Canada and the United States share the longest undefended border in the world, but that doesn’t mean Canadians don’t secretly get peeved by their neighbor’s habits sometimes.
State supremacy
Canadians can’t understand how Americans can so strongly identify with their state instead of their country. When an American says “I’m from Ohio” instead of “I’m from the U.S.,” they assume you know exactly where that is and what it signifies. Canadians find it mildly irritating that Americans believe everyone else knows their internal geography.
Similarity assumption
Canadians get irritated when Americans visit and act like everything is the same as in the U.S. Trying to pay with American dollars at a small-town gas station, or getting mad that Starbucks isn’t available somewhere, will come off to Canadians as basic hostility towards their unique identity. Many Americans have this weird mentality to default to American when they travel abroad.
Flag overload
From flags on front porches and car bumpers to clothing and food packages, seeing the American flag plastered everywhere just feels extra. In Canada, you’re most likely to see the flag waving from government buildings or maybe on Canada Day, July 1st. Using the flag as a simple belt-buckle or pool floatie design feels less like patriotism and more like aggressive branding.
Loud volume
Canadians will frequently tell you that Americans are loud. Restaurants, museums, stores, even buses, no matter where you are in Canada, you’ll likely hear that quintessential Canadian volume abruptly shattered by obnoxiously loud Americans trying to have a conversation a long way away. Some Canadians often say Americans have no inside voice.
Healthcare
Canadians know their healthcare system is not perfect but hearing Americans talk about healthcare being a business gets old. Canadians hear Americans criticize universal healthcare as socialism or unsafe and cannot wrap their heads around it. After all, nobody in Canada actually loses their house because of a broken ankle.
Gun laws
America’s relationship with guns irks Canadians to no end. The sight of someone having a gun on them while running everyday errands isn’t patriotic or normal to Canadians. Firearms are seen as a serious threat to public safety rather than a right that should be exercised openly. They don’t understand why Americans need to have guns just lying around.
Turning right
Canadians will tell you that you can technically “Run Right on Red” everywhere in Canada (Montreal being the exception), but Americans do it way more aggressively. An American driver behind you will immediately honk at you the second they see space to cut in. Canadians wait until it’s clear to go, rather than flying through red lights like it’s a Grand Prix race.
Penny pinched
Canada stopped using pennies years ago, and Canadians are baffled that Americans still do. Canadians find it annoying watching American visitors meticulously separate pennies at the cash register or even worse, demand them back in change.
Geography gaps
You would think the country directly next to America would come up in American geography lessons. Instead, there are Americans who don’t know where Canada is or that it’s frozen all the time.
Hearing an American tell you they think Toronto and Vancouver are near each other or that Canada is “just forests and ice” makes Canadians question how little their neighbours know.
Tipping pressure
Canadians tip too, but many will privately admit Americans take tipping way too far. Expecting Canadians to tip 25% for retail transactions (like coffee you grab at the counter) or on taxes feels like a way for American corporations to not pay their workers properly. Canadians hate when Americans guilt them into tipping.
Litigious nature
Canadians resolve arguments by saying “sorry” or a firm handshake, and don’t understand why Americans threaten lawsuit after lawsuit for every minor slip-up.
After all, Americans frequently sue restaurants over a spilled drink or arguments with their cell phone provider. Canadians feel like Americans use suing people as a hobby and are tired of hearing about it.
Measurement refusal
For all that America is a neighbor to a metric nation, the refusal of Americans to adopt Celsius or Kilometers temperatures/measurements drives Canadians mad. They are constantly forced to translate for Americans, explaining that 20 degrees is actually a beautiful day, not a freezing one.
Political polarization
Canadians get annoyed by how “all-or-nothing” American politics can be. Canada definitely has political divides, but when Americans insert political party membership into their whole entire personality (complete with lawn signs and hats), Canadians find it overwhelming and a little socially extra.
Military service
Canadians love their veterans, but many believe America does way too much for the military, from high-budget “thank you for your service” commercials at sporting games to teenagers at airports greeting soldiers on their way home. To Canadians, serving in the military is generally seen as just a profession, not a status that requires constant public visibility and pressure to join.
Best claims
It really annoys Canadians when Americans refer to things like “The World Series” (which only includes the US and Canada) or declare that America is the “Greatest Country in the World.” Canadians pride themselves on being humble. They tend to view this excessive Number One rhetoric as conceited rather than motivational.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.