# ...and of course in Canada, the whole thing's flip-flopped! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 12, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476 "2015-02-12T15:18:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/1 "2015-02-12T15:18:40Z")
_“Oh my! I’d better get you some cider.”_ Pretty much as the title; are there many things that are completely reversed when one crosses the U.S.-Canadian border? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/2 "2015-02-12T15:28:40Z")
😕 😕 😕 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/3 "2015-02-12T15:33:29Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > 😕 😕 😕 😕 Sorry, _Simpsons_ reference, where Flanders is explaining the difference between apple juice and cider and says that in Canada the whole thing is flip-flopped, got me wondering if other many things are the complete opposite from the U.S. in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/4 "2015-02-12T15:34:03Z")
Well, as you approach the border, the distance between you and the border decreases. Once you cross the border, the distance between you and the board starts to INCREASE. You just can’t explain that! ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/5 "2015-02-12T15:41:04Z")
Are you asking for real things or more things that were made up for TV shows? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/6 "2015-02-12T15:50:48Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > Are you asking for real things or more things that were made up for TV shows? Preferably any examples of this that occur in reality rather than fiction, the fictional reference I thought was the most amusing way to frame the question as I thought it a bit dry to just say ‘Are there things that are the complete opposite in the U.S. and Canada?’ ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/7 "2015-02-12T15:53:24Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Sorry, _Simpsons_ reference, where Flanders is explaining the difference between apple juice and cider and says that in Canada the whole thing is flip-flopped, got me wondering if other many things are the complete opposite from the U.S. in Canada. Have you ever been personally across it? If not, why not try it? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/8 "2015-02-12T15:54:35Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Have you ever been personally across it? If not, why not try it? No, and because I’m thousands of miles away. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/9 "2015-02-12T16:00:38Z")
Vowels can be reversed depending on your accent. If you go to NJ, you will often hear people pronounce words like “foreign”, “orange”, “forest”, and “chocolate” with an “aah” vowel where many other Americans would use an “oh”. If you go to, e.g. the Maritime Provinces, some words, including the infamous “sorry”, which generally have the “aah” sound in the US, will be shoved the other way and will have an “oh” sound. NJ: “Those fahreners are taking all of our ahranges and escaping into the fahrest with them.” NS: “Sorey aboot that, eh. We need to work on our prohsesses.” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/10 "2015-02-12T16:03:02Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > NJ: “Those fahreners are taking all of our ahranges and escaping into the fahrest with them.” > NS: “Sorey aboot that, eh. We need to work on our prohsesses.” Do it in the gare-idge. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/11 "2015-02-12T16:04:13Z")
I crossed the border into Canada and the local accent was so strong I couldn’t understand a word they were saying. Turns out I was in Quebec. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/12 "2015-02-12T16:06:16Z")
Well the Simpson’s reference is wrong, apple cider/juice is brown/yellow just like in the US. Car fuel efficiency is in \ / \ in Canada while in the US it’s \ / \. e.g. 7.9 l / 100 km versus 29.8 miles/gal ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/13 "2015-02-12T16:07:06Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Vowels can be reversed depending on your accent. > > If you go to NJ, you will often hear people pronounce words like “foreign”, “orange”, “forest”, and “chocolate” with an “aah” vowel where many other Americans would use an “oh”. If you go to, e.g. the Maritime Provinces, some words, including the infamous “sorry”, which generally have the “aah” sound in the US, will be shoved the other way and will have an “oh” sound. > > NJ: “Those fahreners are taking all of our ahranges and escaping into the fahrest with them.” > NS: “Sorey aboot that, eh. We need to work on our prohsesses.” Has New Jersey been transported to Boston without me noticing? I certainly don’t pronounce those words like that and it’s not the normal pronunciation I run into. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/14 "2015-02-12T16:07:13Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Sorry, _Simpsons_ reference, where Flanders is explaining the difference between apple juice and cider and says that in Canada the whole thing is flip-flopped, got me wondering if other many things are the complete opposite from the U.S. in Canada. Bob and Doug McKenzie (aka Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas) used to do a bit about how down in the States they call back bacon Canadian bacon. So they wondered if American cheese was called back cheese in the US. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/15 "2015-02-12T16:14:35Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Has New Jersey been transported to Boston without me noticing? I certainly don’t pronounce those words like that and it’s not the normal pronunciation I run into. I think it’s more of a Newark/North Jersey thing. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/16 "2015-02-12T16:28:39Z")
Wait, what _is_ different about apple juice and cider in Canada? ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/17 "2015-02-12T16:32:31Z")
Anecdote alert: Depending on the region of the US being compared, there are some emPHASis flip flops I’ve noticed. I’m pretty sure Andy Travis used to emphasize the “J” in DJ whereas up here, we’d emphasize the D. Same thing for root BEER in some regions of the US compared to ROOT beer in Canada. Final one that comes to mind, I heard INsurance many times when I lived on Long Island, compared to inSURance up here. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/18 "2015-02-12T16:33:38Z")
In American schools, you attend [xth] Grade. In Canadian schools, you attend Grade . What a country! ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/19 "2015-02-12T16:35:34Z")
Also, in Canada, “Take the A Train” is called “Take the Train, Eh?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476/20 "2015-02-12T16:37:10Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > Well the Simpson’s reference is wrong, apple cider/juice is brown/yellow just like in the US. > > Car fuel efficiency is in \ / \ in Canada while in the US it’s \ / \. > > e.g. 7.9 l / 100 km versus 29.8 miles/gal You mean if it’s clear and yella, you’ve still got juice there, fella? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-of-course-in-canada-the-whole-things-flip-flopped/712476.md?page=2)