I dont know if this is common elsewhere, but in Canada we celebrate our champagne birthday with extra fan fair. I havent included all of them for two reasons: 1) this list is already insanely long and 2) some can be derogatory. Either way, you probably will hear someone say it in passing while youre in Canada. A common way for a Canadian to order their coffeedouble cream, double sugar. Don't mistaken this as an innocent question. This word means exceptional or impressive. I had to include this term with the insane heat and humidity were currently getting in Toronto. (Read more). Yes In all major cities in Canada, you can drink the tap water. Deke comes from the hockey move of faking to maneuver around an opponent. 2. But we do have our own vernacular, and there's a lot more to it than "ehs" and funny "abouts.". 14. coldbrook 14 yr. ago. Minnesotans have their own special language. Most popularly posed as a question to mean pardon? or dont you agree?, it can also be used to affirm or emphasize just about anything it follows. It's simply "pop.". Klick is slang for kilometre. Canadians have come up with a variety of nicknames for the provinces, cities, and towns we live in. Vitamin = In the U.K. its pronounced how it is spelled VIT-a-min, vit rhymes with wit. Never stutter at your snooty waiter again. For some reason, rather than saying ok, we say true. An example would be saying something like "yo my ex is being a mix up ting dawg". This refers to anyone from the Maritime provinces in Atlantic Canada. Even from Toronto, we refer to out west as everything west of us. They are common Canadian slang words Americans should know. When we're being dramatic or trying to emphasize a point, Americans will occasionally add "period" to the end of their sentence. } else { If I could do it broke at 16, so can you! Similar to "not a big fan," "it's not rocket science" is a way of explaining something by hyperbolically explaining what it's notin this case, saying something is not too difficult. In Minnesota, the classic children's game Duck, Duck, Goose is called Duck, Duck, Gray Duck. Thanks to a visit from world renowned linguist and pronunciation expert, Nev Chandelle, we have learned the most commonly mispronounced words in the English language. Pencil crayons are what Americans call colored pencils and the British call colouring pencils. Makes zero sense to me!" As one redditor says about hearing the expression, "I actually answered, until I figured it out. So lets look at some regional Canadian sayings! Calgary, due to the stampede and its cattle history. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-72659260-1&cid=81aa5148-f04d-49f4-b7a9-5d997a006f5d&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=2558952325839011645'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); The original name of Ottawa and now a common nickname. Ive been saying it for years and annoying my dad that I wont just say shoes, but apparently I was being patriotic the whole time! It shouldn't be confused with casserole. Canada has free healthcare but its only for citizens! If youre driving a car in Canada and the navigation system tells you to hang a Larry, it simply means to turn left. Sub How to Speak Like a Canadian with The Planet D. If you are driving with a Canadian and he/she says Hang a Larry, I know you will surely want to know this Larry guy you are supposed to hang. "Hooooly" When you need to react to something, or if someone is annoying you, you opt for a "hooooly" to let out all your feelings into an exaggerated reaction. The holiday is essentially the Canadian version of America's Independence Day. Wheeling means to be in the early stages of dating someone. It insinuates that shes only interested in the game due to attraction to the players or attempting to date the players. I often use this to describe going cottaging in Muskoka, which is barely halfway up Ontario. Technically this isnt slang since its a translation, but it means thank you. Its a very old term that has mostly fallen out of fashion. xhr.send(payload); Its most used when referring to the Vancouver Canucks hockey team rather than individuals nowadays. In the US, these are called Adirondack chairs. This jacket is typically checkered with large black and red or green squares. A skijor is a sport that involves dogs pulling people on skis. But in Canada, its actually a word that is plastered on milk to refer to a specific kind of milk, all over stores. Usually, its not used to refer to a physical fight, but that varies. WebPronounced too-uk or tuke in a Canadian accent. Americans might casually say this when asking someone to move slightly, but those who aren't familiar with the term can be forgiven for not having a clue what the American is asking them to do. A hoser is slang for a dumb person, but in a sort of polite and endearing way unique to Canadians. Its what others commonly refer to as ski hats or beanies. To help keep track of where these Canadian slang terms come from, Ill be grouping them by their location. In 1996, the Canadian $2 was also introduced, and