How to Understand Canadian Slang: 13 Steps

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

In Canada we have enough words to create two spoken languages without having to try to come up with slang, so we just use English for literature, Scottish for prayers, and American in normal conversation. - Stephen Leacock

Although Canadians are influenced by Americans more than they want to admit, Canadians have their own terms, which have no literal translation into any other language.

Remember that not all Canadians use the same terms. This guide is intended to prepare you to understand the meaning of these terms, but it does not guarantee that these terms will be understood anywhere in Canada.

Steps

Method 1 of 1: Understanding Canadian Slang

Step 1. Become familiar with the following commonly used terms:

Loonie - A commonly used word for a Canadian one dollar coin.
Toonie - A commonly used word for a Canadian two dollar coin. It is pronounced "too-nee".
Garberator- Electronic device for cleaning sinks in the kitchen, through which the biodegradable substances are finely chopped so that they can be sent down the sink. Usually translated as "waste grinder".
Kerfuffle - Similar to the word "brouhaha", a usually negative chaotic situation, a heated and animated discussion.
Homo Milk - A commonly used word for homogenized milk.
Beauty - An expression used to express that something is well done or that someone has been exceptional. Most Canadians know this word from the characters Bob and Doug from the SCTV television show "The Great White North", a series of satirical sketches.
Double-Double - To be used when ordering a coffee. It means "double cream and double sugar".
Timmy's or Tim's or Timmy Ho's or Up the Horton's - Slang word for Tim Horton's, a chain of coffee and donut outlets named after a famous hockey player.
Brutal- Something particularly unfair or contemptuous.
Serviette - A napkin. It is not slang, but simply napkin in French.
Gorp - Mixed dried fruit usually taken on excursions or camping. There can be assorted hazelnuts, chocolate chips, nuts, Smarties, or other candies. It is usually an acronym for "Good Old Raisins and Peanuts".
Eh - It is pronounced "hei" and is usually a suffix to be added at the end of sentences to ask a person if they agree or not, such as "What do you think?" or "Right?" It's a way to be courteous, to make sure the people in the conversation feel included.
Two-Four - A typical term among workers for a case of twenty-four beers.
Fifty and Fifty - Labatt 50, a Canadian beer brand. Fifty means fifty in French. It is a term used exclusively by frequent beer drinkers. Canadians who don't drink beer will probably not know this term at all.
Mickey - A flask of liquor.
Toque - (pronounced "tuke," as in Luke) A knitted hat usually worn in winter.
Toboggan - A long wooden sled used for winter fun to bring one or more people and drop them down a snowy hill.
Click- Slang word for kilometer.
Hydro- Refers to electricity and not water. It is a synonym for electric current in those region served by hydroelectricity. The phrase "The hydro is out" means that there is no current and not that there is no water. This word also extends to electric wires, electric bills, etc.
Peameal or Back bacon - Bacon obtained from the meat of the back of the pig, instead of the more common part of the pig from which the bacon is obtained. It is left to soak in brine and then wrapped in cornmeal. Originally a bacon called "peameal" was used but as it tended to become rancid it was replaced although the name peameal has remained and is mainly used by Americans to indicate Canadian bacon.
The States - The United States of America is usually called "the States," but if you are typing it uses "the US."
Washroom - Refers to a place where the toilet, sink and tub would normally be located.
Pop - Many Canadians use the word "pop" to describe sugary and carbonated beverages, such as the US deny soda.
Rattled - Used when a person is embarrassed or angry. A very rare word in Canada.
Snake - A person who is rude and who does something to have his own advantage. A person who possesses the qualities of a snake.
Chinook - (Pronounced "shinook" in some areas) A hot, dry wind blowing from the eastern slopes of the Rockies towards Alberta and the prairies. Chinooks can get temperatures up 10 degrees in 15 minutes.
Poutine - (pronounced poo-TEEN) French fries served with cheese and coated with sauce. They are typical of Quebec but now popular throughout Canada. (A delicious heart attack in a tub. You haven't been to Canada unless you play hockey and then you haven't gone for poutine and beer.)
Sook, sookie or sookie baby - Often it means a person who is weak or who feels sorry for himself, a person who never agrees, often just to be bad, a person who cries for himself. It can also be an affectionate word used for animals and children. Pronounced to rhyme with "took" in Atlantic Canada. In Ontario it is pronounced and spelled "suck" but has the same usage.
Beaver Tail - A pastry usually sold by the Beaver Tail Canada Inc. chain, consisting of a flat, crumbly, deep-fried pastry that is shaped like a beaver's tail. It is usually served with ice cream, maple syrup, powdered sugar and fruit. Typical of Ottawa.
Pencil Crayon - a colored pencil.

