“Pardon” Seems To Be The Hardest Word
One of the many things I love about this country is its regional charms, and the fact that all of the provinces seem to have evolved out of a different sort of history. Yet here we are, united as one big crazy country.
Speaking completely from my experience and not quoting from a textbook, I’ve seen a distinctly Scottish/Irish heritage in the Maritime provinces and Newfoundland, a “proper English” background through much of Ontario, hard-core Francais in Quebec, and a big Eastern European influence across the Prairies. I’m not quite sure about British Columbia, having never been there and only heard stories.
Since I arrived in Alberta, I’ve also noticed a disturbing trend. Alongiside the rich heritage brought by Ukrainians, Germans, Polish and even French has come an American influence. This is oil country, after all and with that it feels like Alberta has gone through a cultural exchange program with Texas. Many companies associated with the oil business are based both here and there, with workers travelling hither and yon on a regular basis. And let me tell you, it’s rubbed off on the locals in a big way.
And how has this American influence played out among the locals, you may ask? Well, I could go on about manners and aggressive behavior and all-out rudeness, but a lot of that is also rooted in the population boom and urban sprawl and new-found wealth that makes people all entitled and crazy. But I’ll stick instead to the basics, like speech patterns and what they say vs what I’m used to with my proper British upbringing back east.
Accents: I’ve actually heard American accents come out of Canadian people. When I’ve heard an odd pronunciation or if someone asks for something measured in pounds instead of grams, I immediately ask them if they’re from the States, and three times out of four they’ve said “no”. Spelling on signs occasionally deviates from the Canadian spelling, with “center” and “theater” popping up in amongst the centres and theatres.
The MOST American thing I’ve heard around these parts is the tendency not to say “you’re welcome” to someone who says “thank you”. It has mysteriously been replaced with the American-esque “yup” or “no problem”. “Yup” is the most jarring to me. After years of hearing “uh-huh” south of the border, I simply couldn’t fathom a Canadian saying such a thing. Yet, here it is. As for the “no problem”? Well, that criticism has been noted by writers near and far. Because, my friend, if it is a problem for you, then it is your problem, not mine. Just give me a simple “you’re welcome”, if it’s not a problem.
“Excuse me” and “pardon me” are both rare commodities around here too, but I also put that down to urban sprawl and population explosion. Apparently, according to the laws of some people’s universe, a jump in population carries with it the right to bump into you, cut you off or butt in front of you in line without acknowledgment of your existence as a person.
And on that “pardon” theme, the most aggravating speech pattern that I come across daily is one that I swear I will never get used to. It is the use of the word “what” or the sound “huh” that people use when they didn’t hear what you said. NOBODY SAYS “PARDON” HERE!!!! I the phrase “don’t say WHAT, say PARDON” virtually beaten into me by one of my brother’s teenage friends, of all people. My mother, who can’t hear a hell of a lot, still takes the time to say “I beg your pardon” when she wants you to repeat something. But here in the whacky west, it’s “HUH?” I don’t know how it got here, and I don’t know why it’s so prevalent, but as long as I live here I will hold on to my pardons tightly, and employ them wherever I can.
Oh and before I leave you, I may have told you about this little oddity before: Americans, you frequently make fun of us Canadians, alleging that we use “eh” at the end of every sentence. Well, here in Alberta, it’s “hey”, as in “That’s funny, hey?” Again, I don’t know how it got here, if it’s a French thing, a European thing or a just plain hick thing, but it makes me tilt my head in that confused-dog-look every time I hear it.
It truly is a different world out here.
