dinner party mingling when I asked a woman where she was from in Canada. She replied that she was from Windsor, Ontario and so I asked nicely where that was because I really didn't know. Her reply was rude as she went on to tell me, in front of a few others, that it was only the most southern point in Canada and she wasn't surprised that I didn't know because Americans never bother to learn geography, blah, blah, blah... The funny thing is that within 30 seconds, she went on to tell me about how she knew the U.S. so well because she had traveled there extensively and that Baja California was her favorite part. I was like, "Baja California? That's in Mexico!" Karma was quick in that instance. It still makes me laugh to this day!

Dalene, that boorish Canuck was most assuredly WRONG! Let me apologize on behalf of all Canadians, the poor woman probably had to reschedule her enema and wasn't thinking clearly. The southernmost point in Canada is Middle Island which sits between Point Pelee Island, ON (southernmost inhabited part of Canada, just off the shore of Point Pelee) and Sandusky, OH. It is about 100m from the border, which sits in Lake Erie. Windsor is up North, somewhere near Baffin Island I think. Some Americans know quite a bit about geography and some don't; just ask President Obama if he ever heard of the Gulf of Tonkin. (What? Too cynical?)

Darn! That would have been an even better reply had I known. I may see her in the future at some other gathering and perhaps I'll point that out. All the other Canadians I have met are quite nice, so even though it was an early experience here, I chalked it up to her strange, individual personality. I mean, who tries to insult someone right after they meet them, anyway? My geography knowledge isn't really that bad, I swear!

Edited October 14, 2009 by Dalene

[joe_robin66 6]

I got laughed at pretty hard at work when I asked if "we had any elastics"..... they're rubber bands down here!!!!!

You can't call a shopping cart a "buggy" here either.

And when I say "I was pissed".... I don't mean I was mad!!!!!!

And I MISS TIM HORTON'S SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!! Why aren't there any here????????

There are Tim Hortons in 11 or 12 states, unfortunately you would have to move towards the east coast to be close to them.

http://www.timhortons.com/ca/locator/index.html

Yeah but they aren't the same, nothing in the U.S., virtually (food and drink) is the same as it is in Canada.

That is one thing my fiance will definitely miss is his double double and fruit explosion muffin. He has found a suitable replacement in Dunkin Donuts though, still no fruit explosion though. I do quite a bit of travelling through the states and stop at a Tim's when I can since I love it to now!

P.S.

Thank you all for the huge, tears rolling down my face, fall on the floor laugh!! I really needed it!!

[DeadPoolX 9]

So maybe it is you that has the "brain the size of a peanut" because you go to the states where you know that people say "zee" and not "zed" and yet you repeatedly use a word that is unfamiliar to Americans. I guess it would take a person with a brain bigger than a peanut to just start out saying "zee" when in the United States.

So I take it you use 'zee' when in the U.S. then Scott?

Ok that was a cheap shot - nah, what the hell, you deserved that

On another note, I wouldn't expect any American to identify the word zee.

Zee discussion is over children. Scott I sense some hostility, care to discuss?

Nah I just haven't been on VJ for a while and I got myself caught up on the old posts. It just ticks me off when people point a finger at someone else and say "this person must be stupid because they don't understand what I mean when I say 'zed'" when the person isn't stupid at all but rather the person speaking a language that is foreign to both -- Greek.

The point made a few times was that Canadians adjust if someone says 'zee' up in Canada, but sometimes you run into Americans who can't adjust and have hear what they're used to.

Wonder how many Americans start saying 'zed' when they move to Canada - shall we take a poll?

My fiance lived in Canada for 2 and a half years and spent the whole time telling us that pop was soda, zee was zed and even went so far as to help the kids with spelling....colour had no U according to him. I didn't let him help the kids with spelling homework after that. So I really don't get the "Canadians are supposed to change to accomadate the Americans thing when I know for a fact they wouldn't change for us". My neice married an American as well, they live in Canada...he hasn't changed either.

I've been in Canada for over a year now and I say the following: soda, zee, sneakers and I don't add any U's to words that wouldn't normally have them in American English.

Do you know why I don't? Because the American sayings/spellings aren't seen as "weird" in Canada. If I say "zee" then everyone knows what I'm talking about. It's the same with "soda." Unless I was writing some sort of official/legally binding document, I wouldn't spell "color" as "colour" (or anything similar) because there would be no need to do so.

My wife told me that it's common for Canadians to use a mix of both American and British English. I can see she was right. I've even met Canadians who say "zee" instead of "zed." There's virtually no reason for me to change since Canada seems to acknowledge both.

[Sam and Ben 2]

Haha, silly woman with her geography rant.

As someone else pointed out: the southern-most point of Canada (attached to land) is Point Pelee, in Leamington, ON. But Pelee Island is just south of that as well. Guess she snoozed during Geography class just as much as I did!

Something random that always gets me the face: What does everyone call American Express?

[Udella&Wiz 325]

So maybe it is you that has the "brain the size of a peanut" because you go to the states where you know that people say "zee" and not "zed" and yet you repeatedly use a word that is unfamiliar to Americans. I guess it would take a person with a brain bigger than a peanut to just start out saying "zee" when in the United States.

