# What's up with all the dumb jokes about Canada? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 26, 2000, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894 "2000-07-26T12:29:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/41 "2000-07-27T15:29:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Retief \* > \*\*Off the topic but I love your sig, Where is it from? > > Reminds me of a scottish girl I heard tell her husband that if he forgot the groceries she would “Have your guts for garters” It’s the imagery(sp?) that gets me! > GPL > \*\* I have to confess I lifted it from a book called _Grafitti Lives, OK?_ by Nigel Rees. It’s a collection of many witicisms collected from the walls of various public conveniences, walls, buildings etc. My sig is but one of many that I could have used, all equally funny, and all definitely un-PC. ---
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/42 "2000-07-27T15:39:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BratMan007 \* > \*\* > PS - I want to give a special mention to **DVous Means** who used the words “butt” “lewd acts” and “sheep” all in the same sentence. I’m just immature enough to giggle away at that. > > \*\* Shhh! Don’t talk too loud, or someone will make me an honorary Kiwi. Then I’ll have to explain why I get a boner every time I see the UGG boots in the shoe shop 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/43 "2000-07-27T16:24:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lance Turbo \* > \*\*It always bothers me when people use the term American to mean Citizen of the United States of America. I know that is rather unwieldy, but it is accurate. Also, Canadians are Americans. They live on a continent called “North America” and therefore don’t really have a choice in the matter. American is a broad term that cover the inhabitants of two continents. > > Feel free to disagree, almost everyone I have ever met does. \*\* Well, I take that as one definition of ‘American’. But then, shouldn’t you say you’re a North American? But I also see ‘United States of…’ as a generic descriptor, such as ‘Kingdom of’ or ‘Republic of’. So as someone from the Kingdom of Denmark usually says they’re from Denmark, someone from the United States of America says they’re from America. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/44 "2000-07-27T16:38:57Z")
_ **Sam Stone:** Americans may poke good-natured fun at Canadians, but Canadians actively dislike Americans._ But they sure love our cash. Even up to Calgary, they took it and performed the exchange rate for it. Conversely, I couldn’t use Canadian dollars at a Montanan convenience store within site of the border crossing. I got a real nasty attitude from the clerk, too. I accidentally brought back a Canadian $10 bill from my honeymoon. (It was my emergency cab fare if I busted at the casino in Montreal.) A teller at my bank, not hearing the amount, said they’d exchange it for a small fee. The flat fee was $8. At the time, the exchange rate was $0.72 USD = $1 Can. So I would’ve had to have paid them 80 cents to take the bill off my hands. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/45 "2000-07-27T17:47:32Z")
I agree with the theory of “its inherently funny to make fun of something totally innocuous” you know, like nuns, or kittens. Like the Onion headline: “Plucky Canada has Government, Laws.” The thing that’s got me going right now (after seeing the X-Men movie) is how Wolvie was “modified” by the “Evil Canadian Government” for their “nefarious purposes” or whatever. The whole IDEA of Canada having any nefarious purposes is inherently amusing to me. that’s the kind of thing you expect from the CIA, not the Mounties. OOH Canada! So Evil! So Scary! Going back to something Max the immortal said: Canada is huge, yet basically powerless. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something I find amusing about that. ---
**Author:** ![Skott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/46 "2000-07-27T17:50:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Retief \* > \*\*I know that southern americans will not appreciate this but,mostly growing up I heard Americans referred to as “Yanks” - which I beleive is also the term most used by the british. \*\* I think the term “yanks” is a description of those on the east coast, i.e. members of the first thirteen states. Maybe it’s mean has grown to encompass all of Ameri… excuse me, the U.S.A., but when ever anybody here on the west coast hears the term, they immediately think “East Coaster”. Just my 2 dollars. Scott ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/47 "2000-07-27T21:03:42Z")
**Skott** /Scott, I would suggest that you not refer to residents of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia (or FL, AL, MS, TN, LA, AR, or TX) as “yanks” no matter how far out on the west coast you live. They have been quite adamant about that usage sisnce 1861, or so. ---
**Author:** ![jamshid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@jamshid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jamshid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/48 "2000-07-27T23:05:08Z")
“I’ll laugh at anything as long as it’s of U.S. origin!” –Zippy the Pinhead ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2000, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/49 "2000-07-27T23:39:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rmariamp \* > Going back to something Max the immortal said: Canada is huge, yet basically powerless. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something I find amusing about that. You’re just the kind of dupes that [Canada World Domination](http://www.standonguard.com/index2.html) is looking for… ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/50 "2000-07-28T00:34:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max the Immortal \* > \*\*Over the past year or two, I’ve noticed a lot of really stupid jokes about Canada, mainly on american television. It’s usually a minor gag (but not a funny one, really) on a show like the Simpsons or Titus, although the whole “Blame Canada” part of the South Park movie was the most obvious. \*\* Uh, I’m pretty sure the whole “Blame Canada” part of the SP movie was far from anti-Canada, but rather made fun of those who would pick a target and blame it for all society’s ills. ---
