Talk Toronto

Things That Are Different in Toronto/Canada

Category: Local Questions & Answers

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Photo of susan c.
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7/4/2010 susan "My hat is not filled with marzipan" c. says:

I'm sensing more and more transplants in Toronto--especially, Americans. I moved here to get away from you people. Ha ha. Just kidding :P

Anyway, here's a list of things that were new, shocking or different to me.

NEVER EVEN SEEN BEFORE
- Tiger Tail ice cream (I had to Google this after Amanda A. mentioned it in the ice cream thread. Whoa. http://www.presidentsc... )
- Milk in a bag

DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY
- Freezies = Otter Pops/ice pops/freeze pops
- Gimp (I only figured out it was "lanyard" after several minutes of intense description)
- Converter = a remote control
- "To write a test" = "To take a test"

I know there are more but can't think of them now.

  1. Photo of Paul S.
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    7/4/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Paul "Shop first....eat later" S. says:

    Good ones!  How about couch=sofa or two four=24 beers, chocolate bar=candy bar, can of pop=can of soda.....stop me!

  2. Photo of Amit B.
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    7/4/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Amit ""COME ON ENGLAND!"" B. says:

    Aboot = about :-P

    Sorry, couldn't resist!! :-P

  3. Photo of Elaine K.
    7/4/2010 Elaine "Danger Zone" K. says:

    I've heard that they don't make ketchup chips in the states. A travesty!

  4. Photo of Kent P.
    7/4/2010 Kent "Pat Bateman" P. says:

    chesterfield

  5. Photo of Chris P.
    7/4/2010 Chris "How quickly can I hit 4 digits?" P. says:

    @Susan: Who says converter?  I've never heard that one before.

    How about some Western Canadian vs Central Canadian differences:

    Cabin (AB/BC) = Cottage
    Going to the lake (SK/MB term) = Going to the cottage
    May long weekend = May two four
    Major cities in western Canada are on a grid system so you can easily find your way around vs. Central Canadian cities are named after people/animals/random shit, so you have no idea where you're going unless you look at a map.

  6. Photo of Aaron B.
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    7/4/2010 Aaron B. says:

    I'm confused about some of these differences...I mean I don't understand the difference yet.  In the states we use both 'couch' and 'sofa' interchangeably, use both 'cottage' and 'cabin' interchangeably, use 'soda', 'pop' and sometimes 'soda pop' interchangeably, a chocolate bar is one type of candy bar.  

    So in Canada is there a difference between a couch and a sofa?  Like "chips" referring to french fries?  I mean, we have things called 'chips' in the U.S. and these are thinly sliced round crispy things (like Pringles).  But in the U.K. they call what we call french fries 'chips' (and I have no idea what a ketchup chip is but it sounds interesting).  Similarly with 'biscuit'; we have a thing called a biscuit and it's a buttery bread (e.g. served at KFC), but they use that word to refer to what Americans call cookies.  Boot vs trunk of a car etc.

    So are these Canadian differences distinct from the U.S. and U.K versions?  Meaning, do 'sofa' and/or 'couch' refer to some specific things in Canada that are different than what they refer to in the States?

    As for me the biggest difference is seeing French everywhere.  All over the U.S. you see signs in both English and Spanish...even in Detroit.  You step 1 inch over that border and the Spanish totally disappears and you see French instead.  Yay! I get to learn some of a new language through quasi immersion.

  7. Photo of Paul S.
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    7/4/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Paul "Shop first....eat later" S. says:

    I was talking to a neighbour (not neighbor) about what we have in Canada that he can't get in the States & he was most upset that they don't have Crispy Crunch chocolate bars there.     And no, Butterfinger comes close, but it's not the same thing.       I'm going to NYC in Aug, so will be sure to squirrel some away.

  8. Photo of John F.
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    7/4/2010 John "underpaid civil servant" F. says:

    @Paul - "Soda" is common terminology only in the eastern US.  Midwestern US people call it "pop", like in Canada.

    @Elaine - No, I have never seen ketchup chips till I moved here.

