Americans and Canadians

HughFreakingDillon

Longueuil said:

dankind said:

mcgruff10 said:

Do people from Quebec look down on fellow Canadians when you talk English instead of French?

I'm not Canadian, but I've been to Montreal and its surrounding towns enough to say that I think it depends on the person and where his/her loyalties lie. I'd say it's about half and half where I've been.

For example, I'd walk into a store in Longueuil to purchase a two-four, and the clerk would say, "Bonsoir." I'd answer, "Hello." After which the clerk would either speak to me in English or continue speaking to me in French. If the latter, I'd take my business elsewhere, knowing that, by law, that motherfucker knows how to speak English and is just being an asshole.

Were you not able to answer "Bonsoir"? Did you expect a big, long and deep conversation with the clerk and it broke your heart that he didn't care? You see, we expect the minimum, just that you are trying to speak the langage because we do care about it. You didn't give a shit, he dind't either. I don't know if you travel in none anglophone country but wherever you go, it's the basic to learn to say "hi", "how are you?", "thank" and "good day" in the local langage. Why would you think we are different?

i see where you are coming from, but when you respond in the language, often they take that to mean you know the language, and start talking in that tongue. and then it's awkward after they say this long-winded sentence in that language, and all you can do is shrug your shoulders. it's different when you are in a resort in mexico and everyone knows that the only word you know is 'cerveza'. 

Longueuil

HughFreakingDillon said:

Longueuil said:

dankind said:

mcgruff10 said:

Do people from Quebec look down on fellow Canadians when you talk English instead of French?

I'm not Canadian, but I've been to Montreal and its surrounding towns enough to say that I think it depends on the person and where his/her loyalties lie. I'd say it's about half and half where I've been.

For example, I'd walk into a store in Longueuil to purchase a two-four, and the clerk would say, "Bonsoir." I'd answer, "Hello." After which the clerk would either speak to me in English or continue speaking to me in French. If the latter, I'd take my business elsewhere, knowing that, by law, that motherfucker knows how to speak English and is just being an asshole.

Were you not able to answer "Bonsoir"? Did you expect a big, long and deep conversation with the clerk and it broke your heart that he didn't care? You see, we expect the minimum, just that you are trying to speak the langage because we do care about it. You didn't give a shit, he dind't either. I don't know if you travel in none anglophone country but wherever you go, it's the basic to learn to say "hi", "how are you?", "thank" and "good day" in the local langage. Why would you think we are different?

i see where you are coming from, but when you respond in the language, often they take that to mean you know the language, and start talking in that tongue. and then it's awkward after they say this long-winded sentence in that language, and all you can do is shrug your shoulders. it's different when you are in a resort in mexico and everyone knows that the only word you know is 'cerveza'. 

You don't visit Mexico outside of a resort? 

Just an hand movment and say "mon français pas bon" and you are good to go. You try, we try.

PJ_Soul

I think everyone should just relax about it. You try, we try? I don't think saying "hello" instead of "bonsoir" is anywhere near comparable to refusing to speak to a PAYING CUSTOMER in a language the customer understands even though the clerk knows how to speak it. That is not a balance response, and it's also just shitty customer service.

dankind

I’m OK with greetings, menus and such in most romance languages, and I can still recall my Russian. But when it comes to larger numbers in French—for instance, how 97 is (4x20)+(10+7)—I’m kind of beyond dumb. I always figured that it was easier to represent myself as an English speaker right away instead of being a fucking poseur, so as to avoid some embarrassment later when not knowing how much to pay when the time came. 

This happened a couple of times when I returned greetings in French, and then got busted by not knowing it well enough to finish a transaction. At which point, the clerk just kept speaking French anyway. I’m sure I don’t want to know what they were saying. 

hauntingfamiliar

HughFreakingDillon said:

while I acknowledge that we have some linguistic difference, we do NOT say ABOOT. If we did, I'd hear a difference in how you folks say it. and I don't. We say "roof", and you guys bark when you say it "ruff". But our abouts are the same. I think you guys are hearing something you want to hear. too much southpark maybe. 

https://youtu.be/Adgx9wt63NY

Most Americans I know (I'm dirty south) pronounce roof like these guys ^ "roof".... However, my boyfriend is from Bahhston and he says rum instead of room. I'll ask him to pronounce roof next time we talk. I'd imagine it may sound like ruff.. might be a New England thing?

^^^ Not sure where that butchered pronunciation of Fiiiierrr in the video came from though?

Longueuil

dankind said:

I’m OK with greetings, menus and such in most romance languages, and I can still recall my Russian. But when it comes to larger numbers in French—for instance, how 97 is (4x20)+(10+7)—I’m kind of beyond dumb. I always figured that it was easier to represent myself as an English speaker right away instead of being a fucking poseur, so as to avoid some embarrassment later when not knowing how much to pay when the time came. 

This happened a couple of times when I returned greetings in French, and then got busted by not knowing it well enough to finish a transaction. At which point, the clerk just kept speaking French anyway. I’m sure I don’t want to know what they were saying. 

