Tuque (it can also be spelled toque) I watched Canadian icons Bob and Doug Mackenzie as a kid wearing their tuques telling each other to Take Off Eh and I never thought anything of it. You look like a 12-year-old Dutch girl. It can be used for assignments, your beer, or anything else youre trying to finish. Everyone in Canada knows this, which is why its so frustrating when people around the world dont seem to realize that our home isnt simply the 51st state of the U.S. Their confusion is somewhat understandable: Canada and the U.S. are such strong allies and many Canadian celebrities hop the border to find success in Hollywood. We dont call it our electric bill. Rado, so true. Canadians dont say about. I watch several Canadian YouTubers and have always wondered why they leave certain small words out of certain statements. Midwesterners call in pop, East Coast/West Coast call it soda, and Southerners call in coke (i.e. And I know in the US, students will identify themselves as a Senior, or Sophmore. (Lol I hope I got that right.). Only seen those in Alberta. , Oh, come on, kitten. Forget the last Letterkenny meme you came across and check out the quotes below about the show. Heres a phrase you must learn when coming to Canada. Thats interesting eh? F**k you, Jonesy, your life is so pathetic I get a charity tax break just by hanging around you! If you are a regular who watches this series, then certain phrases from the show will not shock you. I went my entire childhood and a large portion of my adult life not realizing that this was a word only used in Canada. Awesome! (oops, maybe the French use them, too?). Just a tad, you you like some dessert? This is a Commonwealth trait that we have leftover from Britain, as its just as rampant in New Zealand. If you lose one in a lawn mowing accident or to frostbite, send it over to the Yukon and theyll put it to good use. This foul term has the approximate weight of "holy sh*t" or "holy f*ck" in English. We actually use this term a lot in Canada. Or brains. It refers to the 6 neighbourhoods that merged to make up Toronto. I had heard this word as a child. Well, theres nothing better than a fart. Yes! Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. Just want to say your article is as amazing. For the record, I grew up in Washington, D.C., and called a backpack a knapsack. This can last from late April to early September, fluctuating of course, but definitely cause for a swimming pool. 3. LOL , How about some French words that are spoken by English speakers. A reference to anyone from the Prairies. But seriously, is there a slang insult for really bad situations, beyond calling some a "hoser?" I'm writing a story and one of my characters is Canadian and has a thick accent, and for one part, I want him to use an insult that would be reserved for only truly bad guys. A double double is a coffee order from Tim Hortons. POPi dunno if this is accurate but i notice most americans and ppl from other countries call it sodaPOP! Test your knowledge with my Canada Day Quiz, Fly to Canada for less with Skyscanner [ad]. Can you think of any other Canadian sayingsthat are unique to your region or the country? 50+ memorable Grinch quotes for people who absolutely hate Christmas. , F**k you, Jonesy! I use the word Parkette too and didnt know it was from Ontario, our home Province. A shortening of sasquatch that, in western Canada, refers to someone big and unkempt. The following is a list of colloquial terms and expressions used in the Canadian Armed Forces . It is needed because Alberta can be extremely cold in the winter. Its basically just a hoodie! However, some other countries do (check here!). This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. If you eat the toe, youll be fined HEAVILY. Here, a recent Canadian immigrant shares what he wishes hed known before moving to Canada. I mean, why on earth is it nearly 40C every single day?? Depaneur Convenience store Macdo Short name for McDonald Regie I have heard this from many English speakers, I went to the regie web site (government agency), Whats up with the saying some of these days we say one of these days here in the States. Works best with an Alexander Keiths India Pale Ale in hand. Meaning, Americans dont say whipper snipper. We say it more like A-boat. I was fascinated to learn how differently people speak a province over or a few cities north. Two four. This is one of my favourite terms, more so now that I know its Canadian specific. Freezies are what Americans call ice pops, freeze pops or otter pops. Backpack = Soft bodied, the same or a bit larger than a knapsack. I cant say Ive heard the phrase while I lived in the US west coast. In the US, youd never use the word this way. They either crack you up or make you wonder how smart the guys can be. Either way, I hope you laugh and learn while reading this guide to 100+ Canadian slang words. I served in the US military and we use clicks for two things: kilometers and rifle scopes (like, increase your MOA a half click). For example, I watch a handful of people who start off their videos by saying, Hey guys! More specifically, it is a coffee with a double shot of cream and sugar. and Stereotypical softdrink of choice (considered quite insulting). Over