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Keep The U In Canada, Councillors To Urge
Globe and Mail ^ | March 4, 2006 | Jennifer Lewington

Posted on 03/05/2006 6:06:52 AM PST by Loyalist

Between them, city councillors Howard Moscoe and Glenn De Baeremaeker have more vowels in their names than most of their colleagues.

But they'd like to buy one more -- the letter U -- for the city.

On Monday, they will try to sweet-talk the administration committee into a policy to buy software with a built-in Canadian spell-check.

"It is our attempt to keep a little bit of Canadian culture alive and well and not to be smothered by the great elephant next door called the United States," said Mr. De Baeremaeker, who represents Scarborough Centre.

"With all the rocket scientists out there, surely when we have our spell-checks they can put in a Canadian dictionary spelling."

The councillor conceded, with a laugh, that the issue may not be at the top of the city's list of worries -- there is that budget hole that's hundreds of millions of dollars deep.

And Mr. De Baeremaeker is not sure whether it would cost extra to add "u" to words, such as labour and colour.

Administration committee member Doug Holyday, a noted penny-pincher, doubts the idea will fly. "It's not a critical issue," Mr. Holyday said.


TOPICS: Canada; Government
KEYWORDS: grammar; spelling; toronto
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Death before dishono(u)r!
1 posted on 03/05/2006 6:06:55 AM PST by Loyalist
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To: Loyalist

I don't mind being the elephant next door. Robin Williams, who is Canadian, once said Canada was like a loft apartment over a really great party.


2 posted on 03/05/2006 6:10:28 AM PST by When do we get liberated? ((God save us from the whining, useless, irrelevent left...))
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To: Loyalist

I would think that a special Canadian grammer checker would be more important culturally in order to allow the required end of sentence 'eh'.


3 posted on 03/05/2006 6:10:28 AM PST by Casekirchen (A good guest (worker) knows when to go home because he's outstayed his welcome)
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To: Loyalist

What a bunch of hosurs.


4 posted on 03/05/2006 6:11:44 AM PST by Tijeras_Slim
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To: Loyalist
"It is our attempt to keep a little bit of Canadian culture alive and well and not to be smothered by the great elephant next door called the United States," said Mr. De Baeremaeker, who represents Scarborough Centre.

I'm sure most Americans, if they are aware of the use of British orthography north of the border, would think it an interesting and colo(u)rful local custom. they certainly wouldn't really care about it or insult Canada for it. But of course, these insecure Canadian pols have to phrase this in the most insulting and derogatory way as something the evil "elephant" the US is trying to impose on poor, defenseless Canada. Why can't they defend British orthography on its own merits rather than turn it into an anti-American project? It's just like the French are turning the EU into an anti-American project. It is this gratuitously demonizing tone that one hears so much out of Canada in recent years that is fast eroding good will that at least this American might have to Canada.

5 posted on 03/05/2006 6:13:22 AM PST by Unam Sanctam
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To: Tijeras_Slim

I think it's spelled "hoseurs"


6 posted on 03/05/2006 6:15:10 AM PST by Jim Noble (And you know what I'm talkin' 'bout!)
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To: Loyalist

Loseurs


7 posted on 03/05/2006 6:15:33 AM PST by freedomlover (The only reason you are still conscious is because I don't want to carry you. - Jack)
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To: When do we get liberated?

It is a bad thing to be a "hoser" in Canada. I never understood that.....


8 posted on 03/05/2006 6:15:36 AM PST by When do we get liberated? ((God save us from the whining, useless, irrelevent left...))
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To: When do we get liberated?

It is a bad thing to be a "hoser" in Canada. I never understood that.....


9 posted on 03/05/2006 6:15:37 AM PST by When do we get liberated? ((God save us from the whining, useless, irrelevent left...))
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To: Loyalist

Hey Canada: Fck yo!.


10 posted on 03/05/2006 6:15:45 AM PST by neodad (USS Vincennes (CG-49) Freedom's Fortress)
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To: Loyalist
On Monday, they will try to sweet-talk the administration committee into a policy to buy software with a built-in Canadian spell-check.

I don't know about Canadian but I'm pretty sure MS Word has a U.K. option :-)

11 posted on 03/05/2006 6:16:01 AM PST by Tribune7
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To: Loyalist

LOL! Hey, freeper friends!

We can all emigrate to Canada now - they have solved all of the important issues and are simply working on the little details now.


12 posted on 03/05/2006 6:16:34 AM PST by bill1952 ("All that we do is done with an eye towards something else.")
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To: Tijeras_Slim
Keep The U In Canada

It really is spelled "Canaduh"?

Dang, I thought that was a joke...

13 posted on 03/05/2006 6:16:37 AM PST by hellinahandcart
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To: Jim Noble
I think it's spelled "hoseurs"

What do I know, I'm just a poseur.

14 posted on 03/05/2006 6:17:04 AM PST by Tijeras_Slim
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To: Loyalist
... keep the "u" in Canada ...

As in

c a n a D U H?

15 posted on 03/05/2006 6:17:17 AM PST by trek
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To: hellinahandcart

beat me too it!


16 posted on 03/05/2006 6:17:51 AM PST by trek
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To: Loyalist
We can thank Noah Webster for streamlining our language into what is now American English. Mr. Webster reckoned that all of those extra vowels were unnecessary. So, honour then became honor, plough became plow, colour became color, etc.
17 posted on 03/05/2006 6:19:47 AM PST by davisfh
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To: Loyalist

Get with the programme.


18 posted on 03/05/2006 6:24:35 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (BTUs are my Beat.)
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To: neodad

Back at ya, FRiend. eh,


19 posted on 03/05/2006 6:31:42 AM PST by mitchbert (Facts Are Stubborn Things .)
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To: Loyalist

Another classical distinction is between "in hospital" (CAN) and "in the hospital" (US), although lately Canadians have been substituting "on the waiting list."


20 posted on 03/05/2006 6:31:55 AM PST by Grut
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