Canadians

James Harbeck jharbeck at SYMPATICO.CA
Sat Apr 28 02:02:22 UTC 2007


>Anyone know the reference or heard this said?  Is it made to actual
>Canadians because they're cheap (I'm not making that claim, just using
>it as a possibility) or is the term derived from something else?

Well, many people in the US seem terribly eager to blame Canada
whenever something goes pointy-shaped or is otherwise unappealing...
but I rather suspect an equivalent restaurant up here might use the
term "Americans" for the same thing. Cheap tourists seem to be a
widespread phenomenon (except for Japanese tourists, who are known,
at least where I'm from, for prodigality)... I can tell you that
Canadians in Canada are not cheaper than Americans in America (we
drop 15% on the table, deserved or not), but reputation is an idle
and most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost without
deserving.

His dictis, I'd be interested to know the full history of the term.
Probably started with one or two instances of northerners coming and
leaving little or no tip.

James Harbeck.

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