time, we gave the word Canuck a totally . Finally they said Why do you say clicks we replied I dont know. Its not that Quebecers are prudes or dislike foul language, per se, its just that they happen to have their own heavenly style of swearing, which involves cursing sacred items of the Catholic Church. Many of the above I had forgotten, but they come flooding back. It may be a holdover from our British colonialism or due to the French populations of Canada. Among the many booze-related slang terms in Canada, this phrase - particularly popular in Ontario - refers to a package of 24 bottles of beer. Does that mean brother, buddy, or what?? What about the old Zed and Zee. Hi John, We call our dinner supper a lot as well. Its a military short form that weve adopted as a country. Good one! The term university is limited to schools which offer four-year, degree programs. Of course this is changing with the influx of social media just last week at the Halifax Shopping Centre, I saw a girl with a crop top that had bedazzled letters spelling out the words I have anxiety and sh!t, in full view of little kids at the food court. "Cuzo". Youll sound truly Canadian:). We live in Wisconsinyou would be surprised how many people use soda, not pop.. [1] The term Kanuck is first recorded in 1835 as an Americanism, originally referring to Dutch Canadians (which included German Canadians) or French Canadians. References. Common UK Expressions. Ive never actually heard someone say it in real life but that might be because American TV ruined it for us. (This applies to most provinces, but not Quebec, which has a slightly different school system. Well, with you swearing by them Ill give them a shot next time I make it up that way; perhaps its like Coke, a different formula overseas .-= Shannon ODs last blog ..A Little WarmthA Wee Bit of Irish Hospitality =-. Will be great to throw out a couple of these when I make it up that way. A ski cap? As far as Hoser goes, that is definitely a Canadian influence spreading. If youve ever watched an American version of Canadians then youve seen this. I didnt realize that we are the only people in the world that call their electricity Hydro. Another Canadian word: Shed>>> pertains to any small building outside a larger dwelling.this word often used in the East Coast of Canada. It is so simple to use and anyone can do it. The thing about zed and zee is it makes more sense to pronounce it zee when singing the alphabet song, otherwise it sounds ridiculous. Quebec French profanities, [1] known as sacres (singular: sacre; French: sacrer, "to consecrate"), are words and expressions related to Catholicism and its liturgy that are used as strong profanities in Quebec French (the main variety of Canadian French) and in Acadian French (spoken in Maritime Provinces, east of Quebec, and a small portion of Thats cool Mel, I didnt realize that it was called pop in Kansas. Canadians use the word lineup (noun) to refer what the British call a queue and what Americans call a line.. Letterkenny quotes will remind any lover of the Canadian comedy series why they watch the show in the first place. . like i cant explain explain exactly how to understand it its just something you have to have grown up using to understand exactly which product someone is talking about. Watch the same movie several times. I learned a only a few years ago that 'goof' is Canadian prison . As with all slang, and especially that of nationality, . I dont know why we broke away from the two places that we get a lot of our language, but its sort of a fun rebellion on our part. Canadians will say Im going to University. Beaver tail , There are probably more but so far I can not think of any. All rights reserved. You may just pick a few to use whenever you hang out with your close buddies as long they are open-minded. It might be a Britishism but its also Canadian. Im guessing something about the coziness of a hoodie led to the name, but I couldnt find a good explanation. I didnt know that there was an American Smarties. However, you should never drink river or lake water anywhere in the country! Today I came across a 1967 high school year book photo of graduates. Cockney Insults. Im going out in the yard to talk to Ellen but well only bat the fat for a few minutes. To Canadians a backpack is often called a knapsack. She explains the diphthong differences eloquently here. Ive always loved language. As for oot and aboot, it may not be Canadian but it is pure Scottish. This was a term I hoped died when I left high school, but unfortunately, its stuck around. Generally speaking, these are Canadian slang terms used across the country. This term is starting to gain traction in Ontario, but its got its roots in the East Coast. Toonie (as I prefer to spell it) comes from Loonie. The $1 Canadian coin. Theres also prairie oysters which are a bulls casterated testicles (sounds gross, I know), sasquatch which is like a yeti, thong which is slang for flip-flops or sandels and I think the former name of Toronto is Motown so yeah, theres another one lol. You have probably heard the following phrases if you are a regular. Whether youre visiting Toronto or exploring the Yukon, these colloquial terms are recognized everywhere. , Your dad