I wasn’t aware that “coalelectricity” was a common word on the prairies. Because you realize that “hydro” is simply short for “hydroelectricity,” right?
That seemed funnier in my head. Didn’t mean it to be snarky, sorry.
It’s “coalectricity.” 
Naw, just funnin’.
Since there are already some regionalisms in here, and since Québec has that whole distinct status thing going on, there are a few Québecisms that might interest you. I’ll try and not go into the French equivalents too much, but in some cases, I don’t have much choice.
convenience store = dépanneur, in both English and French. Sometimes called the dep in English. You will pretty much never hear a native Québecer use another term for these stores.
School:
The school system here is a little different, so bear with me for this. Grades K-6 are typically known as “elementary school” or “primary school” (I have heard both, with the latter mostly used by francophones as a translation of their word for it). IIRC, some school districts have a “middle school” as well, but often this will only be grade 5-6. “High school”, and it is refered to it that way, is grades 7-11, and they are known as either “Level 1, level 2, level 3, level 4 and level 5 (grades 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 respectively)” or “Secondary 1, 2, 3, 4,5”, again, most often by francophones. Then we have CEGEP (acronym for Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel - College of General and Vocational Education). These are either 2 year general education programs (Science, Social Science, Liberal Arts, Creative Arts, etc) or 3 year Technical/Vocational programs (Computer Information Systems, Hotel and Tourism, Business Administration, etc). To go to university (unless you’re a mature student or fall into some other category) you need to complete your 2 years of CEGEP and get your diploma. Most University degrees after that are 3 year programs for a Bachelor’s degree.
We use the term “hydro” to refer to electricty as well - Hydro Québec is the crown company providing power to the province.
Iced tea here can either refer to Lipton/Nestea stuff, or cold brewed tea - AFAICT it’s a bit of a crapshoot every time you order it. “Tea” would mean hot tea, with “tisane” meaning herbal tea, even in English.
I’m sure there’s more, but I can’t really seem to think of any right now.
Not in Alberta, NWT, Nunavut, or Saskatchewan. I think I have only ever heard that term used in Ontario - where you have to go to the Beer Store to get a case (eh). In Alberta, 24 cans of beer is referred to as a ‘flat’, and a box of 12 is a case.
That’s the term the schools apply to themselves, but real humans still call it “high school,” of course. No kid says “I go to secondary school.”
Are you kidding around? I hear Americans say that all the time, and not just on TV; in person it’s probably the most common way that Americans refer to their country. In the last three years I’ve visited and worked in 33 different states, and I hear that all the time. It’s a **common ** term. Where do you live? Maybe you’re in a pocket where it’s rare.
I just did a search and found multiple examples of SDMB posters using “America” as a perfectly ordinary way of referring to the United States of America.
Interestingly, my perception is that it’s also a popular term overseas. Just not in Canada.
I think it’s fairly obvious from this thread that, much as with the U.S., there’s a great deal of regional variation in vocabulary across Canada. In fact, it’s probably much, much worse. We have two official languages, and much more extreme accents to cope with.
Not mysterious at all. Grade 13 was basically a university prep year. (US equivalent: a post-senior year of nothing except AP courses.) If you took Ontario Grade 13, you could get an recognized degree from an Ontario university in three years. Or, if you wanted an Honours degree, you took four years of an Ontario university: basically, five years of schooling after everybody else finished Grade 12. Either way, if you lived in Ontario, you needed Grade 13 to go to an Ontario university. And you generally started university the year you became 19 years of age.
It’s also why my Grade 13 classmates who were accepted at universities in other Canadian provinces and in US states were immediately put in second year courses. Because they had already done their first year, according to those institutions.
Of course, now that Ontario has done away with Grade 13, the old rules don’t apply. But I still have my Grade 13 plus my four-year honours BA degree from a top-notch Ontario university. I’m not sure what this would equate to in the US, but I hope it would be something.
I’m with Sunspace on this - a sack is a cloth bag, made out of burlap, large in size, typically used to hold 40 + pounds of potatos or flour.
Anything else is a bag, especially if it’s plastic and hold groceries.
