The Unassuming Man Who Built a Model Railroad Empire

The Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series twice, in 1992 and 1993, by dint of investing heavily in the best (American) players.

They've even had some Canadian-born players over the years.

W.G. Grace?

Brian Johnston said: "The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey."

Pot. Kettle. Black. Form a well know phrase or sentence....

Cheers Richard

"simon" wrote

The Commonwealth Games simply superced the Empire Games, when the latter effectively became non-existant.

But Americans do take part, albeit only those north of the Canadian border along with one two isolated pockets from South America.

John.

For your information, Canadians are NOT Americans. The vast majority of Canadians will take being called "American" as an insult.

The U.S.A. has adopted the term "American" as the name for the people of the U.S.A., Canadians are "North Americans", which is the name of the continent where we live.

To call a Canadian an "American" is akin to calling a Scotsman, Welshman or Irishman "English" and will get you the same result.

I've had so many conversations along the lines of...

"Oh, you're English, I went there for vacation last year"

"Where did you go?" [expecting London, York, Stratford on Avon etc]

"Scotland"

The Mexicans call Americans "Norte Americanos".

"Roger T." < wrote

Wel you're from North America, therefore as far as I'm concerned you're Americans, in much the same way that someone from the continent of Europe is European, be they English, German, French or why.

John.

I don't know any country in Europe that has hijacked the name.

I don't call Scots or Welsh English, and I'm sure Canadians and Mexicans would like the same courtesy shown them.

"Christopher A. Lee" wrote

What I said was said was said very much tongue-in-cheek, but tell me what generic name would you apply to all the people from the Americas?

John.

Difficult question. I'd use North Americans (for Americans and Canadians as a group), South Americans, Central Americans, and Caribbeans. Depending.

If I have something to say that applies to all of them, that is. Which would be, um, so general as to apply to all other Earthians, I would think. ;-)

Generally speaking, the only acceptable non-national designations are North Americans, and Latinos/Latinas. Acceptable terms for aborigines vary widely, none that I know of are accepted/used by all N/S Americans. I know I'm a Norte Americano or a Canadense to a Mexican. I don't know what terms are used south of Mexico.

wolf k.

Only vaguely on topic, but this seems like a good point to drop this joke into the thread:

Aussies: Dislike being mistaken for Brits when abroad. Canadians: Are rather indignant about being mistaken for Americans when abroad. Americans: Encourage being mistaken for Canadians when abroad. Brits: Can't possibly be mistaken for anyone else when abroad.

Aussies: Believe you should look out for your mates. Brits: Believe that you should look out for those people who belong to your club. Americans: Believe that people should look out for and take care of themselves. Canadians: Believe that that's the government's job.

Americans: Are flag-waving, anthem-singing patriots to the point of blindness. Canadians: Can't agree on the words to their anthem, when they can be bothered to sing it. Brits: Do not sing at all but prefer a large brass band to perform the anthem. Aussies: Are extremely patriotic to their beer.

Americans: Spend most of their lives glued to the idiot box. Canadians: Don't watch much TV, but only because they can't get more American channels. Brits: Pay a tax for a set of channels they hardly ever watch and pay Rupert Murdoch for the rest of them. Aussies: Export all their crappy programs, which no one there watches, to Britain, where everybody loves them.

Americans: Will jabber on incessantly about football, baseball and basketball. Brits: Will jabber on incessantly about cricket, rugby and football (by which they mean football, not the bastardised version of rugby played in America). Canadians: Will jabber on incessantly about hockey, hockey, hockey, hockey, and how they beat the Americans twice at baseball. Aussies: Will jabber on incessantly about how they beat the Poms in every sport they play them in.

Americans: Spell words differently, but still call it "English." Brits: Pronounce their words differently, but still call it "English." Canadians: Spell like Brits, pronounce like Americans. Aussies: Add "G'day," "mate" and a heavy accent to everything they say in an attempt to get laid.

Brits: Shop at home and have goods imported because they live on an island. Aussies: Shop at home and have goods imported because they live on an island. Americans: Cross the southern border for cheap shopping, gas and liquor in a less advanced country. Canadians: Cross the southern border for cheap shopping, gas and liquor in a less advanced country.

Americans: Drink weak, pissy-tasting beer. Canadians: Drink strong, pissy-tasting beer. Brits: Drink warm, beery-tasting piss. Aussies: Drink anything with alcohol in it.

Americans: Seem to think that poverty and failure are morally suspect. Canadians: Seem to believe that wealth and success are morally suspect. Brits: Seem to believe that wealth, poverty, success, and failure are inherited things. Aussies: Seem to think that none of this matters after several beers.

It depends whom you're talking to.

I use Americans when I'm talking to US Americans and some variant of left-ponders or North Americans when I'm being generic. Whe you live

"Wolf K" wrote

I guess we're slightly more politically correct this side of the pond. I have a friend who was accused of racism for describing someone who'd mugged his wife as 'East European'.

John.

Americans have even been known to wear maple leaf pins or sew Canadian flag patches on their backpacks - especially in France.

Correct and that's because, like Mexicans, they live in "Norte-americano"

Excellent and so true. :-)

I notice that you refer to "the continent of Europe". Does that include or exclude inhabitants of the British Isles? I expect there are many English, Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish who object to being classed as Europeans, although the Republic of Ireland has embraced Europeanism, including their currency and full metrication. The only things they haven't done are to switch to driving on the right and to do away with pint beer glasses.

They can object all they want, but it won't change things.