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Glite Dictionary
to blame Canada

to blame Canada

8.8
To say Canada is to blame for a small problem as a joke
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : echarle la culpa a Canadá
  • In the office, if coffee runs out, someone inevitably quips, "Let's just blame Canada."

Examples

  • The comedian made the crowd laugh by repeatedly telling them to blame Canada for their minor woes.

  • Whenever something doesn't go as planned, he likes to blame Canada just to be funny.

  • You should blame Canada for the weather!

  • Why do we always blame Canada for everything?

  • In the office, if coffee runs out, someone inevitably quips, "Let's just blame Canada."

  • The comedian made the crowd laugh by repeatedly telling them to blame Canada for their minor woes.

  • Whenever something doesn't go as planned, he likes to blame Canada just to be funny.

Synonyms

to blame it on
vsto blame Canada
81 3.7

To say someone or something caused a problem

frames responsibility jokingly and exaggeratedly rather than as literal cause
to fault
vsto blame Canada
50 4.3

To blame someone for a mistake or problem

is a joking, exaggerated attribution rather than a serious criticism
to point fingers
vsto blame Canada
  • Informal
46 4.8

To blame someone when it is not clear who is at fault

uses joking exaggerated accusation rather than serious accusation
to scapegoat
vsto blame Canada
4 4.1

To unfairly blame someone for problems caused by others

treats accusation jokingly and exaggeratedly rather than to avoid responsibility
to lay the blame at the feet of (someone)
vsto blame Canada
1 6.9

To say someone caused a problem or is at fault

uses joking exaggerated attribution rather than formal responsibility assignment

Surface Forms

blame Canada infinitive

Morphology

blame + Canada

The literal meaning 'to hold Canada responsible' is directly and compositionally derived from the verb 'blame' plus the proper noun 'Canada', so a B1 learner who knows the words will understand the core proposition. However, the phrase is commonly used as a humorous or facetious cultural/meme expression (e.g., from popular media), and that pragmatic, ironic nuance is not predictable from the parts alone.

Etymology

Blame Canada comes from a funny song in the 1999 South Park movie where adults sing about blaming Canada for their children's problems. They literally use blame meaning 'to accuse' and Canada meaning the country, so people now say blame Canada jokingly when they want to 'blame' someone or something in an unfair or silly way.