So I take it you use 'zee' when in the U.S. then Scott?

Ok that was a cheap shot - nah, what the hell, you deserved that

On another note, I wouldn't expect any American to identify the word zee.

Zee discussion is over children. Scott I sense some hostility, care to discuss?

Nah I just haven't been on VJ for a while and I got myself caught up on the old posts. It just ticks me off when people point a finger at someone else and say "this person must be stupid because they don't understand what I mean when I say 'zed'" when the person isn't stupid at all but rather the person speaking a language that is foreign to both -- Greek.

The point made a few times was that Canadians adjust if someone says 'zee' up in Canada, but sometimes you run into Americans who can't adjust and have hear what they're used to.

Wonder how many Americans start saying 'zed' when they move to Canada - shall we take a poll?

My fiance lived in Canada for 2 and a half years and spent the whole time telling us that pop was soda, zee was zed and even went so far as to help the kids with spelling....colour had no U according to him. I didn't let him help the kids with spelling homework after that. So I really don't get the "Canadians are supposed to change to accomadate the Americans thing when I know for a fact they wouldn't change for us". My neice married an American as well, they live in Canada...he hasn't changed either.

I've been in Canada for over a year now and I say the following: soda, zee, sneakers and I don't add any U's to words that wouldn't normally have them in American English.

Do you know why I don't? Because the American sayings/spellings aren't seen as "weird" in Canada. If I say "zee" then everyone knows what I'm talking about. It's the same with "soda." Unless I was writing some sort of official/legally binding document, I wouldn't spell "color" as "colour" (or anything similar) because there would be no need to do so.

My wife told me that it's common for Canadians to use a mix of both American and British English. I can see she was right. I've even met Canadians who say "zee" instead of "zed." There's virtually no reason for me to change since Canada seems to acknowledge both.

Thank you - you've covered my point entirely sir

[Missa 0]

so, i was in Kentucky for the summer and the county magistrate was friends with the family i was staying with. He comes to me one day with a roll of wrapping paper and says " now, Melissa i would like you to take this to your president when you go back home. You tell him that America finds this unacceptable, for the price of this paper to be 3.49 in America and 6.89 in Canada."

yes, ladies and gentlemen he was completely serious about me taking this roll of paper and handing it to my " president" like he lives next door to me or something.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Something random that always gets me the face: What does everyone call American Express?

I've always either called it American Express or Amex.

My father has a very snide and sarcastic sense of humor. Since I have been pointing out to him Canadian holidays and generally my wife will explain them to him, he now asks what the "Canadian equivalent" is for every holiday. I wouldn't normally think it a bad thing, but this is my father and I know there is some punchline down the line. So after I explained to him about Canadian Thanksgiving, he asks me about Canadian Christmas I know he was joking, and have finally convinced my wife that he was too, but I am dreading when my inlaws meet my parents.

[Malrothien 6]

Haha, silly woman with her geography rant.

As someone else pointed out: the southern-most point of Canada (attached to land) is Point Pelee, in Leamington, ON. But Pelee Island is just south of that as well. Guess she snoozed during Geography class just as much as I did!

Something random that always gets me the face: What does everyone call American Express?

Amex.

[kizza 1]

This isnt really weird, just appalling, so we might as well laugh...

The Border Patrol officer who gave me a secundary interview at customs in Texas asked me what currency we use in Canada!!

[SapphireDreams 71]

Haha, silly woman with her geography rant.

As someone else pointed out: the southern-most point of Canada (attached to land) is Point Pelee, in Leamington, ON. But Pelee Island is just south of that as well. Guess she snoozed during Geography class just as much as I did!

Something random that always gets me the face: What does everyone call American Express?

Amex.

I call it AMEX too. And, my old company had them as a client and they call themselves AMEX for short too. But saying American Express is not wrong either.

[DeadPoolX 9]

This isnt really weird, just appalling, so we might as well laugh...

The Border Patrol officer who gave me a secundary interview at customs in Texas asked me what currency we use in Canada!!

That's easy: beaver pelts. Everyone knows that!

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Haha, silly woman with her geography rant.

As someone else pointed out: the southern-most point of Canada (attached to land) is Point Pelee, in Leamington, ON. But Pelee Island is just south of that as well. Guess she snoozed during Geography class just as much as I did!

Something random that always gets me the face: What does everyone call American Express?

Wow, I've been called many things in my life, but never someone else.

I call it American Express or AMEX.

[Sprailenes 47]

This isnt really weird, just appalling, so we might as well laugh...

The Border Patrol officer who gave me a secundary interview at customs in Texas asked me what currency we use in Canada!!

That's easy: beaver pelts. Everyone knows that!

Um no it's canadian tire money duh.

[kizza 1]

This isnt really weird, just appalling, so we might as well laugh...

The Border Patrol officer who gave me a secundary interview at customs in Texas asked me what currency we use in Canada!!

That's easy: beaver pelts. Everyone knows that!

I had to explain we still rely on the good old bartering system