**Author:** ![\_Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e47c2d/32.png) [@\_Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Tim)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/51 "2000-07-28T00:42:29Z")
Speaking as a US citizen living in Canada (in Calgary), I do hear ‘eh’ used in conversation occasionally. My former landlord was particularly fond of it; although his accent would otherwise have sounded normal to US ears, he said ‘eh?’ after every question, and after about half of all other sentences. Really. I am not making this up. This is uncommon, but there are enough such out there to support the stereotype. On the other hand, like Lance Turbo I’ve also heard ‘eh?’ in the US, generally from people near the Canadian border such as Minnesotans, N.Dakotans, some in northern Wisconsin, and Yoopers. (UP = upper peninsula of Michigan) The US ‘eh?’ speakers usually had that north woods accent, (watch the movie ‘Fargo’ for an example) while Canadian 'eh?'ers often don’t. I’ve also seen someone giving a speech to the Canadian Parliament who pronounced ‘about’ about halfway between the US standard pronunciation and a typical parody ‘aboot’. This seems very uncommon here in Alberta, though. When I saw the Blame Canada bit on South Park, I thought the whole point was that Canada was a ludicrous target for blame, not a parody of actual people blaming Canada. I have had several annoying conversations with people who basically just wanted to complain about the US. Now, complaints about US/Canada relations I could see, but some people just want to complain, for example, about how bad the US health care system is. Why should they care? Such people are typically offended when/if I disagree. Playing up governmental differences seems to be considered somehow patriotic. By the way, it’s Zee. Not Zed, Zee. Also, it’s Aluminum, not Aluminium; Center, not Centre; and Color, not Colour. And I am not Canadian. AWB: hell, in Calgary even McDonalds posts a US Dollar exchange rate. On the other hand, I didn’t have to pay a fee when exchanging US$ to Canadian at a bank in Madison, Wisconsin. Maybe you just happened on a bad bank. ---
**Author:** ![mothra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@mothra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mothra)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/52 "2000-07-28T13:12:06Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Skott \* \*\* > [@](#): > > I think the term “yanks” is a description of those on the east coast, i.e. members of the first thirteen states. > > Maybe it’s mean has grown to encompass all of Ameri… excuse me, the U.S.A., but when ever anybody here on the west coast hears the term, they immediately think “East Coaster”. > > Just my 2 dollars. > > Scott \*\* Ohhh no. When we British say “Yanks”, we most definitely mean all of you, “Yankee-boy”… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mothra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@mothra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mothra)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/53 "2000-07-28T13:20:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kilgore Trout \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Lance Turbo \* > > **It always bothers me when people use the term American to mean Citizen of the United States of America** > > from the online webster’s dictionary: > > **3 : a citizen of the U.S.** > > from [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com): > > **Of or relating to the United States of America or its people, language, or culture.** > > **A citizen of the United States.** > sure, it also covers the people and things in other parts of north america, but it is not incorrect to use it to refer to a USA citizen. > > \*\* It _would_ say that woudn’t it… Webster’s is an _American_ dictionary! Plus, the example you just gave is merely definition #3. The _first_ two definitions are conspicuous by their absence… ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/54 "2000-07-28T20:54:05Z")
_**(Tim):** AWB: hell, in Calgary even McDonalds posts a US Dollar exchange rate. On the other hand, I didn’t have to pay a fee when exchanging US$ to Canadian at a bank in Madison, Wisconsin. Maybe you just happened on a bad bank._ I was in my bank in Arlington, VA. Their low volume of currency exchange is why they charged the $8. My last meal in Calgary many years ago was at a McD’s. I only had a US $20 bill, to which they gave me $20+ Canadian in change besides my meal. So on the way home, I bought souveniers to use up my Canadian cash. I still had $2 Canadian at the border. Immediately after crossing, we stopped at a convenience store where I got attitude from a Montanan woman when I tried to use them. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/55 "2000-07-28T23:33:55Z")
I am proud to be a Canadian. I admit it, I say eh. But what’s so weird about that? I’d equate it to “like”. It pops in at random points but doesn’t appear written. In my opinion Canada has a better system of govenment and social systems. Medicare is great, and yes, Canada is a lot more socialist than the US. But then, if I were more capitalist, I could just move there. Speaking as someone who travels to the US a lot, I think on the surface we’re pretty similar. Cities look the same, we have the same stores and stuff on the most part… (actually, I find you guys are missing a lot, Smarties, Laura Secord, etc.) Anyway, my point is that we’re really not that different. I have to admit, though, a lot of people up here think that Americans can tend towards the stupid side. Since most people I’ve talked to have actually had it asked of them (including me) if we live in igloos, it’s hard not to think so. A few Americans (sorry for the term) (as I think it has been proved by a few posts on this thread)feel they are a superior country, the world’s ruler etc. And yes, this does rub us the wrong way and cause anti-American opinions. I mean, we can only be subjected to that attitude for so long. But, though I’m being long-winded, I have a point, I swear. It’s basically this: We’re all people. Not that different customs. The animosity isn’t really that big. Americans making fun of us is a bit funny, and it can get annoying, but whatever. Sorry, just as a side note, I have to say I have travelled a good deal in North America and have yet to find such a wonderful city as Montreal, in the US or elsewhere in Canada. Minus the seperatist stuff, it just rocks. ``` Lauren (a proud Canuck) => ``` ---
**Author:** ![Skott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2000, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894/56 "2000-07-29T04:02:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mothra \* > Ohhh no. When we British say “Yanks”, we most definitely mean all of you, “Yankee-boy”… 😉 \*\* So, does that mean we can use “Brits” for people from Northern Ireland? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-dumb-jokes-about-canada/26894.md?page=2)