    Just out of curiosity are there any regional Canadianisms for genitals, sexual acts, curses, scatology, etc.?   Some Americans are surprised on learning that in portions of the American south, the word "cock" used as an obscenity refers not to a penis but to a vagina!  And on the subject of scatology, is it my imagination that Americans find scatological humour funny and Canadians are not amused or has anyone else noticed this?

    One thing not related to language that I have yet to figure out is why Americans have the big edition of the newspaper on Sunday and Canadians have it on Saturday.

  9. Photo of Roma M.
    7/4/2010 Roma M. says:

    Chips are the same things here as they are in the USA, unless of course, you're referring to 'Fish and Chips'.

  10. Photo of Tyler B.
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    7/4/2010 Tyler "Where is my Jet Pack?" B. says:

    I'm originally from the west coast of the states (Oregon) and have found a lot of differences in terminology. So here goes;

    -Milk in a bag: I still find this funny and I'm not sure why. It seems very odd to find a liquid in a bad, especially something as common as milk. What if you drop it?
    -Soda: Any fizzie drink. I don't know why everyone here keeps making a pop noise when they want a soda.
    -Aboot: I think this is only ever said by US actors trying to sound like a stereotypical Canadian, I have yet to actually hear about spoken this way in normal conversation.
    -Chocolate/Candy Bar seems like the same thing to me
    -Never had ketchup chips, tried normal chips dipped in ketchup but that got messy.
    -Sofa is a small couch to me.
    -Cabin/Cottage: I always pictured a cabin as a wood cabin surrounded by trees and a cottage like the house in Anne of Green Gables

    I use to miss Nutella the most on m trips back to the states but have recently found it at a supermarket. The number one thing I miss now when I am in the States is poutine! I have looked for it everyone and even tried to describe it to several restaurants with only vague looks as the result.

    As for what I miss most in Toronto I would have to say Netflix.

  11. Photo of Tyler B.
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    7/4/2010 Tyler "Where is my Jet Pack?" B. says:

    Oops, not bad but bag for milk. What if it pops too!

  12. Photo of Paul S.
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    7/4/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Paul "Shop first....eat later" S. says:

    @Tyler B. Having Netflix in Canada would be cool.  Having 'grilled' KFC, 'Combos' (not the Bulk Barn kind either), Almond Joy, Mounds, Verizon (just because we need more competition), Sonic & Red Robin burger places & finally Target & J C Penney stores!

  13. Photo of Vivek S.
    7/5/2010 Vivek "When I wake up imma be yelping" S. says:

    http://popvssoda.com:2998/

    My cousins in New York were always quick to chastise me if I asked for a "serviette."  Apparently they call it a "napkin."  Other awesome differences I've noticed:

    - no Coffee Crisp in the states
    - no caffeine in Canadian Mountain Dew
    - American milk is always bragging about its Vitamin D content.  I find this creepy.
    - there are no "turnpikes" in Canada
    - no http://mint.com in Canada (still upset about this)
    - Canadians don't say "y'all" but you can find someone in ANY state that will say this (Including AK and HI)
    - I don't often hear Canadians call it a "restroom" (we use bathroom, or washroom instead)
    - Americans will stare at you blankly if you ask for a "double-double" or "basic universal healthcare"

    Those who haven't had ketchup chips are missing out.  And nota bene: nobody under 50 should be calling it a "chesterfield."  That's the Queen's English.

  14. Photo of Thom H.
    7/5/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Thom H. says:

    I think chesterfield was a brand that got left on the dock in jolly old London town.  

    I think Canucks should start saying 'mam'.  It's a nice way of showing deference.

  15. Photo of Chris P.
    7/5/2010 Chris "How quickly can I hit 4 digits?" P. says:

    Milk in a bag is no longer a Canadian thing.  The west got smart 15 or so years ago and started putting milk in plastic jugs.  When I moved to Toronto it was like I had gone back in time.  I was waiting for someone to tell me you could still get milk delivered to your door.

    @Aaron: Couch and sofa are used interchangibly in Canada. The Canadianism would be chesterfield. Ketchup chips are just a flavour, like salt & vinegar or bbq. They're not potato chips dipped in ketchup. Cottage and cabin are not used interchangibly in Canada.  If you're from Central Canada you say cottage and if you're from Western Canada you say cabin.  Pop is used across Canada and soda or soda pop is never used. In Canada, chocolate bars is used for all chocolate or candy bars, and the term candy bars is never used in Canada.