Step 2. Canada is a huge country (second only to Russia)

Different parts of the country have different names for different objects. Make sure you know the slang vocabulary of the area you are going to:

Canuck - A Canadian!
Run a message - It means running errands. (Area of use?)
Coastie - A person from Vancouver or the Lower Mainland, someone who dresses and has city manners.
Islander - Someone from Vancouver Island
Elephant Ear - a dessert made of fried dough, served with lemon juice and cinnamon sugar, also called Beaver Tail or Whale's Tail. (Southwestern Ontario, area of use?)
Boot - Short for "bootlegger," a term used in Western Canada to refer to someone who illegally buys alcohol for minors.
The Island - Vancouver Island, B. C. or if you are in the Maritimes (NB, NS, etc.), it can refer to either PEI (Prince Edward Island) or Cape Breton Island
The Rock - Usually refers to Newfoundland, but is sometimes also used to refer to Vancouver Island.
ByTown - Ottawa, Ontario
EdmonChuck - Edmonton. It refers to the majority of Eastern European immigrants who settled there a long time ago, whose surnames often end in "chuck". Ex.: Sawchuck, Haverchuck, etc.
Cow-Town - Calgary, Alberta
Fraggle Rock - Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia (it's a mining town and Fraggle Rock was a children's program featuring puppets, including miners).
Tumbler Turkeys - Ravens often found in Tumbler Ridge, B. C.
From away - People not born in the Atlantic provinces who later moved.
Dawson Ditch - Dawson Creek, B. C.
Deathbridge - Lethbridge, Alberta
The Hat - Medicine Hat, Alberta
Hog Town, "or" The Big Smoke - Toronto
The 'Shwa - Oshawa, Ontario, a playfully disparaging term, "The Dirty, Dirty 'Shwa"
Jambuster - Jelly donuts (term used in the Prairie provinces and Northern Ontario)
Vi-Co (VY-ko) - Chocolate milk. It is named after a defunct Saskatchewan milk brand. It can still be found on some menus, often in motorway restaurants. The addition of milk can be indicated with "white" or "Vico".
BunnyHug - Hooded pullover, also known as "hoodie". It is wide, soft and warm. Specific to Saskatchewan only.
The 'Couv - Vancouver, B. C. (very little popular term).
The Hammer - Hamilton, Ontario
Whadda'yat?

- Newfoundland term "What are you doing?" (You can spend a whole year understanding a single word of what a Newfie says).
Siwash - A common Saskatchewan term for a type of west coast sweater, also known as Cowichan. Of different origins.
Caisse populaire - Cooperative or credit banks, found mostly in Quebec. Popularly known as "caisse pop" or "caisse po" or more simply as "caisse". Pronounced "Kaysse Pop-u-lair"
Depanneur - In Quebec, a general store. The word comes from "dépanner" which means "to help temporarily." The short form is "the dep."
Guichet - A Quebec term for an ATM.
Seltzer - Slang by B. C. to indicate sugary drinks known as "pop" for other Canadians and "soda" for Americans. ("Pop" is the most used term in BC.)
Rink Rat - Someone who spends a lot of time on the ice skating rinks.
Skookum - Slang by B. C. or "Chinook" for "strong", "big" and "fantastic". Chinook slang was a mixture of French, English, and Native American Indian languages used by early traders. The word Skookum originates from the Chahalis language where skukm means strong, brave or great.

Step 3. "Hammered" - Drunk

Step 4. "Polluted" - Drunk - Atlantic Canada

Step 5. "Wrecked" - Drunk - Atlantic Canada

Step 6. "Right out of 'er" - Drunk - Atlantic Canada

Step 7. "Drive 'er" or "Drive' er MacGyver" - Go for it

Try a little. (Atlantic Canada).

Step 8. "Give 'er" - similar to "drive' er" but can also mean "Go for it"

Used throughout Canada.

What're you sayin ' - Atlantic slang, means "What do you mean?"
Snowbirds - (Usually) older people who move to the southern states of the United States during the winter months.
The Esks - The Edmonton Eskimos, a football team. Usually used by locals as a term of endearment.
Winterpeg - A derogatory term for Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Toon Town - A local term for Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Newfie of Newf - Newfoundland residents
Bluenose - Residents of Nova Scotia, or in reference to the famous beer mug.
Cod-choker, or cod-chucker - New Brunswick residents

Step 9. "Caper" - People who come from Cape Breton Island

Boonie-bouncing - Go into the bushes or clear roads by driving quads, bikes or trucks for fun and making noise.
Saskabush - Saskatchewan
Mum - The way the people of British Columbia call their mother. You may find it written "Mom" but it is only in advertisements from Ontario or the United States.

