johan: (Default)
Johan ([personal profile] johan) wrote2008-04-10 04:07 pm

Americans, look here!

I'm in a terminology discussion elsewhere.

In very relaxed and colloquial US English, is Canada included when the average American talks about North America, or do both terms North America and America refer to just the US? Does "I live in North America, not in Canada" come off naturally in your ears, as something an ordinary American in a bar might say?

Comments desired!

[identity profile] apel.livejournal.com 2008-04-10 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
My Canadian boyfriend uses "North America" to mean the US and Canada. Not that you asked but it's another data point. If somebody used the term without including Canada, he would correct them.

[identity profile] jophan.livejournal.com 2008-04-10 05:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Canadian data points are definitely welcome as well. The person I'm discussing this with specifically asked me to go out and ask Canadians as well.