    @Paul: Red Robin used to be all over Western Canada but the majority of them shut down about 10 years ago.  I think there are still some in Edmonton.

    @Vivek: I am also upset that there is no http://mint.com in Canada.  They're website has said "Coming soon to Canada" for years now.

  16. Photo of she s.
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    7/5/2010 she "squirrels are little people with a hairy overbite" s. says:

    how about the way we say mom

    we say it like "mum"
    and correct me if I am wrong but americans say it  like "mawm"

  17. Photo of Daniel B.
    7/5/2010 Daniel B. says:

    I find it strange that all the bars in Toronto have the restrooms DOWNSTAIRS in the basement.   It's a uniquely Toronto thing.

  18. Photo of Kat F.
    7/5/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Kat "don't get me started!" F. says:

    @Daniel: yep, it truly is. I even have a Yelp list called "Toronto's Most Terrifying Toilets."

  19. Photo of Amit B.
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    7/5/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Amit ""COME ON ENGLAND!"" B. says:

    The way Canadian's say "sorry" - it's more like soory! :-P

  20. Photo of susan c.
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    7/5/2010 susan "My hat is not filled with marzipan" c. says:

    @Chris P: The Torontonian S.O. says "converter" and so do Jing K. and her husband--both from Ontario.

    In addition to ketchup potato chips, Canada has dill pickle chips and the mystery combination called "all dressed." What is "all dressed" anyway?

    Canadians say Grade 8, 9, etc. whereas most Americans would say 8th grade or 9th grade.

  21. Photo of Chris P.
    7/5/2010 Chris "How quickly can I hit 4 digits?" P. says:

    How about Junior High School in Canada vs Middle School in the US.  I guess that varies from province to province and state to state though.

  22. Photo of Kat F.
    7/5/2010 Kat "don't get me started!" F. says:

    I actually say converter too! Maybe it's a Toronto thing?

  23. Photo of Tony F.
    7/5/2010 Tony "tells the truth, even when I lie" F. says:

    Double-Double.. I keep catching myself ordering it at the poker tables in a middle of a hand in the US and the waitress is dumbfounded.  At least in Vegas, the majority of waitresses will know I'm just Canadian..

  24. Photo of Tony F.
    7/5/2010 Tony "tells the truth, even when I lie" F. says:

    Converter?? Never heard anyone call a 'Mote or a Clicker or the Reeee-mote,  a Converter.

  25. Photo of Roma M.
    7/5/2010 Roma M. says:

    I say converter, too! I'll say remote on occassion just to get through to out of towners, but it'll always be 'converter' for me.

  26. Photo of Kiki I.
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    7/5/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Kiki I. says:

    I have never heard anyone call a "remote a "converter" in Toronto.

  27. Photo of Kiki I.
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    7/5/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Kiki I. says:

    It's always just been the remote.

  28. Photo of Mozart A.
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    7/5/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Mozart A. says:

    Converter was funny. So, the converter converts what into what? hehehe

  29. Photo of Vivek S.
    7/5/2010 Vivek "When I wake up imma be yelping" S. says:

    My folks still call it a "converter" but my language has been whitewashed of such malapropisms.  You might even say I've been "converted."  HOAOHOHOHO

  30. Photo of Jing K.
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    7/5/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Jing "word up, friends!" K. says:

    Coverter might be an age thing. I think the cable box thing used to be a converter and the 'remote' which was attached by a cord was part of it.  I actually didn't have cable or remote controlled tv growing up so I caught the expression from my husband.

  31. Photo of Paul S.
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    7/5/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Paul "Shop first....eat later" S. says:

    @Jing K. You are right on the money.  It was a big plastic brown box with a cable going into the TV & buttons where each one was another channel.  We would always trip over the cable when we were kids running through the house.  Am I that old?

  32. Photo of Aaron B.
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    7/5/2010 Aaron B. says:

    @Chris: THANKS CHRIS!  Okay, ketchup flavored chips...I've never tried them (and I don't like potato chips much),  but maybe I'll give it a go while I'm still here.  And I'll have to try some Coffee Crisp and Crispy Crunch chocolate bars.  In the U.S. typically Middle School means grades 6-8 and Junior High means 7-9, then High School means whatever is left over until grade 12...so it's district by district.  

