The Great Geographic Names Debate.

[cpotting]

While 'Briton' can be applied to a Scotsman, this US oversight means 'American' applied to a Canadian has become ambiguous. I would rather agree with Don, but that didn't save Charlotte Church, who announced to thousands of Canadians at a concert that she was really glad to be in America. She was jeered by idiot Canadians, even though she was technically correct.

I know this is a rather old post, but I just came across, and I have take umbrage with the label "idiot Canadians"!

While Ms Church may have been technically correct, this is clearly a faux pas of a rather high magnitude and deserves a good "group raspberry". To put it in context, no Scot can argue that the term "Briton" applies to them, but try the term "British". I'm sure you will illicit more than a few negative reactions.

The same is true here. Any Canadian will accept being called a "North American" and not be offended by being referred to as "from the Americas". But to refer to Canada as "America" is bound to cause many of us to react. I'm assume that a Swiss crowd would object to being called "German", though many of them speak German, and may be of German descent. I have heard that Macedonians don't like to be called "Greek" - even those living inside the Hellenic Republic's borders.

The problem is that Ms. Charlotte clearly implied a nationality to the crowd that the crowd was NOT pleased with. Technically, if your wife doesn't clean up after herself, she is a slut. But if you refer to her as such you will be implying something that could leave you with a very large bruise on you head! Does this make your wife an "idiot" because technically, she is a slut? Obviously not. Are they "idiot Canadians" because technically, Ms. Charlotte was on the American continent - I don't think so. Would anyone blame your wife for mistaking the meaning of your comment. No. Can the crowd be blamed for not analysing the geographical semantics of "glad to be in America". No.

BTW: in case you are not aware. The relationship between U.S. citizens ("Americans") and Canadians is friendly. We have, in general, no animosity - but we Canadians are MOST DEFINITELY NOT "Americans", and generally do not like being referred to as such.

[BlindedByTheLight]

Grammar and spelling, sir! Grammar and spelling...

Wasn't sure if you were gonna catch that one!

It sounds so... "The Goofy Russian Character In An 80's Movie Who Gets His U.S. Citizenship And Proudly Proclaims He Is An American" to me, know what I mean?

Ah! I didn't know you had that stereotype. Or was that 'Police Academy'?

Actually, I personally do not have that stereotype - I was commenting on the bad stereotype the movie's have - and the "I am an American!" is the phrase you hear in those movies (like Police Academy - good call! - or even Moscow on the Hudson or anything with Yakov Smirnoff). Of course, that being said, I travelled all over Asia with three Russian friends of mine (citizens of the U.S. now, but born and raised in Kiev) and everytime someone asked where they were from, they would proudly proclaim "I am an American!" with their thick Russian accents. Made me laugh every time. We were a walking 80's movie cliche.

I would feel a similar irk at that, because if someone from the US tells me they're from America and leaves it at that, I feel I've been told nothing. Canadians could improve on "Canada" as well.

Yeah - I usually just respond with "How familiar are you with the States?" before I answer. I say the same thing here when people ask me where in Chicago I'm from.

Which reminds me: an example of why 'American citizen' doesn't work well in connection to the continent/state thing is shown by that Charlotte Church incident. I tried to find a news archive link but couldn't. Remember I said: "...that didn't save Charlotte Church, who announced to thousands of Canadians at a concert [in Toronto] that she was really glad to be in America. She was jeered by ... Canadians...." So, was she right, or were the Canadians right?

As noted elsewhere, not so much right or wrong - you have just stepped into another one of those context-specific issues. I have - strangely and coincidentally - been surrounded by Canadians for quite some time (in business, my martial art, I have seriously dated a few Canadian women) and, at the risk of generalizing, I can say Canadians are VERY sensitive about being lumped into anything American. There was even a very popular commercial over there that tied perfectly into that sentiment. Anyone have a link for it?

No one from Britain or Germany, etc. would say, "I'm from Europe."

Well, to make the analogy equal, that would like a U.S. citizen saying they were "North American" - which they would never do, either. But, like I said before, we don't really identify with our states. Some do. Most don't.

The RF contains Russia, but I think Russia does not straddle two continents, while the Russian Federation does...

Maybe I'm confused now... I thought the part of just Russia (the country) that was west of Urals was part of Europe and the rest was Asia?

Have to check out the Bryson book again. It's been a long time.

Steve

[BlindedByTheLight]

If I'm not mistaken:

It is impossible for that to work, it simply can not be done like that.

Hello, Hospital - welcome to the forum! But you're going to have to be a little more specific. As far as I can tell, sounds like you're saying it's impossible for me to be mistaken? That I doubt.

[Malenfant]

If I'm not mistaken:

It is impossible for that to work, it simply can not be done like that.

Hello, Hospital - welcome to the forum! But you're going to have to be a little more specific. As far as I can tell, sounds like you're saying it's impossible for me to be mistaken? That I doubt.

Hospital62 is a spambot. They're getting more invasive now, they post random sentences that sound like they're responding to a post. But their aim is to post links to websites (gambling, porn, whatever).

I've told Selden. We really need an admin to cull the memberlist of these things, they're usually obvious given the WWW addresses associated with them.

[BlindedByTheLight]

How do YOU know I'M not a spam-bot...?

[chris]

Hospital62 is a spambot. They're getting more invasive now, they post random sentences that sound like they're responding to a post. But their aim is to post links to websites (gambling, porn, whatever).

I've told Selden. We really need an admin to cull the memberlist of these things, they're usually obvious given the WWW addresses associated with them.

I've already banned hospital62 from the forum and deleted all posts. All in the spirit of being a little more 'hands-on' around the forums

--Chris

[Malenfant]

Cool . Though if you (Chris) are going to be more hands-on now then that might render the email I just sent you a little redundant now . But I'd be interested in hearing your response anyway.

[Dollan]

These spam bots are showing up in Extrasolar Visions as well. I'm ashamed to have actually thought they were real people for a bit, and even responded to one. Of course, it was *after* I had responded that I noticed the casino link in their sig.

Curiously, they seem to have unsubbed themselves, as there is no other way to account for their absence from the members data-list that I know of....

...John...