Step 10. "Ma an Da" - The way many in Cape Breton call their parents

Step 11. "Mudder and fadder" - The way many in Newfoundland call their parents

Step 12. "Missus" - Newfoundland - Could be any woman or someone's wife, depending on the context

Prairie Newfie - The residents of Saskatchewan
Ginch, gonch; gitch or gotch - An ancient and long debate on the correct term for underwear. Northern British Columbians prefer "ginch or gonch", while Southern Alberta residents prefer "gitch or gotch".
A Social - A hangout in Manitoba for a large group of people. You are usually in a community place such as a community center. Tickets are usually sold to the event and a fundraiser is organized to give to a wedding couple or a charitable organization. Music and dancing are usually typical and a snack is usually served around midnight, such as mixed cold cuts, very common at these events. Participation rewards and silent auctions are also very common.
" It's givin '"- A term used to describe weather forecasts. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Weatherin '"- A term used to describe bad weather. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Kastaveup"- An accident. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Botatoes"- Potatoes. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Smash"- Mashed. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Lewer day"- A day when fishing is not allowed due to the weather. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Flatass calm"- A very calm sea day. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Tunk"- Knock on the door. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Cruellize"- Be cruel. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Some", " right", " right down"- Adjectives used to indicate a thing well done. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Alarm"- Set the alarm. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Copasetic"- Okay, good. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Mawga"- Not feeling well.
" Lobby"- Lobster (southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Homard"- Lobster (from French, but now also used by the British) (southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Bones"- Dollars.
" Buddy"- Neighborhood boy. (Nova Scotia and Northern Ontario)
" God's country"- Cape Breton Island. (Nova Scotia)
" Rappie pie"- A dish from Acadia made of potato meat (rabbit and chicken). Its real name is pate rapure.
" Cowboy codfish"- An inhabitant of the Maritimes who goes to work in the west.
" T."- Used in place of petit. Used in place of" petit "(small). We also add the names of parents or spouses to proper names to differentiate all people who have identical names. A girl could have her father's name together to her first name until she gets married and then takes her husband's name, for example: SallyJohn would become SallyBilly. (Southwestern Nova Scotia) Nicknames are always very common for the same reason.
" Owly"- In a bad mood. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Greasy"- Slippery. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Hain't"- Alternative spelling of" ain't ". (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Titrieye" or " rinctum"- Whims. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Stiver"- Tripping. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Nighin 'onto"- Get closer. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Smart"- Still be awake and active.
" Cunning"- Cute. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Tantoaster" - Strong storm.
" Whose boy amya?

- Where are you from and who are your parents? (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Hali"- Halifax, Nova Scotia
" The city"- Halifax, Nova Scotia, for those living in Nova Scotia.
" Hawlibut"- The way people in southwestern Nova Scotia say" halibut ".
" Skawlups"- The way people in southwestern Nova Scotia say" scallops ".
" Fillit"- The way people in southwestern Nova Scotia say" fillet ".
" Fordeleven"- A measure to indicate a couple of miles. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Upalong"- Near the shore. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Marvel on up the road"- Drive down the road and see what's happening. (A small southwestern area of Nova Scotia)
" Yarn" - A chat.
" EH-yuh"- A suitable word in any context.
" Mugup"- A snack. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" I think I'll tow that one alongside for a bit. "- I'm not sure I believe it.
" Capie"- From Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Not to be confused with" Caper ".
" Tinka"- Minor. From" tinkers ", smaller lobsters.
"Son", " sonnybub", " bubba", " old son", " deah", " you"- Acceptable forms of greeting and very informal addressing someone used in southwestern Nova Scotia. These terms would not be acceptable if used by a foreigner to a local person. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Who was she back in the day? "- What is her maiden name? (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
Ceilidh - (KAY-lay) In Cape Breton, a gathering place where people gather to play instruments, sing, dance and eat.
" Geely", " kriley", " geely kriley ". It has several functions, such as in the sentences: "Geely, did you see that?" "Kriley, it's some cold out there." "Geely kriley, old son, look out what you're doing before you hurt someone." (southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Young fella"- Usually a boy (sometimes a girl) between the ages of ten and early twenties. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Little fella"Usually used possessively, it means an infant or child. (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Geezly"- Can mean" a lot ". (Southwestern Nova Scotia)
" Prit'near"- Contraction of" pretty near. "Used south of Saskatchewan it can mean" almost "or sometimes" quite ". To mean" almost "or sometimes" quite. "Examples:" Let's head inside, since it's prit'near suppertime. "" Aunt Jennie has 52 cats. Yup, she's prit'near crazy."