    @Vivek: No caffeine in Mountain Dew?  what's the point of it then?  People in the U.S drank this stuff the way people drink energy drinks now...but I guess since there are energy drinks now Mountain Dew can do whatever it wants and people will adapt.  I've never heard "serviette" in the States but I heard it in London so it's probably a Britishism.  I say "y'all" as in "ciao y'all" or "aloha y'all" or even "shalom y'all". "Double-double" means coffee regular, eh?   Or is there another meaning?

  33. Photo of Paul S.
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    7/5/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Paul "Shop first....eat later" S. says:

    Double double is two sugars & two creams!

  34. Photo of Avitania B.
    7/5/2010 Avitania "I Hunger, Coward" B. says:

    I was completely confused by the phrase "double-double" while at Tim Horton's this morning! I was raised in California, where "double-double" means a double cheeseburger from In-n-Out Burger. ;) I've been wondering what it meant out here. Now I know! Yelp is so helpful. :)

  35. Photo of Paul S.
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    7/5/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Paul "Shop first....eat later" S. says:

    After a crazy day like today I'd like something either 'straight up' or 'on the rocks'.  I'm not fussy.

  36. Photo of Vivek S.
    7/5/2010 Vivek "When I wake up imma be yelping" S. says:

    @Aaron B.  Not only is there no caffeine in Canadian Mountain Dew, it's illegal for non-colored cola drinks to contain caffeine.  So Canadians are forced to drink it solely for the Dewy goodness.

  37. Photo of Aaron B.
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    7/5/2010 Aaron B. says:

    @Avitania: I dare you to do into Tim Horton's and ask for coffee regular (= double-double) and your donut "animal style" and see what sense they can make of it.  

    @vivek: does that mean that energy drinks are all colored?  I mean, Mountain Dew is colored yellow and Red Bull is colored (I think) yellow too.  vs Sprite which is clear.  So I understood your meaning to be that only darkly, cola-colored pop could be caffeinated, so root beers could be (though generally aren't) and ginger ale couldn't be.  So are all energy drinks darkly colored in Canada or is there a loophole?  or is it really limited to colas (whatever distinction that is) so root beers are out too?  In the U.S. Barqs root beer is caffeinated...and so is some bottled water.

  38. Photo of Avitania B.
    7/6/2010 Avitania "I Hunger, Coward" B. says:

    @Aaron - Ha! Knowing my luck, I'd get an expat Californian who'd be happy to stick some mustard and grilled onions on my donut! ;D

  39. Photo of ness y.
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    7/6/2010 ness y. says:

    @ Vivek - i didn't know that about Mountain Dew or non-coloured soda...

    US vs Toronto - Toronto has (I believe) a 1.5 ounce cap on hard liquor per cocktail.

    Maritimes vs Toronto:

    Maritimers very regularly tip the coffee-pourers at Tim Horton's, and their toasters are set way darker. I think Tim's tests all its new products out there too, before launching westward. Oh, and there's oatcakes.
    There's oatcakes at most bakery/cafes in NS.
    The bus drivers in the few places that have public transportation will let you "pay next week" if you only have a bill or the incorrect change.
    1 "Mickey" = 1 Quart. Some liquor stores feature HUGE walk-in fridge rooms!
    Unsalted butter is hard to locate... it's in the freezer.
    Pepsi is favoured over Coke in the east coast.
    Dried dulse is frequently found on the shelves above meat in the grocery store.

  40. Photo of Val G.
    7/6/2010 Val "neutered's cuter" G. says:

    Hold up Susan, gimp = lanyard? I think you've been misled on this. Gimp is that plastic neon coloured string that kids use at camp to make bracelets. I guess it's also used to make laneyards but I've only ever seen fabric lanyards. I imagine gimp around the neck would feel sticky. http://en.wikipedia.or...

    Apparently this is also a gimp. http://en.wikipedia.or...

  41. Photo of susan c.
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    7/6/2010 susan "My hat is not filled with marzipan" c. says:

    @Val G: Exactly! I grew up calling those plastic strings "lanyard" in NYC.

