On: Ask HN: When Americans say Canadians are polite, is that meant as a compliment?

It has a lot of potential meanings. There is often an implied “but” that follows after, depending on the context.

A common one is that Canadians are polite but not warm.

Another that comes up, especially in the context of Americans, is that Canadians are polite, but won’t push to win.

Canadian politeness is often just a cover for fear of conflict and fear of getting involved.

Yes, it can also be a euphemism for our risk aversion.