Canadian-US Differences & Relations

[Taualumna]

It used to be that you could matric into university after Grade 12, but will need to take 5 years to get your honours. If you took Grade 13, it's a regular 4 year program. Back in the day, many only took a regular 3 year BA (especially women, who went to university for their MRS)

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by ariesrising

Wasn't it like 1st year university or something? Why not in a university then?

Oh, and I just remembered, Quebec has this thing called "cegep". It's something that you go to after Grade 12. I think it's kinda like a community college but not really. Or maybe just Quebec's version of Grade 13? So confusing...LOL

[CutiePie2000]

I just remembered another thing about Canada and USA.
In Canada, we don't use those terms of: freshman, sophomore, junior & senior.

For High School, we just say: Grade 9, Grade 10, Grade 11, Grade 12

For university, we just say: 1st year, 2nd year, 3rd year, 4th year.

[Taualumna]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

Oh, and I just remembered, Quebec has this thing called "cegep". It's something that you go to after Grade 12. I think it's kinda like a community college but not really. Or maybe just Quebec's version of Grade 13? So confusing...LOL

Actually, it's after Grade 11. The Quebec high school system is, believe it or not, similar to the UK system (or at least the UK system that my parents went through in Hong Kong). High school is Grade 7 to 11, and then you take sixth form/A levels (Grade 12 and 13) if you want to go to university.

Oh and first year university students/frosh are used interchangably at some schools.

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

These are the differences between Canada and USA:

neighbour / neighbor
colour / color
cheques / checks
Girl Guides / Girl Scouts

And don't forget...

Royal Canadian Air Cadets / Civil Air Patrol Cadets (Had a few of 'em (plus some from Austrailia and Sweden) for the International Air Cadet Exchange this summer.)

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by AlphaSigOU

And don't forget...
Royal Canadian Air Cadets

We also have the Royal Canadian Air Farce, which is a comedian show/troupe.

Oh, and we have the Snowbirds, you guys have the California Blue Angels.

We have the loonie ($1 coin that have a loon on it), you guys have the $1 coin with Sacajawea on it, that hardly any Americans like to use (as told to me by my friend who is a Princess Cruises ship-board employee.

and we have a $2 coin (the two-nee or toonie) with a polar bear on it. Apparently there is such a thing as a $2 bill in the USA, but they are few and far between.

And then there is lieutenant: is it LOO-tenant or LEF-tant? I think the LEF-tenant is the Canadian pronunciation, but to me, that's just dumb. There is no "F" in lieutenant.

[RACooper]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

And then there is lieutenant: is it LOO-tenant or LEF-tant? I think the LEF-tenant is the Canadian pronunciation, but to me, that's just dumb. There is no "F" in lieutenant.

As far as I know the entire English-speaking world pronounces with the 'F' sound in it.... except of course for the Americans and I think the Australian Navy or Airfore (can't remember which). It's werid yes, but tradition...

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally Posted by RACooper

As far as I know the entire English-speaking world pronounces with the 'F' sound in it.... except of course for the Americans and I think the Australian Navy or Airfore (can't remember which). It's werid yes, but tradition...

Yea... we've got a couple of CAP members (from another local squadron) who are Canadian and pronounce the grade 'lef-tenant'. I oughta know... I am a CAP 'Loo-tenant' (soon to be Captain in less than a year).

[CutiePie2000]

An American dude that I know who works for some politician at the legislature in Olympia told me that the USA doesn't carry this kind of toffee:

Is that true? That kind of surprises me, since USA is "The Land of Awesome Candy Selection".

[PiKA2001]

Don't forget bathroom/washroom.

Also, keeping up with the military ranks, how do Canadians pronounce Colonel. In the states its kernel.

[RACooper]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

Don't forget bathroom/washroom.

Also, keeping up with the military ranks, how do Canadians pronounce Colonel. In the states its kernel.

Pretty much the same (as well as the Brits) except it's closer to: ker-enel... just a slight sound of the e in there.

Other minor pronouncation differences include of course the Sarge... we say it with more of a French inflection.. well that and the fact we'd never use the term "sarge"

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

Don't forget bathroom/washroom.

Also, keeping up with the military ranks, how do Canadians pronounce Colonel. In the states its kernel.

Like we do. On the French-speaking side, it's 'co-lo-nel'.

However, their Brigadiers don't add the title 'General'. (Correct me if I'm wrong, Coop, I may be thinking of the British grades.)

[CutiePie2000]

I pronounce it 'kernel'.

[RACooper]

Originally Posted by AlphaSigOU

Like we do. On the French-speaking side, it's 'co-lo-nel'.

However, their Brigadiers don't add the title 'General'. (Correct me if I'm wrong, Coop, I may be thinking of the British grades.)

In practice no... it's just Brigadier - like the old Dr. Who dude... although there are the exceptions that do but all of the ones that I've ever encountered that toss on the General, well they are more of the "Pentagon Politicians" type if you get my drift...

[RACooper]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

I pronounce it 'kernel'.

Okay... almost all do... but I just thought of a better way of explaining it - Canadians tend to pronounce it without a gap, almost as a single syllable... sort of blending it together like folks from Toronto do with "Toronto". The exceptions of course being those from the Maritimes and French Canadians... with them the "ker-e-nel" becomes more pronounced.