Ahh, the Hoagie House. Almost as popular as the Pilot House. 
Rick, do I take it you were on the east side of the Cataraqui?
I’ve never lived close to the northern border (though I have spent a lot of time in Minnesota), but I’ve never heard anyone actually pronounce the words “facial tissue” as a single noun referring to a Kleenex. Everyone here says “Kleenex” or maybe just “tissue”.
Everyone here says “sub” or “sandwich” AFAICT. Hence Subway and Submarina, the two biggest chains (at least here in San Diego). I’ve heard of all the terms tomndebb mentioned, but most San Diegans wouldn’t be caught dead saying any of them–“sub” at worst. (That said, there’s a fairly popular sub shop by the beach called Poor Boy.)
Again, most San Diegans wouldn’t be caught dead saying “pop”, but it seems most of the Midwest does call it that.
My arse. I’ve never heard that once and I’ve lived in the US all my life.
I have not once ever heard an American call them “chips” unless they were referring to the meal of “fish and chips”. French fries are French fries here, and “chips” in the UK. If you say the word “chips” in the US without the wrods “fish and” in front of it, I guarantee you that 100% of your sample will think you’re talking about these.
I’ve never heard that word in my life and couldn’t possibly venture a guess as to what it means. I’ve also never heard the word “invigilate”, and I can’t remember the last time I heard someone say “proctor” seriously.
Nobody here, or anywhere else I’ve ever lived, would ever pronounce the word “turlet”.
No, but the British queue. Seriously, what’s with passing off all these Britishisms as Americanisms? Is there some corner of the US you visited that still thinks it’s English?
Sounds more like “sawry” when anyone I know says it, although I have heard “sore-ey” in Minnesota.
I would know what you meant if you said it to me, but I haven’t heard it used much here.
How can you not love salt and vinegar chips?
Overseas it is popular for foreigners to call the United States “America.” “In America they have roads paved of gold” and so on and so forth. I don’t think I’m in a regionalized pocket. Before I worked with mostly Michiganders all over North America, I was in the US Military overseas and in several states. We’d say (of course) “we’re Americans” but I’ve never, ever heard in my life say “I’m from America.” Always (to others and amongst ourselves) “the States” or “the USA” or “Stateside” or “home.” Saying “I’m from America” (or hearing it) is just plain corny.
Not since the Fifties. It was one of those grand ideas that looks good on paper but really disappoints when put into practice. For one thing the gold, being a very soft metal, kept developing hazardous ruts under the tire tracks. At highway speeds you could easily break an axle or get yourself killed changing lanes. Traction was lousy too. One little rain shower and you’d be skidding all over the place. Also, the yellow lane markings were barely visible against the gold background. The white ones weren’t much better.
No sir, give me asphalt or concrete for my roads. Hell, even gravel. Keep that crappy gold in the bank vaults where it belongs.
Uh. Yes it is.
I suppose it depends on what you understand by the term “candy.” To me, it means pretty much everything available on the racks next to the cashier – chocolate, chewing gum, hard candies, peanuts-and-caramel things, etc.
Regular
Salt & vinegar
BBQ
St. Hubert BBQ
Ketchup
Dill pickle
Smokey bacon
Sea salt & pepper
Sour cream and onion
Roast chicken
Fries & gravy
Curry spice
Wasabi
Sea salt & malt vinegar
Jalapeño
Sweet chili & sour cream
Roasted red pepper grill
Lime and black pepper
Honey & roasted garlic
Sour Cream & Bacon
Sour Cream & Cheddar
Ranch
All dressed
Au gratin
BBQ & Cheddar
Buffalo wing
(Plus other regional flavours from other parts of the country) Mmmmm!
There should be laws about the desecration of potatoes. Idaho could start the ball rollling.
Do Canadian universities use British-style honours designations (eg 1st, upper 2nd, etc) instead of the Latin honors American colleges use?
How about the term “beauty” rather than “great”? I just used it, and surprised myself.
Just to specify, I take it you’re talking about cum laude/with honors, magna cum laude/with high honors, summa cum laude/with highest honors.
Yes.