I Am Learning to Speak Canadian. Please help.

I'll thank you not to say toilet in public, Andray. It never fails to remind me of a certain brown recluse.

Thank you; you have a good day, y'heah?

My apologies, Mr. D. In the future I'll just say 'the shitter.' Better, eh?

So, when you all say "sorry" so often is it in earnest, or sarcastic?

Well, bless your little old heart for asking.

Hahaha! Roger!

~~~

Infra, we mean it, kind of, but sorry can mean many things:

You just stepped on my foot. I must have been in your way. Please excuse me.

If you elbowed me out of the way, it could mean Um, I'm standing here, didn't you see me? I must have been in your way. Please excuse me.

If I inadvertently brushed against the door while preoccupied my reflexes might kick in. Sorry. I was clearly in your way.

It means all of the usual things, too.: I apologize, or as an expression of sympathy, or to describe something pathetic..

Pardon or pardon me? are also common and can mean more than one thing:

I didn't hear you, please say it again.

Excuse me

Sorry.

That's ok, Joe, we forgive you.

Thanks, Merry. You're swell.

Just common courtesy between two klutzes from neighboring countries.

I know

Has anyone mentioned a two- four yet?

And whisky? In Ontario at least, you can order a scotch or you can order a Rye, but you need to specify.

Pop = soda of any kind except soda water. If you order a soda with lime, you're getting soda water.

The default temperature for tea is hot, not cold. If you want iced tea, you must ask for it.

In Boston, soda of any kind is known as 'tonic.' You ask for a gin and tonic and if the bartender is a novice, he'll ask 'What kind'a tonic you want?'

Oh that's cute until he puts coke in there. Then we kill him.

Agreed?

hmm...that all sounds pretty passive aggressive.

Is it done with the intent of showing the other person that "seriously, you stepped on my foot, but I'm going to apologize, so even when you say excuse me/sorry you won't be as polite as me."

You don't think saying that so often causes it to lose its meaning? Serious question.

A two-four, not to be confused with the May two-four - held in queen vickies honour, is on or about the 24th of May, where one usually finds copious amounts of empties after all the two-fours are imbibed.
Whiskey and rye are pretty much synonymous, but CC (canadian club) is always called CC, cause it sucks.
Ice tea is always sweetened, but it tastes nothing like the sweetened tea down south.
Hockey always means ice hockey, saying ice is redundant and will immediately paint you as being foreign, as will, ice skating and snow skiing. Field hockey, roller skating, roller blading, water skiing are field hockey...
Beaver/tail/s though have many meanings, in polite company, it's either our national emblem or a pastry.
Saskatchewan is pronounced sa-scat-chew-won.
Newfoundland rhymes with understand.
Prairie oysters are not oysters.
People will generally be polite to your face, while driving not so much.

It's more of a default politeness thing, and I was kidding about the "I must have been in your way excuse me" stuff! A little exaggeration to poke fun at ourselves.

All true! So funny.

Absolutely. A person like that has no right to be living.

These are all very helpful.

Especially the CC part.

Joe(Order a CC and Coke and it sucks itself out of the glass)Nation

Once in a bar in England, I overheard this toffee-nose dude condemning one and all (except me, I'd didn't say nothing, for good reason) for their butchering of the King's English, pertickerly their grammar.

Says he, he says "When asking pardon, the proper way to do so is to say 'I beg your pardon.' Or, 'I do beg your pardon.' Not to go around commanding people by saying 'Pardon me.' or 'Excuse me.' Even if you add please it's still bloody rude."

I'm glad I kept my gob shut. He'd have had a field day.

He'd obviously never had a run-in with JTT who'd've tole him wot's wot when it comes to proper English.