Differences in vocabulary

[horseless carriage]

American English can vary widely, with many interesting regional variations. Growing up in the NJ suburbs of NYC, I was instantly labeled as “not from around here” when I moved to south central PA. A “soda” depending on location can be a “soft drink,” “soda pop,” or simply “pop.” It’s all good…

We are fortunate that English didn't fragment like Latin or we might have an English version of the Latin based languages. There again, listening to some of the garbled gobble-de-gook that passes as language these days, perhaps is has, fragmented that is.

 

[Alligatorob]

A few Canadian phrases that Americans may not get. A section of farm land ( 640 acres ). Pogey, (receiving Unemployment payments when you are out of work )

Did not know most, but a section is the same here, 640 acres. Most of the western half of the US is divided into sections and land even small pieces have legal descriptions based on the sections.

In Louisiana a pogy (probably pronounced the same as your pogey, sometimes spelled that way) is a fish.

 

[jimintoronto]

Did not know most, but a section is the same here, 640 acres. Most of the western half of the US is divided into sections and land even small pieces have legal descriptions based on the sections.

In Louisiana a pogy (probably pronounced the same as your pogey, sometimes spelled that way) is a fish.

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In the 1960's, if you were employed here, you had a actual small book that you put your "employment insurance stamps in ". These stamps were issued to you by your employer. If you were laid off, the stamp book would be presented at the Employment Commission office in your town or city, and a clerk would verify that you "had enough stamps " to get benefits. Those who worked seasonally, such as commercial fishermen, or lumber jacks, made sure they had enough stamps to get benefits through the cold winter months. This was and still is a Federal Government program that covers the entire country. Today, if you move to a different part of Canada, to get a new job, the costs of moving are paid to you, by the Feds. JImB.

 

[hollydolly]

In the 1960's, if you were employed here, you had a actual small book that you put your "employment insurance stamps in ". These stamps were issued to you by your employer. If you were laid off, the stamp book would be presented at the Employment Commission office in your town or city, and a clerk would verify that you "had enough stamps " to get benefits. Those who worked seasonally, such as commercial fishermen, or lumber jacks, made sure they had enough stamps to get benefits through the cold winter months. This was and still is a Federal Government program that covers the entire country. Today, if you move to a different part of Canada, to get a new job, the costs of moving are paid to you, by the Feds. JImB.

yes we had an Insurance stamp book too... but if we were out of work we had to apply to the Social security office, which then had sevral changes over the years ..now called the DWP ( dept of work and pensions)...

 

[Alligatorob]

In the 1960's, if you were employed here, you had a actual small book that you put your "employment insurance stamps in ". These stamps were issued to you by your employer. If you were laid off, the stamp book would be presented at the Employment Commission office in your town or city, and a clerk would verify that you "had enough stamps " to get benefits. Those who worked seasonally, such as commercial fishermen, or lumber jacks, made sure they had enough stamps to get benefits through the cold winter months. This was and still is a Federal Government program that covers the entire country. Today, if you move to a different part of Canada, to get a new job, the costs of moving are paid to you, by the Feds. JImB.

Thanks, another new one to me.

On the section thing here is the legal description of our property. Try putting this into your GPS!

A PART OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 36, TOWNSHIP 9 NORTH, RANGE 2 WEST OF THE SALT LAKE BASE AND MERIDIAN.

BEGINNING AT A POINT ON THE SOUTH LINE OF LOT 24, XXX SUBDIVISION PHASE 1, ENTRY NO. 215123 LOCATED 405.16 FEET SOUTH 89°40'25" EAST TO THE EAST RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE OF 350 WEST, POINT ALSO BEING AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE XXX FARMS LLC PROPERTY, TAX ID. NO. XXX AND 392.86 FEET SOUTH 89°37'39" EAST ALONG THE SOUTH LINE OF SAID XXX FARMS LLC PROPERTY AND CONTINUING ALONG SAID SOUTH LINE OF XXX FARM SUBDIVISION PHASE 1 FROM THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF SAID SECTION 36;

RUNNING THENCE SOUTH 89°37'39" EAST 267.14 FEET ALONG SAID SOUTH LINE AND CONTINUING ALONG THE SOUTH LINE OF THE RAY XXX TTEE ETAL PROPERTY, TAX ID. NO. XXX TO THE WESTERLY ANGLE POINT OF THE RAY XXX TTEE ETAL PROPERTY, TAX ID. NO. 03-159-0143; THENCE SOUTH 21°59'11" WEST 226.00 FEET ALONG THE WEST LINE OF SAID RAY XXX TTEE ETAL PROPERTY AND CONTINUING ALONG THE WEST LINE OF THE RANDY XXX ETUX PROPERTY, TAX ID. NO. 03-159-0142 TO THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF SAID RANDY XXX ETUX PROPERTY; THENCE SOUTH 69°57'53" EAST 145.93 FEET ALONG THE SOUTH LINE OF SAID RANDY XXX ETUX PROPERTY TO THE WESTERLY RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE OF STATE HIGHWAY 89; THENCE SOUTH 33°16'30" WEST 112.25 FEET ALONG SAID WESTERLY RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE TO AN EXISTING FENCE LINE ESTABLISHED AS BEING THE BOUNDARY LINE BY CIVIL CASE NO. XXX DATED JUNE 30, 2011; THENCE NORTH 80°30'09" WEST 503.12 FEET ALONG SAID FENCE LINE AND ESTABLISHED BOUNDARY LINE TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE DENNIS XXX TTEE ETAL PROPERTY, TAX ID. NO. XXX; THENCE ALONG THE BOUNDARY OF SAID DENNIS XXX TTEE ETAL PROPERTY THE FOLLOWING TWO (2) COURSES; (1) NORTH 15°18'21" EAST 164.20 FEET; AND (2) SOUTH 81°16'43" EAST 163.98 FEET; THENCE NORTH 13°17'50" EAST 142.43 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. CONTAINING 2.753 ACRES.

 

[jimintoronto]

In most of southern Ontario, the townships were surveyed by the British Army's Engineers in the period of the early 1800's. They created a grid pattern of side roads and concession roads, so that each township was a block of land, divided into sub units, with ten blocks, each divided into lots. Even today, if you look at a map of southern Ontario, you can still see the block grid. In Ontario we do have Counties, but they are not nearly as important as a County is in the USA. My Irish ancestors arrived in Canada in 1801 at Montreal. Three brothers with their wives and 13 children. They walked from Montreal to the town of York ( now Toronto ) where they were granted 3 lots of 120 acres each, side by side in Chingacusy Township, 25 miles northwest of York. They were amongst the very first settlers in that township. All three of the brothers were skilled tradesman, a blacksmith, a wheelwright, and a saddle and harness maker. They had all served for ten years in the East India Company's Army, in India. The land grants were their reward for having served with good conduct. JimB.