    What I find more WTF is the explanation for the French name for it:
    "The name scoubidou came from the late French singer Sacha Distel, who scored his first hit with the song of the same name in 1958 and became the Francized name for the long-running cartoon series Scooby-Doo."
    http://en.wikipedia.or...

  42. Photo of Vivek S.
    7/6/2010 Vivek "When I wake up imma be yelping" S. says:

    The laws about caffeine in Canada are strange but true.  In short:

    1. Caffeine is regulated as a "miscellaneous additive" in Canada.  In the States and EU it's a "flavoring agent" and therefore unregulated.  
    2. Caffeine can ONLY be added to cola drinks.  If something already contains caffeine (like tea, coffee) it's not regulated.  You can't add caffeine to cereal, or paper, or toothpaste.
    3. Cola-drinks must be brown.  (Seriously.)  Rootbeer (and Dr. Pepper) is considered a cola and may contain caffeine.
    4. Energy drinks contain guarana which is an ingredient, not an additive.  They are also strictly speaking not "foods" but "natural health" products.  They can contain caffeine.
    5.  Any drink containing more than 100mg of caffeine per 6oz is considered a "drug" and not a food, and falls under alternate regulations.

    Some stuff here:
    http://laws-lois.justi...

  43. Photo of susan c.
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    7/6/2010 susan "My hat is not filled with marzipan" c. says:

    Happy hours are banned in Ontario. This is to prevent folks from binge-drinking after work then hitting the road. So bars in Toronto can only change the price of a drink once per day resulting in special drink nights.

    For example, $4 select pints and $4 Caesars at The Lakeview on Wednesdays.
    I posted a UYE for this Wednesday if you'd like to join me:
    http://www.yelp.ca/eve...

  44. Photo of Nikki H.
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    7/6/2010 Nikki "I can't believe I ate the whole thing!" H. says:

    @Chris: I used to say converter... lol

  45. Photo of Chris P.
    7/6/2010 Chris "How quickly can I hit 4 digits?" P. says:

    @Vivek: I always thought that it wasn't "cola" drinks but drinks that contain caramel colour. Thanks for the clarification.

  46. Photo of Kevin S.
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    7/6/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Kevin "I wish I had one!!" S. says:

    Let us not forget they don't have Clamato Juice in the U.S. o_O

  47. Photo of susan c.
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    7/6/2010 susan "My hat is not filled with marzipan" c. says:

    @Kevin S: Clamato exists in the States but nobody really drinks it--except maybe the Latin population for their Micheladas http://en.wikipedia.or...

  48. Photo of susan c.
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    7/9/2010 susan "My hat is not filled with marzipan" c. says:

    People go cuckoo for patios.
    Rail drinks = well drinks

  49. Photo of Chris P.
    7/9/2010 Chris "How quickly can I hit 4 digits?" P. says:

    @Susan: That's because we only get 6 weeks between snowfalls to hit the patio so we have to go crazy for them.

  50. Photo of Kat F.
    7/11/2010 Kat "don't get me started!" F. says:

    RE: milk in a bag

    http://www.flickr.com/...

    Freshly uploaded photo. Love the caption!

  51. Photo of Su B.
    7/11/2010 Su B. says:

    Hydro - never heard that in the US. Not sure I know what that means yet.
    Province instead of State and I still catch myself making that mistake.

    Also, about restrooms in the basement - almost every second bar below 18th street in NYC has a washroom in the basement.

  52. Photo of Nox D.
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    7/11/2010 Nox "Bacon Is A Vitamin" D. says:

    @su, "hydro" just means electricity (mostly in relation to provision or billing), since our power is generated by hydro-electric stations (gogo Niagara Falls I believe). I've confused Albertans with it, since they use a lot of coal.