Step 13. Beware of the following derogatory terms

Canuck If not said by Canadians it can be derogatory. Between them it is a term of endearment but you shouldn't use it if you are not Canadian (except for some Canadians who like to be called canuck).
Hoser- The term has many origins: the most common dates back to the game of hockey when before the invention of Zamboni, the losing team had to "hose down" that is to wet the ice. Hence the term "hoser".
Newfie - A semi-derogatory term for a Newfoundland and Labrador person. The term is mostly used in the expression "Newfie jokes," the typical Canadian ethnic joke. Many Newfoundlanders use it with pride among themselves when the term is not used for the purpose of insulting someone.
Frog - A derogatory term used by Western Canadians for French Canadians. More common, however, are the terms "Jean-Guy Pepper" or "Pepper" or "Pepsi," generally attributed to the insult that French Canadians are bottles of Pepsi, filled with nothing but air in their heads.
Square head - derogatory term for English-speaking Canadians. Primarily used in Quebec. In Quebec, however, it is said in French, "Tête carrée."
Ruth - British Columbia slang term meaning "ruthless".
Saltchuck - Term originating in British Columbia to indicate the Pacific Ocean.
The Sticks - A term originating from British Columbia used to describe people living in forests.

Advice

A definitive proof that someone is Canadian is if they refer to "Grade 5" instead of "Fifth grade".
The Anglo-Canadian alphabet has 26 letters and the letter zeta is pronounced "zed".
In Atlantic Canada, accents are heavily influenced by Scottish and Irish sounds, especially in Cape Breton and Newfoundland. Newfoundland has hundreds of distinct words and dialects that have been preserved due to the isolation of the communities. These accents and dialects are not found anywhere else in Canada, and linguists have come to Newfoundland to study these 500-year-old languages. A common word in Newfoundland is outport and it means a small coastal community and this brings us to the eternal rivalry between small communities and their inhabitants.
Newfoundlanders play the mime game at Christmas.
It is necessary to understand that, as in all countries, the dialects will vary from province to province, from area to area. This article has been written to collect only a few idioms of specific areas and in no way can it be a copy of all expressions, pronouncements and phrases.
The university is limited to schools offering four-year degree courses. The term "college" usually refers only to community colleges that offer two-year programs. (This affects many provinces except Quebec where the school system is slightly different).
The term "junior high" is used at school for grades 7 to 9 or 7 to 8, "middle school" is used for grades 6 to 8 and the terms "freshman", "sophomore", "junior", and "senior" are hardly ever used.
Cursing in Quebecois has more to do with blasphemy. For example "Hosts, Sacrement, Tabernacle, Chalice" (pronounced "osty tabarnak kahliss") literally refers to the host, sacrament, tabernacle and chalice found in Catholic churches and is extremely scandalous to say. Conversely, a Canadian Frenchman can get away with saying things like "C'est toute fucké" ("It's a mess"). Less outrageous versions of the curses just mentioned above are: tabarouette (pr. Tabberwet), sacrebleu, caline, and chocolat.
Units of measurement are often abbreviated in areas of Alberta, such as "klicks" or "Kay" for kilometers, "cents" for centimeters and "mils" for milliliters and milliliters.
Toronto residents may refer to Toronto as T-Dot.
The English speakers of Quebec have freely adopted French words such as autoroute for motorway and dépanneur shop of the Anglo, as well as for French construction.
It is also very common for some English words to be influenced by Quebecois, such as hamburger, coke, gas.
In rural Alberta and Saskatchewan, the term "bluff" is used to describe a small group of trees isolated from prairies and "is used to describe a small group of trees isolated by prairie and" slough "refers to swampy areas isolated from prairie. grasslands.
In the Ottawa Valley, the accent is heavily influenced by the Irish who settled there. The accent is very strong and is not found in any other region of Canada.
People in some arts of Canada refer to Remembrance Day as Poppy Day or Armistice Day.
It is very common for B. C. speakers. and Alberta blend the words together.
In many Canadian provinces, the sound "ou" in words like "about" is generally pronounced similar to "oa" in "a boat", especially when speaking fast and is usually proof that a person is not American. It is most pronounced on the east coast and in Ontario. In BC, it sounds more like "abouh," where the "ou" sound is like like in "scout". This is due to the merging of the final letters of the words.