Canada’s like the U.S., except …
Posted on August 21, 2008
Filed Under Random musing | 5 Comments
Posted by Daria
Words spelled differently: tonne, harbour, centre, etc.
Interesting foods: Poutine (French fries, gravy, and cheese curds); dulse (seaweed); ketchup-flavoured potato chips; donair (meat cooked like a gyro, also a sandwich); coffee cream
Interesting highway signs:
Please keep a safe gap from vehicle ahead
Physical depiction of blowing wind god’s head to denote windy highway
Slippery When Frosty
Badger Crossing
Important Intersection
Blind Crest
Egg in an eggcup used to symbolize the breakfast in bed-and-breakfast
Other interesting signs:
No Lightering (no dropping off of boat passengers)
Maple leaf used in the McDonald’s insignia and elsewhere
Licensed Premises (alcohol served)
Also:
Bilingual signs in something other than Spanish
Curling arenas
Mixed measurements, e.g., stuff sold by the pound sold next to stuff sold by the kilogram
Tim Hortons—hockey-player-founded fast food restaurants/doughnut shops (also in border states)
Local newscasts without commercials
Radio stations start with “C”
Idle-free zones for vehicles
If your purchase is $4.99 and you hand the cashier a five, he/she won’t automatically return the penny
$1 and $2 coins (nicknamed loonies and toonies)
They say, “Sorry” instead of “Excuse me”
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5 Responses to “Canada’s like the U.S., except …”
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I’m sad you missed the sign in Saskatchewan warning you of a ‘Curve’ in the road (because those creep up pretty unexpectedly in Southern Saskatchewan). A “Blind Crest” is their version of a “Hill” and yes – requires a sign.
* Make sure you order a Double-Double at Tim Hortons – that’s their magic element.
Thanks.
You haven’t found milk in a bag yet? That was Erica and my favorite in Ontario. Also, we had to get used to asking for the washroom instead of the restroom.
Donair will be spelled Donar Kebab in Germany, quite tasty and it’s a shame you can’t find them in the States, it’s basicly the Turkish Gyro. A German buddy who used to live in the States always wanted to set up a chain of Donar stands in college towns but never came about.
From Daria:
Leda, hi! I didn’t see milk in a bag … how … interesting.
And the New York Times just mentioned doner kabobs in today’s (Sunday’s) paper. I think I had doner in Antwerp a few years ago at a frites stand; now I know what it was.