Canada is largely a country of immigrants. Following the First Nations, there were successive waves of immigration from various countries. Backgrounds varied. In addition to national symbols like beavers and maple leaves, people shared identity by invoking things like Tim Horton’s, hockey, mounted police on horseback, bad weather and similar symbols. Countless “souvenir” books have been written using these tired examples and politicians still use them as shorthand to appear patriotic.
I have some Irish friends who sometimes used the word “Oirish” to refer to others, sometimes mockingly. These were contemporaries who seemed to engage in stereotypical behaviours or the culture which drew on sentimental songs, leprechauns and similar things.
I don’t know how common this phrase is or if my understanding is fully correct. What I was mainly wondering, though, if other countries or cultures have a similar word. Or if you might invent one?
I’ve never heard anyone use the phrase “Puck-pastry patriot” or “Coffeehouse Canadian”, much less a single word. But I’m open to suggestions.
Melodious one word phrases are hard. Canaventional? Canaformist? These wouldn’t apply to most Canadians, but they definitely describe many. Still, could say that about anyone.
Always thought that was the American impression of any Canadian. But I guess it is a stereotype, so works in this thread.
I kind of like “stubbies” except:
a) few under the age of 55 would understand it
b) not sure how regional this was, as I do not satisfy the first condition
Sounds like the C&E Catholics. They only attend church on Christmas and Easter. Or the even lazier “Hatched, Matched and Dispatched”, who show up for their baptism, their wedding, and their funeral.
I once heard a Nez Perce student refer to “Apple Indians”, meaning “red on the outside, white on the inside”. Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for.
Not really. There are plenty of similar epithets. Meaning I am going for is “from there, but more so”, maybe in a more factual than derogatory sense, that does not encompass merely being “from there”.
I’ve often heard people who make a big show of their Irish heritage, but were born elsewhere or whose Irish heritage is somewhat distant as ‘Plastic Paddies’.
Is the question about people who knowingly adopt the stereotypical trappings of one’s culture, without actually being that way?
The first thing that comes to mind around here is the classic “drugstore cowboy” concept, where someone dresses like a cowboy, but isn’t actually one. You see a lot of those around here- any country bar/dance place that’s not actually in the country will be loaded with that sort.
The question was originally about people of a culture who adopt and exaggerate schmaltzy characteristics of it. But variations on the theme are welcome.
I think this is actually the opposite of what the OP is looking for (folks who highlight or exaggerate their connection to a culture), but it’s interesting nonetheless. In the Hispanic community around me, there’s a similar term, “Coco” (coconut). It means a person who is brown on the outside, white on the inside. Around me, at least, I hear it more as descriptive than judgemental, as in, “He’s a coco, so don’t talk to him in Spanish.”
This is probably uniform amongst ethnic minorities in America. My stepmother, who was a Chinese immigrant from Hong Kong, would refer to ABC’s (“American Born Chinese”) as “bananas” (yellow on the outside, white in the middle). She was a mean woman.
For the OP, people who embrace the modern Florida lifestyle may be called “Florida Man”.
And those who claim a Florida ancestral legacy may call themselves “Florida Crackers”.
