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I'm making a huge generalization here, but in general I think the differences an American feels in Canada is equal to the difference a Canadian feels in the US.
The first things people notice are the superficial things, like money, certain stores etc.
It's only when one spends time in either country that the real differences show.
Some of those things have been mentioned here.
General attitude of the country as a whole. Politics. Institutions and how they operate and are set up. Education, gun laws, social programs, holidays, and important things to Canadian such as OAS, Maternity/Paternity leave, severance pay laws, vacation laws all at the federal level, with add ons provincially.
Yes and accents and words as well. Tell most Americans that your garburator won't work because you have no hydro, is just ONE example of many.
I agree, our core is different.
Pretty good post. I have always found the difference between the U.S. and Canada is principally one of ethos and mindset.
Maybe in Quebec and Newfoundland they see it more like how states see certain things as a local flavour than a national one. I've never been to Newfoundland but it looks like it would be a very cool place to see one day.
I'd say that the unique cultural traits of Quebec and Newfoundland (especially Quebec's) are generally seen by the people there as "national" in character. These provinces are seen by a fairly large chunk of their populations as ''nations''. Nations in the traditional sense of the term, before the word ''nation'' became conflated with the word ''country''.
If I am in Denmark or Korea, it's often easier to find the Quebec equivalent to national icons and manifestations of culture, traditions, etc. than it is to find Canadian ones.
And this isn't ignorance on my part. I know all of Canada very well and you'd be hard pressed to find someone as sociologically and culturally in tune with the entire country as I am.
I'd say that the unique cultural traits of Quebec and Newfoundland (especially Quebec's) are generally seen by the people there as "national" in character. These provinces are seen by a fairly large chunk of their populations as ''nations''. Nations in the traditional sense of the term, before the word ''nation'' became conflated with the word ''country''.
If I am in Denmark or Korea, it's often easier to find the Quebec equivalent to national icons and manifestations of culture, traditions, etc. than it is to find Canadian ones.
And this isn't ignorance on my part. I know all of Canada very well and you'd be hard pressed to find someone as sociologically and culturally in tune with the entire country as I am.
Not bragging, but hey… just how I grew up.
Canada is, functionally, 5-6 nations as far as that definition is concerned... Whether BC can be considered a nation under this definition, or just part of Western Canada (which would otherwise contain Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) is a matter of debate.
And you would have, of course, Quebec, Ontario, NL, Acadia (NB, NS, PEI).
Canada is, functionally, 5-6 nations as far as that definition is concerned... Whether BC can be considered a nation under this definition, or just part of Western Canada (which would otherwise contain Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) is a matter of debate.
And you would have, of course, Quebec, Ontario, NL, Acadia (NB, NS, PEI).
Aboriginal Canadians should be considered as a nation (or, more accurately, nationS) as well.
There are actually a lot of differences between Australian and UK English, including many where Australia departs from shared UK/US usage. A few examples: "capsicum" instead of "pepper", "doona" instead of "duvet" or "quilt", "chook" for chicken, "boot/shoe maker" rather than "cobbler", pronunciation of words like "project", "garage" and “data”, and of course Brits, Americans and Canadians are always amused by Aussies wearing "thongs" on their feet.
I was in Australia for extended periods, and ended up learning (and using) a lot of Aussie slang. Back in Canada, I'd ask my buddy in the passenger seat to reach into the glove box for my sunnies ("What?" "My sunglasses, idiot!"); while we were passed by a bunch of "bikies" (motorcycle enthusiasts). To me, tandem trucks were "road trains," and a pickup truck was a "ute."
But after a while back in Canada, my Canadian vocabulary would return, and folks here would understand me again.
Interesting stories about capsicums and tomato sauce: on my first visit, my Australian hosts left me a shopping list one day. It was mostly understandable--milk, bread, cans of soup, and so on. I got the items at the supermarket, but I was puzzled by "capsicums." I asked a supermarket clerk, who heard my accent, and laughed--"You must be from North America, and what you want is a green pepper." So I got a green pepper, and my hosts told me that I got the right thing.
"Tomato sauce" was another matter. I got a nice marinara sauce from the pasta aisle--only it wasn't what my hosts wanted. As it turned out, "tomato sauce" is what we in North America call "ketchup." Our sausages that night went ketchup-less.
Edited to add: When I was a child, beach footwear was called "thongs," or "flip-flops." Today, "flip-flops" remains as a name for such footwear, but "thongs" has become a name for underwear. Language changes, doesn't it?
I was in Australia for extended periods, and ended up learning (and using) a lot of Aussie slang. Back in Canada, I'd ask my buddy in the passenger seat to reach into the glove box for my sunnies ("What?" "My sunglasses, idiot!"); while we were passed by a bunch of "bikies" (motorcycle enthusiasts). To me, tandem trucks were "road trains," and a pickup truck was a "ute."
But after a while back in Canada, my Canadian vocabulary would return, and folks here would understand me again.
