In a diner or restaurant, which of these is correct in Canada:

- can I get the bill please ?
- can I get the check please ?

Ta.

You might just want to drop the `please`, most of canadian don't say please, the ones i meet anyway, they just think because they are paying for something, they don't have to say so.

Back in blighty as you may know, we say our please before and cheers after, even though you are paying for something. Here they look at you strangely when you say it.

But i still say please and cheers anyway, because its the way i was brought up.

cheers guvnor

Either is OK, but check is the norm. Bill tends to mean bank note thanks to the all pervading US influence.

Generally I find Canadains to be very civil. Please and Thanks are the norm where I live, I'm beginning to think the Shadow must live in a crappy rude part of the country as its not the first time he has mentioned this...What are other peoples experiences regarding politeness???

Iain

Iain,

I was in Vancouver for a total of 10 weeks last year, and found that people there were generally very polite. The Canadian customs and immigration officers were much better than their U.S. counterparts in terms of minding their manners.

Peter

I was talking about where i live exactly, am talking about my experiences in T.O and areas outside the province where have been.
Note i didn't say all canadians, it could just be that your neck of the wood has people that are polite, just like my part of the GTA does.

Anyway....as long as you pay mate, you are fine. If you slip up and say bill, they won't hold it against you, am sure your accent would explain the rest.

welcome to canada

Bill, check, tab. Whatever! I use them all interchangeably and haven't had any raised eyebrows.

either will do fine..

and please and thanks are still excepted.. dont drop em, we could use more manners in the cities..

I have noticed people seem quite rude as well.. I dont think this big city is different from any other.

Enough said there...am glad am not the only one that thinks so. Even in london ( uk ), and the rest of england, you sometimes get people like this too.

And from what i can garther souls, you have lived here all your life to witness this, am i right?

yes, been in toronto all my life. in the media it seems that canadians are branded as friendly and nice.. I think that is true to a point, however in toronto I have found more and more, rudeness.. noone opens doors, or even holds it for longer then 2 seconds.. not too long ago at work, freezing cold.. minus 25.. I was walking towards the door.. a woman was walkign out.. stared me straight in the face and then let the door slam behind her.. I said "gee, thanks" and she marched off.. I was stunned, still am, at how inconsiderate people are.. even at work.

I hold the door for someone almost every day.. is it so hard? nope.

Thanks guys, sounds like a mixed bag really.

Sounds like the rudeness is more of a 'big city' mentality, you know, not a second to live and rushing around oblivious to the little things in life that make the day so much more pleasant, like manners and civility. You get it everywhere I guess, but with a few exceptions, pretty much 99% of people I've spoken to have commented on how helpful and polite most Canadians are, and everyone we've spoken to (by phone so far) has been real helpful.

We live in small village at the moment (in the Uk still) and we've virtually stopped using the local stores because the staff and owners are so rude and ignorant. Might as well use a superstore if there' no difference in service and the prices is cheaper in town.

I'm not saying things are going down the pan here, but it certainly isn't how it used to be.

Cheers,

Rich.

Yes and London's such a polite city.........

Brits tend to say bill, Americans tend to say check - Canada as is so often the case is somewhere in between, so either is fine.

What we call notes though, in terms of cash, are definitely bills here.

You'll be safe if you just ask for the "Tab"

They dont say please or thanks in Ontario....what sort of a crowd do you hang with?...it's done here all the time......

Oh and by the way we say "Bill PLEASE"...........

I would say that "bill" is what is used here. And I find that people here say please and thank you - or maybe thanks - all the time.