the words two and Loonie became a single term, Toonie. A nickname for Halifax, Nova Scotia. Means chocolate milk in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. No this isnt a derogatory term or anything. Although Newfoundland isnt technically a Maritime province because it joined Canada after the Maritime treaty, it tends to be included. if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { Much like a puck bunny, buckle bunny is a derogatory term for a woman who follows rodeos. ), Americans are fond of this term, but the American phrase can also seem a bit mysterious to outsiders. An image of a common loon was on stamped the coin. Now the city is labelled as the 6ix, but Tdot is forever stuck with some people, however, it's so five years ago! A double double is a coffee order from Tim Hortons. Its confusing to newcomers, especially if English isnt your first language. All Canadians know that we have a vast northern landscape, but hardly any of us actually visit it. We use the terms so simply that people barely register them. It is also another way of saying fvck boy. It's excess vocab that you say anyways. To show surprise as in you are joking? Kyle Richardson. Growing up I was 100% a keener. For example, if youre born on July 15th, your 15th birthday is your champagne birthday. Northern slang for frozen whale skin and blubber. Here are the words that most Canadians say wrong. It was a real beauty. It was the uniform of the lumbermen working in Canada, but is now more popular in the grunge fashion movement. A Canadian food staple. This is not a slip of tongue. Unfortunately, those learning the language can't always quite piece together what it means, with little context given to all this sudden knocking on tables and doors. Listen to the audio pronunciation in the Cambridge English Dictionary. Anyone from Nova Scotia. Im sorry that these terms existed in our history. Lets start at the West Coast and work our way East through Canadian slang phrases. Hopefully that is a sign that we are moving away from this negative language and moving towards more positive, inclusive terms that are fun for all like bunnyhug! It doesnt matter where you are, thats the middle. I was fascinated to learn how differently people speak a province over or a few cities north. A 3-liter (or litre) bottle of liquor. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! But also, it seems weird to focus on one digit that wouldn't seem to necessarily be used more than the others. To avoid the guilt and shame of blasphemy yet retain the satisfaction of cursingusually after clumsily hurting themselvesCanadians cleverly replace the name of Christ with Murphy. If someone wants to get a ride somewhere, they'll say scoop me. This is most often said by hockey dads from what I can tell. Example It caused quite the kerfuffle when He slapped her. We share a lot of values with Americans and can identify with the same cultural references. If you dont expect it, its weird to see homo milk laid out in an aisle of the grocery story. Help me move Canada forward by spreading these more positive slang terms (even buckle bunny as many women use it in an empowering way or own the stereotype). It is formed from a French word that shares the same meaning, cap. Play outside in the snow wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops. A hotdish is a delicious dish consisting of leftovers, tater tots, and cheese. It is a kind of coffee from Tim Horton, the most popular coffee shop in Canada. Bestlifeonline.com is part of the Dotdash Meredith Publishing Family. It's the Sauga version of saying "that's nice". The way Canadians use their slang is pretty skookum eh? Get more stories delivered right to your email. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider On the weekends I'm usually exploring the North Shore or making my way through the list of Minnesota's State Parks. We call them snowbirds since they seem to migrate like birds. And for the longest time I always wondered where this cake was." Eh? is sort of our equivalent of saying right? or you know?. While Minnesotans may be recognized across the country for their accents, much more important than the pronunciation are the words being said. "Green thumb" is yet another phrase that brings to mind a literal image (a person whose thumb is the color green) that doesn't describe what it's actually referring to (a person who's handy with gardening). And just before we forget, ensure you learn some of these if you are not a Canadian native as you might just find yourself lost when in the country and cannot get along. However, we ONLY do this if it makes it easier to say. This is an often-used exclamation among most millennials, but used frequently by older Minnesotans. When the fields are plowed, especially the cornfields, it looks like stubble. This is an abbreviation for "allow it". Although we have many islands, this term is meant for people from Prince Edward Island in the Maritimes. It refers to the 6 neighbourhoods that merged to make up Toronto. Love Minnesota? I didnt know this was a Canadian thing for a long time. Nowadays, weve become properly American-ized and call then bathrobes or robes. Someone from New Brunswick. Disclosure: I censored this post to remove any derogatory words or terms rooted in racism (youd be surprised how many I had to cut). Those annoying fans wouldnt stop chirping the whole game., A quicker way to say kilometers (or kilometres) when referring to distance and directions. ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb. What's one of the most relatable things about Minnesota? A cat? Thats why we have compiled a list of some of these slangs here in this article. Did you go to the mall and buy a fresh pair of kicks? Oddly, we dont think of Quebec as east its sort of its own thing. WebCanadians will be agreeing with you, but they say yeah, no. Id call it courting but its never as romantic or reserved. Luckily with language that's similar to that of our fellow Mississaugaand Brampton mans we can still communicate well. Turn left (Larry) or right (Roger). To give you a more in-depth look at how we talk, Ive included some interesting Canadian terms. Its unclear where this term came from but from what I can tell no actual hangings were involved (whew!). Theyre most common in the Prairies, though Saskatchewan and Alberta debate the i vs. o. Although the term we use most often is sorry, Im not sorry for the changes I made. 10 / 54 rd.com How to pronounce DECREASE If youre using it as a noun, its de -crease. 1. 3. Kraft Dinner is a box of mac and cheese that you can make at home. For BC, that means that the whole country is out east. A sports term, also known as a cherry picker, that refers to a player who neglects their defensive duties by staying near their opponents goal while waiting for easy opportunities to score. 4. 1. "In Britain, they speak of a gifted gardener having 'green fingers,'" says the Word Detective. There are many things Minnesotans do that relate to people from other parts of the country, one of which is getting up close and personal with nature. I dispute this being a Canadian-only term I think its just fancier than what Americans usually use. This is an older Canadian term. Just a week ago, I thought I had no accent at all until someone pointed it out to me. asks Thorpe. Our Sasquatch is said to be in British Columbia. It quickly got out of hand, so here we are with 100+ Canadian phrases for you to learn and share! It typically refers to students who are teachers pets or trying to be. Giveer means to give it your all. Americans pronounce it VITE-a-min, vite rhyming with bite. xhr.open('POST', 'https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', true); Typically, they go to Florida where there are large pockets of elderly residents and the weather is more temperate through the winter. So where other countries get electrical bills, we get hydro bills. Fun fact: KD is our most consumed product in Canada, even beating out maple syrup! She has lived in 18 countries in the past 10 years, explored more than 30 countries, and has done most of it solo. Here are the words that most Canadians say wrong | CBC Radio Loaded. You may have noticed I just snuck in an apology above. Example The house is about five clicks away. They can claim different accents. If you tripped, you biffed it. The number six comes from the last digit in Toronto's area code 416. A multi-story parking lot, also known as a parking garage. WebIt might seem a bit weird, but tah-bar-nac (the box where the Eucharist is kept) is a common swear word uttered in a fit of agitation. When directly translated, this American phrase sounds to a non-English speaker that the speaker is wishing them ill will or putting some kind of curse on them. 7 Hills Every Minnesotan Is Willing To Die On, 15 Things People From Minnesota Always Have To Explain To Out Of Towners, 10 Undeniable Things Youll Find In Every Minnesota Home, 15 Reasons Living In Minnesota Is The Best And Everyone Should Move Here, 11 Strange Habits Every Minnesotan Will Defend To The Death, 10 Secrets Every Minnesotan Will Confess To If You Know Them Well Enough, 8 Words And Phrases People In Minnesota Just Dont Understand, 13 Thoughts Everyone From Minnesota Has When Growing Up, wikimedia commons/Staff Sgt. Its become more of a colloquial term amongst Prairie residents. But the word said incorrectly the most is voluptuous. Nina Clapperton is the founder of Nina Out and About. We use terms like sneakers and running shoes as well, but something about saying runners is apparently distinctly Canadian. Im guessing something about the coziness of a hoodie led to the name, but I couldnt find a good explanation. Classic potato chips covered in a salty ketchup seasoning that leaves a red stain on everything it touchesfingers, tongues, clothing, and upholstery. WebCertainly, unfamiliar things can seem silly, and the perception of silliness may be helped along by the fact that the British are known for not taking themselves too seriouslyin contrast to Americans, whom the Brits generally think of as being too earnest.. Typically if youre