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Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Old Oct 30th 2014, 12:04 pm
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Question Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

What stereotypes of Britain do you come across, and what particularly winds you up?!! For me it was the "bad food / bad restaurants" one, as that has really improved over the years.
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 1:00 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Originally Posted by Shard
What stereotypes of Britain do you come across, and what particularly winds you up?!! For me it was the "bad food / bad restaurants" one, as that has really improved over the years.
I hear them all from my brother in law here in Canada..a true die in the wool Canadian..so much so that in all honesty he would rather live in Myrtle Beach....

His stereotypes:

monarchy loving stiff upper lip people who wear bowler hats
bad teeth
dreary tv, depressing soap operas
dreary weather..constant rain
obsession with sports he can't relate to: football, cricket, darts (he doesn't consider that a sport), billiards (also not a sport)
pompous people
bland food
warm beer
tiny houses, tiny roads, tiny cars
dull, flat landscape (this is rich considering he has lived his whole life in flat areas of southern ontario)
people travelling to work via public transit (his idea of hell)..
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 1:14 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

I'm familiar with all the above but he should give darts a try (just tell him players are expected to drink beer while playing), and you don't all live in tiny houses - some of you live in castles.
Edit: Also absent were the punks yobs fascists hooligans and all the assorted regional hillbillys.

Last edited by caretaker; Oct 30th 2014 at 1:20 pm.
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 1:21 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Originally Posted by Partially discharged
a true die in the wool Canadian
I believe the phrase you're looking for is dyed in the wool.
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 1:32 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Originally Posted by caretaker
I'm familiar with all the above but he should give darts a try (just tell him players are expected to drink beer while playing), and you don't all live in tiny houses - some of you live in castles.
Edit: Also absent were the punks yobs fascists hooligans and all the assorted regional hillbillys.
Yep..I forgot about the football 'ooligans and general scotes of the underbelly of british society. Another stereotype by Canadians is the feeling that british people eat a huge amount of lamb..which they seem very suspicious about.

As well, I meant 'dyed in the wool'. Thanks for noticing that.
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 1:59 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Originally Posted by Partially discharged
I hear them all from my brother in law here in Canada..a true die in the wool Canadian..so much so that in all honesty he would rather live in Myrtle Beach....

His stereotypes:

monarchy loving stiff upper lip people who wear bowler hats
Canadian banknotes have a picture of the Queen on them. My Canadian passport has the Union Flag on it. My UK one doesn't.
bad teeth
Or, British people are no as easily cowed into having unnecessary dental treatment by dentists trying to pay off their student loans?
dreary tv, depressing soap operas
F**k me sideways!
dreary weather..constant rain
I was in London last week. People were wearing shorts. It didn't rain once in a week. Maybe he's thinking of Vancouver?
obsession with sports he can't relate to: football, cricket, darts (he doesn't consider that a sport), billiards (also not a sport)
Football (soccer) is rather popular and growing in popularity. My niece plays. Has a growing collection of cards, mostly for fighting. Cricket was the most popular sport in Canada before hockey took off. The first-ever recorded international cricket match was between Canada and the USA. Hockey, of course, was introduced to Canada by the Brits.
pompous people
As opposed to self-righteous, parochial people?
bland food
Now he is really taking the pi$$!
warm beer
That is called ale. It is not meant to be cryogenic. Canadian bars will kill imported Bass or Pride. I don't bother with it.
tiny houses, tiny roads, tiny cars
Let us not forget tiny dicks. Why does someone living in a suburb need a chromed-up F150?
dull, flat landscape (this is rich considering he has lived his whole life in flat areas of southern ontario)
I won't even go there.
people travelling to work via public transit (his idea of hell)
We're back into F150 territory....
..
Is that enough for you to argue about?

I can probably come up with more.
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 2:01 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Originally Posted by Partially discharged
I hear them all from my brother in law here in Canada..a true die in the wool Canadian..so much so that in all honesty he would rather live in Myrtle Beach....

His stereotypes:

monarchy loving stiff upper lip people who wear bowler hats
bad teeth
dreary tv, depressing soap operas
dreary weather..constant rain
obsession with sports he can't relate to: football, cricket, darts (he doesn't consider that a sport), billiards (also not a sport)
pompous people
bland food
warm beer
tiny houses, tiny roads, tiny cars
dull, flat landscape (this is rich considering he has lived his whole life in flat areas of southern ontario)
people travelling to work via public transit (his idea of hell)..
Your BIL has nailed it! (By that I mean come up with a typical stereotype list.) We can close the thread now. Actually, some truth in some of his assertions (TV, teeth) but he can hardly fault the weather or landscape. Or beer !!

