A Question For Our Canadian friends

Philly, we live in constant terror that gulp, you might be mistaken for one of us. Oooh, please say it isn't even a remote possibility chicken man!
 

Cookie said:
Yes it is very interesting and not surprising that people want to be identified by the country they belong to. I didn't feel upset, but was somewhat miffed and astounded that it needed so much clarification.

You can pose that question to anyone anywhere, and they will react the same way.

For example: Do Scottish, Irish and Welsh identify themselves as British, because after all they are in the British Isles? Imagine how they would react?
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Actually yes we do...we are British , but we all come from different parts of the British Islands..so yes we absolutely would say that...then we'd say we're from Scotland, England etc..however I understand totally the point you're trying to convey cookie, but comparing the UK, with Canada and America, is like comparing oranges and apples.

We're one sovereign country, we're ruled by the same head of government.. we don't need a passport to visit another part of the Britain, we are one people..just as you are in Canada..

The best way to compare it would be to split Canada into North east South and west...you would still be Canadians, but you would be from completely different parts with different accents ...that's how we are in the UK.. :D
 
Thanks, holly, I did not know that, you explained it very well.

As for you Phil, if you went to say, Australia, Europe or Asia, you might be asked which country you were from, especially, since being from Philly, you probably speak like us here (with no strong regional accent).

When Canadians are traveling, it has been recommended that they wear a little Canadian flag lapel pin on their clothing, then no one needs ask. And if locals don't know, they always do want to know.
 

I always ask people who have an accent about their country of origin. In reality, many of them are Australians but because we are a nation of immigrants we have a lot of people with hints of the old country in their speech. Americans (USA) sound different depending on which part of the country they grew up in so I follow up with another question about the state. Most of the time I can pick the difference between a Canadian and an American but not always. By the same token, I have been mistaken for English when travelling in western USA.
 
Cookie said:
As for you Phil, if you went to say, Australia, Europe or Asia, you might be asked which country you were from, especially, since being from Philly, you probably speak like us here (with no strong regional accent).
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Actually I was born and raised in New York - land of the funny accent - but my speech is almost "pure" - no accent.

I only write funny. :rolleyes:
 
... when the cold winds blow from the north this Winter, I'll think of this thread. So sad.

Cookie said:
...
When Canadians are traveling, it has been recommended that they wear a little Canadian flag lapel pin on their clothing, then no one needs ask. And if locals don't know, they always do want to know.
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???
 
Bonnie, you seem quizzical about this. Apparently I have read that travelers abroad (some of whom are even Americans pretending to be Canadian) will wear a Canadian lapel pin. Why? Because Canadians are liked more over there I guess, and are less likely to run into anyone who has issues with Americans and might give them a hard time.
 
On our first trip OS we were emblazoned with symbols of our homeland.
Later we avoided this practice because it draws unwanted attention from pick pockets and scammers.
Of course, the minute we open our mouths to speak we give ourselves away, so it is advisable to speak softly when out of country.

In retrospect, it was an advantage in France to be recognised as Australian and not British.
 
Shalimar said:
Cookie, I think this is about an unwillingness to accept another's perspective as having validity. I can't imagine telling an American how to define their identity, can you? That would be arrogant and presumptuous of me. Each nation has the right to define itself, regardless of what outsiders write/say/think. Particularly in a democracy.
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This isn't a democracy this is a forum.:playful:

I know Kiwis who are tired of being labelled as Aussies when travelling overseas. Aussies always tease Kiwis about their accent.... they say sex for six.
 
I think what was meant by democracy, is each nation's democracy, not the forum, mitchezz, LOL

Everyone always teasing everybody else about their accent can be very entertaining sometimes, I find. :D
 
imp said:
tnthomas said:
I think that it's pretty clear that Canadians are loathe to be mis-identified as somehow being affiliated in any way with the North American country known as the United States of America.

Why? It is not my place to say, I'll let the Canadians explain...
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Another American's balls are floated on thin ice! THIS ought to be good! imp
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Sounds like the grade-school mentality never really ended in your world, or you've gone-off your psych meds again...
 
hollydolly said:
Actually yes we do...we are British , but we all come from different parts of the British Islands..so yes we absolutely would say that...then we'd say we're from Scotland, England etc..however I understand totally the point you're trying to convey cookie, but comparing the UK, with Canada and America, is like comparing oranges and apples.

We're one sovereign country, we're ruled by the same head of government.. we don't need a passport to visit another part of the Britain, we are one people..just as you are in Canada..

The best way to compare it would be to split Canada into North east South and west...you would still be Canadians, but you would be from completely different parts with different accents ...that's how we are in the UK.. :D
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Or, you could divide us into ten provinces and three territories, each of which has its own name but they are all Canada.

As to your question Thomas about us not wanting to be identified as Americans......are you proud to be an American? Well Canadians are proud of being Canadians.
 
HaHaHaHa. Fishy, I think Canucks love to poke fun at themselves. With a few exceptions, I think regional accents differ little across our country. Perhaps because we tend to be such a mobile people? Out here on Vancouver Island, most people seem to have migrated here for the warm weather, although housing is expensive.
 
Vancouver I. warm?

:lofl: Barely lukewarm, I would say.
Sydney on the other hand... 23oC (73oF) today rising to 34oC (94oF) on Sunday and it's still only Spring.

Still, I guess when you are emerging from a freezer, like say Winnipeg, a lukewarm bath, say Vancouver, would seem very pleasant indeed.

Just teasing. :hide:
I remember being told how warm BC was when I was there, literally "like England" which I found very amusing. England warm ? Seriously?
 
Piffle Warri. Lolololol. We do warm, you do searing heat. Too toasty for me. Australia is a beautiful and vibrant land, however. If it were my place of origin, I am certain I would love her as fiercely as you obviously do.
 
Well yep England does get warm...mid 80's during summer which is what we usually have here is just fine by me....scorching heat like we have in Spain over 100 degrees common during the summer, is just that wee bit too uncomfortable..lol..I like to go out and enjoy the Sun not hide from it under freezing cold AC..
 
Yep pretty much the same climate as ours Shali...butttt in the winter although we do get snow and frost, I would hate to have to deal with some of the snows you folks get in Canada...Oh lordy..noooo..
 
Take a good look at a globe or a world map.

It's plain to see that the entire Western Hemisphere is made up of North America and South America.

And if ya wanna get fussy you might include Central America.

SO, If you live in any of those places, that's what you're called.
 
Falcon, this thread was specifically about asking CANADIANS how we identify ourselves, not how others might identify us. Frankly, their opinions are not relevant to this thread.
 

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