You're probaly right, you don't want to know what they were saying. I'm sure it was not offensive but I'm also sure that it was not interresting.
I must admit, I'm impress that you are able to speak Russian. It looks like a tough language to learn.

Difference between American and Canadian : American knows their Constitution, Canadian don't.

Meltdown99

I drove from southern ontario to jasper alberta last fall ... i went the canadian way, northern, ontario is absolutely stunning ... leaving ontario into manitoba, and the further into manitoba one goes becomes depressing, what a boring province, saskatchewan is not much better ...

The parts of alberta and bc i saw were great ... of course i avoided the cities ...

HughFreakingDillon

Longueuil said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Longueuil said:

dankind said:

mcgruff10 said:

Do people from Quebec look down on fellow Canadians when you talk English instead of French?

I'm not Canadian, but I've been to Montreal and its surrounding towns enough to say that I think it depends on the person and where his/her loyalties lie. I'd say it's about half and half where I've been.

For example, I'd walk into a store in Longueuil to purchase a two-four, and the clerk would say, "Bonsoir." I'd answer, "Hello." After which the clerk would either speak to me in English or continue speaking to me in French. If the latter, I'd take my business elsewhere, knowing that, by law, that motherfucker knows how to speak English and is just being an asshole.

Were you not able to answer "Bonsoir"? Did you expect a big, long and deep conversation with the clerk and it broke your heart that he didn't care? You see, we expect the minimum, just that you are trying to speak the langage because we do care about it. You didn't give a shit, he dind't either. I don't know if you travel in none anglophone country but wherever you go, it's the basic to learn to say "hi", "how are you?", "thank" and "good day" in the local langage. Why would you think we are different?

i see where you are coming from, but when you respond in the language, often they take that to mean you know the language, and start talking in that tongue. and then it's awkward after they say this long-winded sentence in that language, and all you can do is shrug your shoulders. it's different when you are in a resort in mexico and everyone knows that the only word you know is 'cerveza'. 

You don't visit Mexico outside of a resort? 

Just an hand movment and say "mon français pas bon" and you are good to go. You try, we try.

I visited mexico once, last year, and we went on a few excursions outside of the resort, but otherwise, no. 

it was montreal. not a small village in france. 

HesCalledDyer

northerndragon said:

Americans lack of geographical knowledge as a whole is both amusing and sad.

It's really sad.

jeffbr

HesCalledDyer said:

dankind said:

The potato chip aisle at a Canadian supermarket is truly a wonder to behold.

What is that one flavour they have? "All Dressed" or something like that?

Just got a bag today! One of my favorites (or is it favourites?)!

rgambs

Yum!  Those are good chips.
They are basically like a smokeless BBQ flavor, and they are bloody brilliant.

Nami

other notable good chips are Roast chicken, smokey bacon, and sour cream N bacon.   Not sure if jalapeno Cheetos are available south side but they are the best.  

rgambs

Nami said:

other notable good chips are Roast chicken, smokey bacon, and sour cream N bacon.   Not sure if jalapeno Cheetos are available south side but they are the best.  

They are available and they are pretty good.
We have 50 million shifting varieties of Doritos that almost always suck.

Nami

rgambs said:

Nami said:

other notable good chips are Roast chicken, smokey bacon, and sour cream N bacon.   Not sure if jalapeno Cheetos are available south side but they are the best.  

They are available and they are pretty good.
We have 50 million shifting varieties of Doritos that almost always suck.

zesty and nacho cheese doritos were the only ones i could eat.  bad heartburn to boot. ha

HesCalledDyer

I hate the Doritos Jacked chips..  They're like the size of an iPhone Plus.

HesCalledDyer

One thing I've never actually heard a Canadian say is "eh."  Honest to god. Not ONE single Canadian I've ever met in my entire life has ever said that.

HughFreakingDillon

HesCalledDyer said:

One thing I've never actually heard a Canadian say is "eh."  Honest to god. Not ONE single Canadian I've ever met in my entire life has ever said that.

people say it all the time, just not after every sentence like is potrayed in comedy sketches etc. it's no different than americans saying "uh" in its place. 

northerndragon

HesCalledDyer said:l

One thing I've never actually heard a Canadian say is "eh."  Honest to god. Not ONE single Canadian I've ever met in my entire life has ever said that.

I say it frequently. As do most of the Canadians I know. 

dankind

northerndragon said:

HesCalledDyer said:l

One thing I've never actually heard a Canadian say is "eh."  Honest to god. Not ONE single Canadian I've ever met in my entire life has ever said that.

I say it frequently. As do most of the Canadians I know. 

But do most of the Canadians you know say “twat”
as frequently as you do?

northerndragon

dankind said:

northerndragon said:

HesCalledDyer said:l

One thing I've never actually heard a Canadian say is "eh."  Honest to god. Not ONE single Canadian I've ever met in my entire life has ever said that.

I say it frequently. As do most of the Canadians I know. 

But do most of the Canadians you know say “twat”
as frequently as you do?

Depends on how many Americans they know.