  53. Photo of Andrew T.
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    7/12/2010 Andrew T. says:

    Fun thread, another few that I've noticed:

    - You can't get Smarties in the US (not even the red ones, so you can eat them last)
    - You can't get Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs in the US, because there is (or used to be) a fear of children choking on the little toys inside
    - Wish there were In 'n' Out burgers in Canada so you can order all sorts of stuff off the menu - fun fact: if you look closely at their food wrapping, there's a reference to a verse in the bible printed on each piece of paper (don't know how that would fly in Canada...)
    - For a while, you couldn't get yellow margarine in Quebec, because it would "confuse" shoppers about which one was butter, and which wasn't
    - Cool thing about Canada: we have almost no toll roads!
    - Haven't seen it in the US, but a tone of people here put their hand up to say thanks for letting them merge lanes, join traffic, etc. in Canada - there are other people who only stick select fingers up ...

  54. Photo of Avitania B.
    7/12/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Avitania "I Hunger, Coward" B. says:

    Hey, people in the US wave to say thanks for letting them merge and whatnot! :) depends on where you go; in Seattle, for example, people are polite to a fault - they'll sit  forever at 4-way intersections because they're waiting for the other person to go first (so no one ends up going!)

  55. Photo of Mozart A.
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    7/12/2010 Mozart A. says:

    The hydro thing is funny. Where I come from "hydro" is an abbreviation for "hydro massage bathtub" - or jacuzzi. So when I was looking for a place to live in Toronto and noticing that so many apartments had "hydro included", I was thinking, man, those Torontonians surely know how to live!

  56. Photo of Kat F.
    7/12/2010 Kat "don't get me started!" F. says:

    I guess it's the same as San Francisco folks referring to "PG&E" in rental ads. I had to look it up; I was like, WTF is PG&E??

  57. Photo of susan c.
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    7/28/2010 susan "My hat is not filled with marzipan" c. says:

    How could I forget this one?
    Kraft Macaroni & Cheese = Kraft Dinner in Canada

    Not sure why. That sh*t is good for any meal of the day.

  58. Photo of Eric M.
    7/28/2010 Eric "it's not hipster, you're just boring." M. says:

    I have been made fun of no less than eight times over the last three weeks for this but, "pants". Does anyone have any idea of the number of places that pants means underwear? I refuse to use the word trousers. Not going to happen.

  59. Photo of Amit B.
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    7/28/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Amit ""COME ON ENGLAND!"" B. says:

    I say trousers for, well, trousers. I say pants for, well underwear! :-D

  60. Photo of Dejan M.
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    7/28/2010 Dejan M. says:

    Don't know if this is a Canada-wide thing, but I love how easy it is to obtain moving boxes in Toronto.  You just walk into a liquor store and carry out as many of their empty boxes as you like.  And they're good boxes, too!  Maybe that's what they mean when they call us a socialist country?

  61. Photo of Bryan D.
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    7/28/2010 from Yelp for iPhone Bryan D. says:

    Don't forget no frills has free boxes too. Not the best but sometimes they have good ones

  62. Photo of R M.
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    7/29/2010 R "still exploring Toronto" M. says:

    Meal portions are different. US = HUGE portions!

  63. Photo of Tash P.
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    7/29/2010 Tash P. says:

    Loonies & Toonies!!!!

    I still giggle to myself when I ask for some loonies, when I first moved here I was like WTF you want some crazies???

  64. Photo of Laura C.
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    7/29/2010 Laura "Lala" C. says:

    When I was in winnipeg people said Supper. instead of Dinner. Maybe it was just the people I hung out with, not sure.
    They also have something called Smokies, which is a hot dog/sausage made of smoked meat.

  65. Photo of Melinda M.
    7/29/2010 Melinda "M squared" M. says:

    In the U.S we say "12th grade" and "1st grade" whereas in Canada, it's "Grade 12" and "Grade 1"
    Also, in the U.S. it's Canadian bacon or back bacon, in Canada, that's bacon!
    In the U.S. we don't call our milk "homo" - it's whole milk, and yes, Susan, the milk in bags thing still freaks me out.

    I love the cross-section of chip flavors here, but I have to go to the U.S. to get my sourdough pretzels! Americans like pretzels way more than Canadians!

    http://ecx.images-amaz...

    Also, Canadians have Ceasars, Americans have bloody Mary's.

    Fun topic!

  66. Photo of Chris P.
    7/29/2010 Chris "How quickly can I hit 4 digits?" P. says:

    @Laura: I believe that "smokies" is a western Canadian thing.  Smokie and sausage are interchangable, they're not just limited to smoked sausages.