going south, youre going down somewhere warm like Florida or the Caribbean. Up North is where all the lakes and cabins are, and where the best fall foliage is. The Canadian $1 bill was replaced with a $1 coin in 1987. But for an outsider to the U.S., it might have them asking, "What do rockets have to do with anything?". Americans often use idioms that can easily confuse foreigners. This supersized 101 ounces of alcohol lends credence to the unofficial state slogan that everything is bigger in Texas. These are some of the popular Canadian slang words. Canadian Slang Words! For the Maritimes, the rest of the country is out west. The term was made popular by Mississauga rapper and artist Ramriddlz and Toronto's very own 6ix god Drake. Do this and youll be screeched in. A situation or event that is a disaster or gets way too out of control. For us, the term gong show Furthermore, Qubec is the only fully French-speaking province in Canada. A Mountie is a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Other variations include famo or famz (because Torontonians like to add 'z' to the end of every word.). Todd Bridges and Gary Coleman played brothers. For instance, you and a friend are playing a sport and your friend makes a really bad play, you'd roast your friend and note how weak that play was. If someone is being wishy washy or sus (short for suspicious), then you can easily categorize them as being "mix up". And for more on how strange our country can be, learn theThe 40 Most Enduring Myths in American History. In 1998 the municipalities of East York, Etobicoke, North York, York, Scarborough, and the former Toronto merged to make what is now Toronto. WebImportantly, Canadians do not intersperse either word at random throughout sentences. But as one Reddit user pointed out, the expression is not used outside the U.S., creating confusion for non-Americans. "I found that hilarious and struggled to keep a straight face whenever any of my American colleagues used the word fanny. It comes from the French word depanneur which is the actual name for a convenience store. Is there a certain Canadian 'timbre' or 'tone' I can work on? Either way, I hope you laugh and learn while reading this guide to 100+ Canadian slang words. The Canadian term for a bathroom or restroom, and the variation that makes the most sensenot all have baths, public ones are usually not great places to rest, and a friendly reminder to wash up before you leave! What are five weird things Minnesotans do that surprise most people from other parts of the country? document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { Its simply short for homogenized milk or whole milk with 3.25% fat. For example, it may be 28C, but with the humidex it feels like 35C. 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. An example would be if you're going to McDonald's you'd say "it's a McDonald's flex". If youre from abroad, read on to see the crazy sayings we use and think are normal! However, some other countries do (check here!). This hospitable saying comes from the island of Newfoundland off the east coast of the Canadian mainland, meaning do whatever you want or help yourself to as much as youd like. Play outside in the snow wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops. It can also be a derogatory term for supporters of the Bloc Quebecois. Visiting foreigners often comment on just how friendly Americans tend to be, even to complete strangers. A puck bunny is a derogatory term for a female fan of hockey. If someone is being stupid, you just resort to calling them a bean, it's pretty simple. All rights reserved, This is a kind of meal made with French fries, cheese and gravy. But Canadians use it differently. However, going south is a whole other thing. This weird colloquialism to describe trying to superficially improve something that's ugly or deficient makes sense when you explain it to an outsider, but, as Bustle's JR Thorpe puts it, "One of the main reasons the rest of the world finds American politics bizarre is that, often, we don't understand what on earth your politicians are saying. "Here in the U.K. fanny [means something vulgar]," says Huffington Post reader Sonia Atkins. In Canada, our electricity comes from the hydroelectric power company. TheGateway to the West is known for its extremely cold winters and mosquito-infested summers. Commonly mispronounced words include schedule, prescription, tomato, and probably. If there is something in abundance, then you've got bare amount of it. 30 American Sayings That Leave Foreigners Totally Puzzled. For example, you may say that Timmies is kitty-corner to your home if it is diagonally across an intersection. WebIf a Canadian is trying to encourage someone, they may say keep trying or giver. Real Canadians try as hard as they can! 4. Chesterfields are sofas or couches. Its name comes from the Loon (a bird) on the Tails side of the coin. WebPronounced too-uk, its a warm, brimless, knit hatoften with a tassel or pom-pom on topwhich people outside of Canada usually call a ski hat or a beanie.