Teaching English to adults from all over the world - as I did for most of my years as a teacher - I was regularly reminded that English is a language in transition. Words change their meanings from generation to generation. Even close neighbours like Canada and the USA sometimes don't understand each other. An American visiting Canada might ask where the restroom is - and not be understood. In Canada it's called a washroom.
Here are a few more word differences I found in an online article from "The Insider," aimed at enlightening Americans on Canadian terms they may not understand..
The winter knit hat that Americans call a beanie, Canadians call a toque.
Sometimes a corner store is called a 7-11. In Quebec, it's called a depanneur.
What Americans call sneakers, Canadians call running shoes or simply runners.
I didn't know this, but the hooded sweatshirts commonly called hoodies in most parts of Canada are apparently, called "bunny hugs" in Saskatchewan.
If I were still teaching English to immigrants, I'd definitely go through this whole Insider article in class!
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