# Canadians: Enlighted this American **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 21, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569 "2003-05-21T14:57:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![mackeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@mackeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mackeff)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569/61 "2003-05-26T21:57:28Z")
Siwash is a word from the west coast, both BC and Washington. Here’s a [link](http://www.wrvmuseum.org/journal/journal_0702.htm) for some of the background. Years ago, there was controversy over the use of the word in the name of a Vancouver landmark [Siwash Rock in Stanley Park], as it had become a pejorative term. The siwash [or Indian] sweater that I remember from childhood was a heavy outer garment knit with thick yarn and with a zipper closure. It [always ?] had a pattern of something meaningful to the wearer - horses [for young girls, as I recall], the curling club logo, moose. Here’re some [examples](http://www.cowichantrading.com/catcow.asp?mc=76&catID=76). ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569/62 "2003-05-26T22:54:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mackeff \* > \*\*The siwash [or Indian] sweater that I remember from childhood was a heavy outer garment knit with thick yarn and with a zipper closure. It [always ?] had a pattern of something meaningful to the wearer - horses [for young girls, as I recall], the curling club logo, moose. Here’re some [examples](http://www.cowichantrading.com/catcow.asp?mc=76&catID=76). \*\* We always called those cowichan sweaters. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569/63 "2003-05-27T00:38:23Z")
A 2-4 has always referred to a case of 24 beers in Ontario where I was introduced to it as I came of age. Most everybody bought beer that way, and all the brands used the same stubby bottle that fascinated us underage would be drinkers. Ontarions always bought their beer that way at outlets specifically designated for beer sales caled Brewer’s Retail. When I moved to B.C. in 79, I was surprised to find out that one could only purchase beer in quantities of 6 or 12 units. My fellow Ontarions in B.C. laughingly referred to them as “poverty packs”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569/64 "2003-05-27T00:40:38Z")
two four for\*\* wolfman\*\* ---
**Author:** ![furlibusea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@furlibusea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furlibusea)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569/65 "2003-05-27T01:59:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mackeff \* > \*\* The siwash [or Indian] sweater that I remember from childhood was a heavy outer garment knit with thick yarn and with a zipper closure. It [always ?] had a pattern of something meaningful to the wearer - horses [for young girls, as I recall], the curling club logo, moose. Here’re some [examples](http://www.cowichantrading.com/catcow.asp?mc=76&catID=76). \*\* I remember mine as being a blue grey with black moose on it, but no where near as fancy as the ones in the picture. It was wonderfully warm, and could be worn till it was almost zero out (farenheit in those days.) I never saw siwash spelled out it was always just the spoken word. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569/66 "2003-05-27T02:57:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Raygun99 \* > \*\*The first way. FWIW, I’ve never heard it used as a reference to Victoria Day weekend. That’s always “May Long”. \*\* In Québec, it is also known as Dollard-des-Ormeaux Day. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569/67 "2003-05-27T03:13:51Z")
2-4 is an Ontarioism - I’d never hear it except from Ontario folks, because as **grienspace** notes, in the western provinces a case of beer was only 12 beer. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569/68 "2003-05-27T03:47:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dr\_Paprika \* > \*\*… fish n’ brews… \*\* That’s [fish’n brewis](http://www.barmp.com/backhome/mag/2000/06/fishnbrewis.htm) b’y.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569/69 "2003-05-27T04:09:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoGoodNamesLeft \* > \*\*Oh, and on a recent trip to the US, I was stunned to see weird amounts of beer in cartons. 28, 18, 32, 8… Here we’ve got 6, 12, 24. Outside of promotions, that’s really it. \*\* _Weird_ sizes are quite common in Alberta too. 4, 15, 18 are getting quite popular, in addition to the Mini _Bubba_ keg… which I think equals about 15 cans. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569/70 "2003-05-27T05:30:31Z")
And the next size up from a ‘Twenty Six’ is about 40 ounces - referred to as a “Forty Pounder”. ---
**Author:** ![I\_don\_t\_know\_neither\_do\_you](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I\_don\_t\_know\_neither\_do\_you](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_don_t_know_neither_do_you)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569/71 "2003-05-29T13:51:18Z")
My girlfriend and I are both Canadian but she is going to school in the US right now. She was surprised to discover that they don’t have “Smarties” (the candy) or “Caesars” (the cocktail) in the US. Also, she put ketchup on her scrambled eggs and they looked at her like she was nuts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-enlighted-this-american/176569.md?page=3)