Last edited by Shard; Oct 30th 2014 at 2:04 pm.
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 3:40 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Originally Posted by Partially discharged
I hear them all from my brother in law here in Canada..a true die in the wool Canadian..so much so that in all honesty he would rather live in Myrtle Beach....

His stereotypes:

monarchy loving stiff upper lip people who wear bowler hats
bad teeth
dreary tv, depressing soap operas
dreary weather..constant rain
obsession with sports he can't relate to: football, cricket, darts (he doesn't consider that a sport), billiards (also not a sport)
pompous people
bland food
warm beer
tiny houses, tiny roads, tiny cars
dull, flat landscape (this is rich considering he has lived his whole life in flat areas of southern ontario)
people travelling to work via public transit (his idea of hell)..
No blander landscape than Southern Ontario.

The food thing when North American's bring it up is easy to shoot down. In the UK we are criticized for our unhealthy stodgy food by our healthy eating counterparts in the Mediterranean and continental Europe.

The North American's try and jump on the band wagon here but when you point out the obesity levels and the fact that they gave McDonald's, Denny's, Burger King, Tim Hortons and Starbucks and other bland contributions to the world they quickly shut up. Not to mention the lack of product range in their supermarkets.

Then you throw in the various celebrity chefs that they watch on the TV.....all British!!

The only other thing I'll point out is that if you study the way English is spoken the lip is much stiffer when American's speak it.

Last edited by JamesM; Oct 30th 2014 at 4:53 pm.
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 3:53 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Anachronisms, some of them - the bowler may come back but I doubt it, unfortunate National Health teeth vastly improved, brussel sprouts boiled to death "they just don't like food' remedied by waves of immigration from places with sexy food. You can say die in the wool when discussing eating lamb in the same post.
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 4:10 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Originally Posted by JamesM
No blander landscape than Southern Ontario.

The food thing when North American's bring it up is easy to shoot down. In the UK we are criticized for our unhealthy stodgy food by our healthy eating counterparts in the Mediterranean and continental Europe.

The North American's try and jump on the band wagon here but when you point out the obesity levels and the fact that they gave McDonald's, Denny's, Burger King, Tim Hortons and Starbucks and other bland contributions to the world they quickly shut up. Not to mention the lack of product range in their supermarkets.

The only other thing I'll point out is that if you study the way English is spoken the lip is much stiffer when American's speak it.
No blander landscape than southern Ontario? Try driving from Montreal to Quebec on the South Shore. That is bland on steroids.
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 4:14 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Originally Posted by JamesM
No blander landscape than Southern Ontario.

The food thing when North American's bring it up is easy to shoot down. In the UK we are criticized for our unhealthy stodgy food by our healthy eating counterparts in the Mediterranean and continental Europe.

The North American's try and jump on the band wagon here but when you point out the obesity levels and the fact that they gave McDonald's, Denny's, Burger King, Tim Hortons and Starbucks and other bland contributions to the world they quickly shut up. Not to mention the lack of product range in their supermarkets.

The only other thing I'll point out is that if you study the way English is spoken the lip is much stiffer when American's speak it.
I beg to differ, I had clients from Winnipeg. I picked her up in Burlington and drove her to Cambridge, she was very excited by the hills
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 4:54 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Originally Posted by Souvy
No blander landscape than southern Ontario? Try driving from Montreal to Quebec on the South Shore. That is bland on steroids.
Originally Posted by HGerchikov
I beg to differ, I had clients from Winnipeg. I picked her up in Burlington and drove her to Cambridge, she was very excited by the hills
Ok. Well I've not seen much blander is what I should have said!
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 5:55 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

When I grew up in Canada, the other stereotype was dubious personal hygiene. Mind you, that was because the sole English lad we knew was a prime example.

Other stereotypes from expats over here are the tiny washing machines and the weak showers.

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Old Oct 30th 2014, 6:24 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

Originally Posted by Souvy
Cricket was the most popular sport in Canada before hockey took off.

Pardon?
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Old Oct 30th 2014, 7:00 pm
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Default Re: Canadian stereotypes of Britain?

It's not quite selling coals to Newcastle, but...

British food winning over the French | World news | The Guardian
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