  67. Photo of Avitania B.
    7/29/2010 Avitania "I Hunger, Coward" B. says:

    Oh! Here's one that I had clarified to me last night: the difference between colleges and universities. In the States, the terms "university" and "college" are used interchangeably, but they're both institutions where you can get degrees (e.g., both colleges and universities can grant Bachelor's degrees in the U.S). Sometimes, within a large university you have different colleges, but the level of education that you get at a college and at a university are basically the same.

    Last night I was told that colleges and universities are totally different in Canada: at a college, it's more of an applied learning (and geared toward certain careers) and usually grants a diploma, whereas at a university you earn a degree. I said something last night about where I went to college (I went to New York University and University of South Florida) and someone assumed that I didn't have a Bachelor's because I said "college." I was totally confused until someone explained that the system is quite different here :)

  68. Photo of Avitania B.
    7/29/2010 Avitania "I Hunger, Coward" B. says:

    Also, Americans usually say "college" interchangeably to refer to their undergraduate degree, no matter where they went (whether it was a large university or a smaller college within a university, or just a small college).

  69. Photo of Cameron O.
    7/29/2010 Cameron "I need all the YELP I can get" O. says:

    I'm a Canadian who has traveled a bit in the good ol' USA, and went to UNIVERSITY in NY for a few years.  

    Quite often attitudes in America come with a super-sized sense of self-entitlement.  Where as in Canada we tend to be much more reserved, and perhaps even shy.  That's just my hunch when Americans come across the border and think we're all cold individuals...  We just don't know how to deal with the blunt, confrontational style many Americans have.

    Also in America mid-tier and lower restaurants seem to serve with the idea that more lousy food is better rather than a small portion of good stuff.

    Beers from micro-breweries in America are decent all across the nation, but sadly the majority of American beer are just bland, yellow and fizzy with only a few drops of alcohol.  Also "Pints" are sadly American pints (16oz) where as in UK they are 20oz and Canada strangely seems to waffle in the middle and serves a pint in an 18oz glass.

  70. Photo of Avitania B.
    7/29/2010 Avitania "I Hunger, Coward" B. says:

    Things != stereotypes

  71. Photo of Jasmine L.
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    7/29/2010 Jasmine "Gatita" L. says:

    I miss Noah's bagels!

    And Smarties in the US are something entirely different than Smarties in Canada.

    They never had MacDonald's pizza in the States.  

    Americans tend to say "trash" instead of garbage, and "cash machine" instead of ATM

  72. Photo of Dejan M.
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    7/30/2010 Dejan M. says:

    Good one, Avitania!  That confused me, too, since it's so easy to miss the subtle difference.  I think "college" in Canada means something like junior or community college in the US.

  73. Photo of Karl R.
    7/30/2010 Karl "Kid Don Cornelius" R. says:

    Regarding beer. The best beer I ever had was an Oregon microbrew in Seattle. Comparing mass market beers of any country is silly.

    "And Smarties in the US are something entirely different than Smarties in Canada."

    Yeah! I was handing out Canadian smarties at a conference I went to in Vegas. The Americans first thought they were a candy like a sweat tart or something but were pleased to discover they were an M&M with a sweeter zing.

  74. Photo of Karl R.
    7/30/2010 Karl "Kid Don Cornelius" R. says:

    "- American milk is always bragging about its Vitamin D content.  I find this creepy."

    Or banks in the USA always seem to tout they're small local banks. I guess the implication is you get better service. But in a modern age of travel, I was like "why do I want that? I want a bank where I can branch bank in WA, MI, NY etc." And given this financial crisis wiped out like thousand of these local banks but not one Canadian bank so much as weebled or wobbled, it would seem the small local model really has zero advantages other than perfection of better service.

  75. Photo of Nicole H.
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    8/1/2010 Nicole "the Antipodean one" H. says:

    Man, as an Australian who moved to the UK for a little while and now lives here, all sorts of things are strange for me. I certainly never imagined I might be asking for ketchup to put on my fries, and enjoying a pop all the while. (In Australian this would be tomato sauce to put on my chips, while enjoying a soft drink.)