Interesting stories about capsicums and tomato sauce: on my first visit, my Australian hosts left me a shopping list one day. It was mostly understandable--milk, bread, cans of soup, and so on. I got the items at the supermarket, but I was puzzled by "capsicums." I asked a supermarket clerk, who heard my accent, and laughed--"You must be from North America, and what you want is a green pepper." So I got a green pepper, and my hosts told me that I got the right thing.
"Tomato sauce" was another matter. I got a nice marinara sauce from the pasta aisle--only it wasn't what my hosts wanted. As it turned out, "tomato sauce" is what we in North America call "ketchup." Our sausages that night went ketchup-less.
Edited to add: When I was a child, beach footwear was called "thongs," or "flip-flops." Today, "flip-flops" remains as a name for such footwear, but "thongs" has become a name for underwear. Language changes, doesn't it?
Chevy....this one's going to crack you up fer sure. I was golfing with a guy using his own cart and we got into a discussion about the cost of the batteries. I cracked him up big time when I said "yeah I remember as a teen when a six-pack of Trojans cost less than three dollars".
Canada has way more in common with both Australia and England than the U.S. I really don't know how someone can say America and Canada are similar when they're completely different. The only similar thing is the streetscape, that's it. We're different politically, historically, and culturally. Our attitudes are completely different. If someone makes the argument that we get American movies, shows, music and entertainment, well so does Australia. Australia pays just as much attention on American celebrities as Canada does, but Canada and Australia also both have their own forms of entertainment as well. All the commonwealth countries have similarities. America is completely different except for the fact that they speak English.
I was in Australia for extended periods, and ended up learning (and using) a lot of Aussie slang. Back in Canada, I'd ask my buddy in the passenger seat to reach into the glove box for my sunnies ("What?" "My sunglasses, idiot!"); while we were passed by a bunch of "bikies" (motorcycle enthusiasts). To me, tandem trucks were "road trains," and a pickup truck was a "ute."
But after a while back in Canada, my Canadian vocabulary would return, and folks here would understand me again.
Interesting stories about capsicums and tomato sauce: on my first visit, my Australian hosts left me a shopping list one day. It was mostly understandable--milk, bread, cans of soup, and so on. I got the items at the supermarket, but I was puzzled by "capsicums." I asked a supermarket clerk, who heard my accent, and laughed--"You must be from North America, and what you want is a green pepper." So I got a green pepper, and my hosts told me that I got the right thing.
"Tomato sauce" was another matter. I got a nice marinara sauce from the pasta aisle--only it wasn't what my hosts wanted. As it turned out, "tomato sauce" is what we in North America call "ketchup." Our sausages that night went ketchup-less.
Edited to add: When I was a child, beach footwear was called "thongs," or "flip-flops." Today, "flip-flops" remains as a name for such footwear, but "thongs" has become a name for underwear. Language changes, doesn't it?
Catsup on sausages? Yikes! Now, on eggs, that's another matter.
I was in Australia for extended periods, and ended up learning (and using) a lot of Aussie slang. Back in Canada, I'd ask my buddy in the passenger seat to reach into the glove box for my sunnies ("What?" "My sunglasses, idiot!"); while we were passed by a bunch of "bikies" (motorcycle enthusiasts). To me, tandem trucks were "road trains," and a pickup truck was a "ute."
But after a while back in Canada, my Canadian vocabulary would return, and folks here would understand me again.
Interesting stories about capsicums and tomato sauce: on my first visit, my Australian hosts left me a shopping list one day. It was mostly understandable--milk, bread, cans of soup, and so on. I got the items at the supermarket, but I was puzzled by "capsicums." I asked a supermarket clerk, who heard my accent, and laughed--"You must be from North America, and what you want is a green pepper." So I got a green pepper, and my hosts told me that I got the right thing.
"Tomato sauce" was another matter. I got a nice marinara sauce from the pasta aisle--only it wasn't what my hosts wanted. As it turned out, "tomato sauce" is what we in North America call "ketchup." Our sausages that night went ketchup-less.
Edited to add: When I was a child, beach footwear was called "thongs," or "flip-flops." Today, "flip-flops" remains as a name for such footwear, but "thongs" has become a name for underwear. Language changes, doesn't it?
That's funny. I had virtually the same experiences as you Down Under, although I never really adopted the Aussie slang in my English.
After reading how some person was saying that Canada and the USA should form one country because they have so much in common, for example the USA being a republic and Canada a Monarchy.
So when one gets down to it which country does Canada have more in common with, Australia with it's same government type, the way our legal systems are set up,ie our Supreme/High court judges do not have to swear to be loyal to a political party.
The way both countries believe in a fair go for all, example if a person is born poor neither Canada nor Australia believes in kicking that person into the gutter.
So which country does Canada have more in common with ?
US, and not even close. There are cultural ties going back centuries, commonwealth notwithstanding. The biggest difference is the French population, which is even less like Australia and more like Louisiana at a minimum more more like France
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