the joke has been around for at least 15 years, and, in some cases, it really isn't a joke. i have occasionally met americans with maple-leaf flags stitched to their packs in my travels. in vietnam i met a woman who said told me she was from canada, and felt the need to emphasize that she really wasn't an american faker. and that was in the pre-bush era. as our government pisses off more and more people, the range of countries where people are posing as canadians is probably expanding.
before my brother went to lebanon in september, i sent him a patch with a canadian flag that i picked up the month before in british columbia. he just sent me an article about a company that is trying to cash in on the phenomenon of americans embarrassed by, or who feel endangered by, the actions of their government. the canada kit includes a handy reference card to help faux canadians answer questions about their alleged country:
When it comes to sports, the guide suggests: "This is easy to remember. There is only one real sport in Canada and it is called hockey. Regardless of any trivia question, the answer is 'Wayne Gretzky."'maybe i should consider getting one when i buy my tickets to syria.
If a Canadian says he had to "deke out of a meeting," it means he avoided the meeting. If someone is headed to "Hogtown," that's Canadian for Toronto. A trip to "Cowtown" means the person is going to Calgary.
