Meaning of blame Canada | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A catch phrase for shifting attention away from a problem or serious social issue by humorously laying responsibility on Canada.
   US, humorous, idiomatic
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see blame, Canada.

Examples

“So, if you don't like this performance, blame Canada!”

“We surely can't blame Canada. Nike, we suspect, is where we must point the finger for what has become the somewhat too familiar norm in television advertising put forth by major global sporting goods brands. As we all know by now, it was Nike and the agency's longtime marketing partner Wieden+Kennedy in Portland, Ore., that became famous for delivering a steady stream of soft-sell advertising that sold mood, atmosphere and brand image with minimal reference to the actual goods a particular television commercial might have been created to push.”

“Basically, instead of blaming the U.S. government or society or poor parenting for the way our children behave (poorly), we'll just blame Canada. Everything is Canada's fault.”

“Blame their partner for something bad that happened […] It really depends on the circumstances for this one. If the something bad that happened was your dog getting run over, by your partner, then they might deserve to be blamed for it. Especially if they were drunk at the time. This doesn't necessarily mean you’re in an unhealthy relationship. Sometimes people are at fault. And if in doubt, just blame Canada.”

“A few days after the sick Holstein was identified, Dr. DeHaven announced that the cow had been part of a herd of seventy-four cattle shipped from Alberta, Canada, more than two years earlier. […] The National Cattlemen's Beef Association immediately resorted to a blame-Canada-first strategy, suggesting that U.S. trading partners should now reopen their borders to unfairly maligned American beef.”

“So even if we were letting these people into Canada, and I'm not saying that's true, shouldn't the Yanks be keeping them out of the US anyway? […] It seems like every time the US can't get its act together, instead of looking at themselves to solve the problem, they blame Canada.”

CEFR level