ookpik, I'm with you on use of the term "Americans." The Arrogant Worms had a very clever song about that ("I Am Not American") which included the lovely lyric "I long to be an American, as the French are European."
For some reason, I always thought that "serviette" referred to the paper products used in some restaurants, and "napkins" to the cloth products used at home. I use "chesterfield," but notice many other people do not even though that's what they mean. I had no idea that a "beanie" and "toque" might be the same thing for some people- beanie makes me think of something like a skull cap, or panamaniac's propeller beanie.
Re: Foreign ownership. I am a lot more wary about communist governments (through their state-run enterprises) purchasing companies which own land and resources in this country, than I am about a publically-traded company based in the United States buying a consumer goods store here.
For some reason, I always thought that "serviette" referred to the paper products used in some restaurants, and "napkins" to the cloth products used at home. I use "chesterfield," but notice many other people do not even though that's what they mean. I had no idea that a "beanie" and "toque" might be the same thing for some people- beanie makes me think of something like a skull cap, or panamaniac's propeller beanie.
Re: Foreign ownership. I am a lot more wary about communist governments (through their state-run enterprises) purchasing companies which own land and resources in this country, than I am about a publically-traded company based in the United States buying a consumer goods store here.