Canadianisms
(contrasted and compared with the US)
EXPRESSIONS
| "Eh?" | Don't you think? Conversational device that allows an unconfrontational canadian to turn a statement into a poll of opinion.
| Canuck | nickname for a Canadian
| clicks | slang for kilometres or kilometres per hour
| hoser | unsophisticated person
| keener | boot-licker, brown-noser, suck-up
| kerfuffle | commotion; flurry of agitation
| Molson muscle | potbelly (Molson is a Canadian brand of beer)
| lineup | line of people; queue
| "for sure" | definitely
| to be on pogey | to be on welfare
| mickey | 375 ml. (13 oz.) bottle of liquor
| two-four | case of beer containing 24 bottles
| arse, bum | one's hind quarters.
|
WE CALL IT, THEY CALL IT
| Food | |
backbacon | Canadian bacon
| icing sugar | powdered sugar
| whitener | powdered non-dairy creamer put in coffee or tea
| processed cheese | american cheese
| chocolate bar | candy bar.
| brown bread | whole wheat bread
| homo milk | whole milk
| rye & ginger | canadian whiskey and gingerale
| | Academic | |
write (a test) | take a test
| invigilate (an exam) | to proctor an exam
| tutorial | recitation
| marking (a test) | grading a test
| public school | elementary school
| supply teacher | substitute teacher
| college | community college
| | Other | |
zed (Z) | zee (Z)
| chesterfield | couch
| the bill | what Canadians ask for in a restaurant (Americans ask for the check)
| eavestrough | rain gutter on the eaves (edge of the roof) of a house
| elastic | rubber band
| girl guides | girl scouts
| housecoat | robe or bathrobe
| hydro | electricity
| serviette | paper napkin
| tap | faucet or spigot
| washroom | bathroom
| track pants | sweat pants
| runners | tennis shoes
| muskoka chair | large, usually wooden deck chair
| postal code | zip code
|
THINGS YOU'LL ONLY FIND IN CANADA
| Food | |
beavertail | deep-fried dessert pastry resembling a beaver's tail
| poutine | French fries covered with cheese curds and gravy
| ketchup chips | believe it or not
| vinegar on fries | especially fish & chips
| butter tart | a small, pecan-pie-like tart
| nanaimo bar | a multilayer brownie and icing
| tortiere | a french-canadian meat pie
| milk in a bag | comes in a group of 3 bags
| | Brands | |
Smarties | something like M&Ms
| | Crispy Crunch | chocolate bar
|
Coffee Crisp | chocolate bar
| Caramilk | chocolate bar
| Shreddies | cereal
| | Other | |
5-pin bowling | a smaller ball, and only 5 pins---great for kids and drunks
| mountie | member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (like the FBI)
| toonie (or twoonie) | Canadian two-dollar coin (since 1996)
| toque (or tuque) | woollen, usually pointed cap worn in the winter
|
MEDIA THAT IS POPULAR IN CANADA BUT NOT IN THE US
| David Wilcox | not the american folk singer, the canadian blues guitarist and poet
| The Tragically Hip | sell out multi-day festivals in canada, play 100-person bars in the US
| Bare Naked Ladies | after many years, broke into the US on the "american pie" soundtrack
| Maclean and Maclean | two low-brow Nova Scotian comedian/musicians
|
* this is far from complete
OTHER INTERESTING DIFFERENCES
- The Canadian 'accent' can be heard most easily in the following words: out,
about, house, and others with 'ou'. For example, canadian pronounciation of
the word 'out' is like 'e' as in 'pet' followed by 'oot' as in 'boot', sounding
like 'e'+'oot'. American pronounciation of 'out' is more like 'ow' as in
'cow', sounding like 'ow'+'t'. Other words often pronounced differenctly are
'pop', and 'roof'. Of course, the trademark 'eh' at the end of a statement is
a dead giveaway.
- Canadian spellings can also cause confusion: colour vs color, cheque vs check,
centre vs center, etc.
- Canada uses the metric system, although canadians quote their height and
wieght in feet/inches and pounds. Industry, for the most part, still uses
imperial units.
- For measuring temperature, Canada uses celcius (rather than fahrenheit).
- Although there are many differences in prices of things between US and
Canada, two that stand out are the after-exchange lower prices of electronics
in the US, and the far lower prices of CDs in Canada. Also, there is a pricing
inversion for CDs such that in the US the older CDs are the cheapest, while in
Canada it is the newest releases that are usually on sale.
- The drinking age in Canada is 19 in most provinces, and 18 in Alberta,
Manitoba, and Quebec. Note that the provinces where it is 18 alternate
as you go west to east. Coincidence?
- Soda/pop is made with corn syrup in the US, and sugar in Canada---this changes
the taste significantly.
- It's been said that Canadians are simply disarmed Americans with health care.
- Some of these 'Canadianisms' are of British origin, and can be found there as well.
- Football rules: size of our footballs, football fields, and one less down
- Canadian inventions: ski-doos, jet-skis, velcro, zippers, insulin,
penicillin, zambonis, the telephone, short wave radios, robertson screws (square hole)