  76. Photo of Eric M.
    8/1/2010 Eric "it's not hipster, you're just boring." M. says:

    @ Nicole - I wasn't sure if you used the word ketchup or catsup. Now I know to ask for tomato sauce when I visit my friends in Melbourne.

  77. Photo of Nicole H.
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    8/1/2010 Nicole "the Antipodean one" H. says:

    @Eric Oh, Melbourne! I love it there. Best coffee in Australia.

  78. Photo of Michelle C.
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    8/1/2010 Michelle C. says:

    In East Coast Canada things are even crazier. They have their own words for a lot of things.

    If you say someone is upset and sulking, they call it "sooking". Some places they say "puck" instead of "punch" (ie. I'll puck you in the face.). There are a few more examples, like slang they use (ie. the term b'y, as in "how's it going b'y") that are so distinctly east coast.

    I can't remember what I said, maybe cutlery, or maybe I said something else, like silverware in Chicago once and the person had no idea what I was asking for. I ended up just saying "more forks please". I don't know where the disconnect was here.

  79. Photo of Nicole H.
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    8/1/2010 Nicole "the Antipodean one" H. says:

    Oh, I know sooking! We use that in Australia too. One thing i've confused my friends here with is if I say something like "this round of drinks is my shout". It means i'm paying.. but nobody seems to understand that term! I have to try and adjust to say "my treat" or something I guess.

  80. Photo of Dejan M.
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    8/1/2010 Dejan M. says:

    @Michelle: I believe they call it "flatware" in the States.

  81. Photo of Sarah M.
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    8/1/2010 Sarah M. says:

    the cutlery/silverware person in chicago must have been confused. I grew up in the states and have used all of these terms. silverware was always the most common one for me.

  82. Photo of Kat F.
    9/27/2010 Kat "don't get me started!" F. says:

    Privacy laws are definitely tighter in Canada. If you sign up for something, a company isn't allowed to automatically opt you into all sorts of junk mail. In the U.S. there don't seem to be such provisions. I've only given my address to two companies and already I'm getting tons of junk and credit card offers.

  83. Photo of John F.
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    9/28/2010 John "underpaid civil servant" F. says:

    @Kat - however, I keep getting obnoixious telemarketing calls from the Bay because I have one of their MasterCards.

  84. Photo of John F.
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    9/28/2010 John "underpaid civil servant" F. says:

    On this topic, BTW, why do road construction projects take so long in Toronto?  Haven't they ever heard of giving bonuses to contractors to finish early and penalizing them if late?  Chicago does this and most road projects in Chicago, despite being disruptive, go as planned and finish on time.

    The stuff they are doing on the QEW between Mississauga and Niagara seems to drag on forever with no apparant reason as does the work on the 401 around Yonge.  And these are simple road reconstruction projects - they aren't building new highways.  For the life of me, I can't see why they need to take three or four years.

  85. Photo of Dishan W.
    9/28/2010 Dishan "For Yelp Eyes Only" W. says:

    @John F, I don't know if you've been to Bloor street between Avenue and Yonge in the last 5 years, but it's the same deal there! Maybe it's 6 years hm....

  86. Photo of Chris P.
    9/28/2010 Chris "How quickly can I hit 4 digits?" P. says:

    In relation to John's comment; is it a 905er vs 416er thing that 905er's call The Gardiner the QEW and 416er's call it The Gardiner? The QEW ends at the 427 does it not?

  87. Photo of Vivek S.
    9/28/2010 Vivek "When I wake up imma be yelping" S. says:

    @John F: If I'm not mistaken, construction penalties are not allowed in Canada without a corresponding bonus clause, and it's unlikely that a city could approve those given their strict budgets. It would be nice though. Even retiling the stairs at Subway stations can take over a month!

  88. Photo of Lynn C.
    9/28/2010 Lynn "City of Sin" C. says:

    Vivek, 404and dvp has the same issue too

  89. Photo of Lynn C.
    9/29/2010 Lynn "City of Sin" C. says:

    NeoCitron (CA) = Theraflu (US)
    There's also no Bench Clothing  in the States :(

  90. Photo of Sam C.
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    9/29/2010 Sam C. says:

    flavouring for popcorn in shakers at theatres! My friend from NY loves this stuff when she comes over!

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