says guys with big trucks have little d**ks. They are changing to convenience stores, but in small town Alberta you will still see a Confectionary store. And I agree, we do kick ass dont we:-), A two-six is 26 ounces of hard liquor, an allophone is a resident whose first language is not English or French and a coulee is a valley. Whats the best way to book my Canada accommodations? It refers to the bedrock in Vancouver that prevents basements and the insane housing prices that mean people need to rent. HuffPost Canada. Whereas in Canada, we would call ourselves a Grade 12 or Grade 10 student. states like pennsylvania, new york and maryland they pronounce water as Wo-der and in the southern states like florida , georgia and alabama we say Wa-ter even though its the same word Water. , Closest youre gettin to any action this weekend is givin the dairy cows t**ts a good scrubbin. To understand Canadian slang, master uniquely Canadian expressions, like eh? to ask something like, That movie was great, eh? Additionally, work on learning longer phrases, such as book off work, which means to take time off from work. I know our American friends rhyme the alphabet and sing x, y, zee, but we say Zed. Chocolate, therefore they should be called chocolate bars. Just be sure you don . This year has been a bit warmIve seen it down to -35 F here in the banks and up to +35 F just within the past couple days (its 2022-02-27 today) a heatwave. Without yeast, sourdough was the only kind of bread they could make. Im going to use a few of these phrases for my school international fair! They also refer to their islands and the island (Vancouver Island) differently depending on where they live in the province. I dispute this being a Canadian-only term I think its just fancier than what Americans usually use. Most native French speakers in Canada live in Quebec, which is the only province where French is the sole official language. I could have used this a few years ago when we lived in Prague. A toque is a knit winter hat like a beanie. I love that we use two-four when buying beer, it is just so Canadian. When I first started to travel the world. The Canadian definition of keener was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2015. not, sure if I read everything above, all good. I will point out that, while people in Alberta do not say aboot, people in eastern Canada do. There is virtually no pronunciation differences between cot and caught when said by a Canadian. If you want to learn Australian curse words, read on. Love it! Yeah, we blame my brother, that is all he had in the house:). Just wanted to wish everyone a great Christmas this year. Huh? You may withdraw your consent at any time. There was this Frenchman from Quebec who liked to say something like Batoime ! when he was surprised but something, said it was a family expression. Twenty-sixer, by the way dont just stop at the 2-6. This is absolutely not a stereotype or misconception, you can verify this yourself with google earths aerial photography. And I like the way we say about.Canadians should start embracing the way we say about. Soobviously a Loonie would be the next choice right? This cold region has unique slang with British, French, and indigenous influences. If inviting someone to come dine with you, whats the funniest way to say it Canadian, I have no idea about that one. We dont have a lot of free WIFI in Canada, so youll need your phone for maps. Its Hydro. This tongued twister word is made from the hit Hollywood musical, Marry Poppins. Canadians will be agreeing with you, but they say yeah, no. Moving abroad? 3 0 obj You have probably heard the following phrases if you are a regular. http://www.ibackpackcanada.com/2009/06/unique-canadian-words-phrases-planetd.html. That would be weird! Hahaha. Any potential backpackers heading to Canada need to know a few of these sayings. Some women enjoy the term and self-identify as puck bunnies (especially wives of famous hockey players). Dave and I would say things like the next town is about 50 clicks away. Well, my dad wore them out on one cattle drive (my dad was a rancher) and it was so cold that his boots cracked right open and shattered. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,101,656 times. We have smarties in America. endobj Yeah, No A term meaning they agree with you, even if no can be confusing. Pepsi: French Canadians: Empty from the neck up. I am not sure if its Canadian slang or Not havent heard It elsewhere, the word is tad. We all call it May 2-4 Weekend, because that is exactly what we do on long weekends. Eh? is sort of our equivalent of saying right? or you know?. Some of these words on the list seem a bit suspect, though. Ah yes, I remember the confectionary store. ? 'xDDpEHnxX18 y5C=|SAH`kX?n#mi%SU!R2OqQgZGQSho8R& I can think of some additional foods and expressions that are distinctly Canadian that visitors might not know: Butter Tart Tortire Poutine Nanaimo Bar Bags of milk Pop instead of soda Ketchup Chips Clicks (distance) Kerfuffle (commotion) For sure Homo milk Brown bread Chesterfield Supper Girl Guides Muskoka Chair Track pants Postal code Elastic Smarties Crispy Crunch Caramilk Shreddies 5-pin bowling Mountie, Ive called it pop ever since i could remember.