How to Understand Canadian Slang: 6 Steps (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-19 22:11

In Canada, we've had enough of trying to keep two languages spoken, without ever having to try to find slang, so we've just lived our lives using English for literature, Scottish for preaching, and American English for conversation -- Stephen Leacock

Canadians are proud of their cultural heritage and linguistic diversity. To express this uniqueness, there are some special words that describe their identity.

However, be aware that not all Canadians use all of these terms. This guide is intended to prepare you to know what the terms mean when you hear them; but this does not mean the terms will be understood by everyone throughout Canada.

Step

Method 1 of 1: Understanding Canadian Slang

Step 1. Familiarize yourself with the following common terms:

Loonie – Common word to refer to the Canadian one dollar coin.
Toonie – A common word to refer to the Canadian two dollar coin, pronounced "tu-ni."
Garberator- Electric grinding equipment that is useful for drying the kitchen sink, grinding biodegradable substances, so that they can be cleaned and disposed of through the water line. In terms based on English in the US, this is called "garbage disposal".
Kerfuffle – Similar to brouhaha, which is a chaotic situation which is usually negative; noisy or heated argument.
Homo Milk – Whole milk that has been homogenized; 3% milk.
Beauty – An expression used to refer to something well done or someone who is very great. Most Canadians only know the term from SCTV characters Bob and Doug, in the satirical comedy series "The Great White North".
Double-Double – spoken when ordering coffee; indicates a desire of two parts cream and two parts sugar.
Timmy's or Tim's or Timmy Ho's or Up the Horton's – Slang for Tim Horton, a well-known brand of donut shops and coffee shops named after leading hockey players.
Brutal- Something very harsh or unfair, eg "Oh man, that fall was brutal".
Serviette – Paper napkins. Not slang, just another name for 'napkin' in French.
Gorp - Trail mix, which is a snack that is usually consumed when camping/climbing. These snacks may include various nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, Smarties, or other sweets. This gorp actually stands for "Good Old Raisins and Peanuts".
scoff- used primarily in the Eastern peninsula to describe a large meal, for example a pot-luck dinner party.
Uh - (pronounced "ey"). It is a suffix that some Canadians add at the end of a sentence, to ask for a response of approval or disapproval. The meaning is similar to "yes, no" or "no?" (similar to the word "huh?" used in the US). For example, “Looks like a storm is coming, doesn't it?”. It is also a polite way of speaking – to ensure that the other person feels included. Sometimes, the word "eh" is also used in conjunction with "I know", for example, "Wow, the Calgary Flames really kicked butt tonight!" (Wow, the Calgary Flames really did great tonight) -"I know, eh?"
Two-Four – The term workers to refer to a chest containing 24 bottles of beer.
Fifty and Cinquante - Labatt 50, a Canadian beer brand. The word Cinquante refers to the number fifty in French. This term is limited to regular beer drinkers. Canadians who don't drink beer may not know this "term" at all.
Mickey - Small drink bottles.
Tuque - (pronounced "tyuk"). This is a knitted hat commonly used in winter, known as a Ski Cap in the US.
Toboggan – A long slide, usually made of wood, used for recreation in winter, to carry one or more people down a snow-covered hill.
Click- Slang term for "kilometer".
Hydro- Refers to electricity, not water. Similar to the electricity service in the provinces where most of the power is supplied by hydropower. "The hydro is out" means the electric power is off, not the water service is off. This phrase extends to things like 'hydro polishes,' 'hydro wires,' and 'hydro bill'.
Peameal or Back bacon – Smoked meat obtained from the back of the pig, instead of the sides. The meat is pickled in brine then rolled in cornstarch. Initially, peanut flour was used, but this flour smelled rancid, so it was replaced by corn flour. However, the name "peameal" (peanut flour) remains synonymous with this meat.
The States – The United States, except in the language of writing, becomes "the US".
washroom – Refers to one place that includes a toilet, sink, and bath.
Pop – Many Canadians use the term "pop" to refer to sugary and carbonated soft drinks (sparkling drinks).
Rattled – When someone feels embarrassed or angry. This term is not unique only to Canada.
Snake – Someone who is unfriendly or does things only for himself. Shows the qualities of a snake (cunning).
Chinook - (pronounced "shinuk" in some areas). A warm dry wind that blows on the eastern slopes of the rocky mountains along Alberta and the prairies. Shinuk can cause the temperature to rise up to 11°C to 22°C within 15 minutes.
Poutine - (pronounced putin). French fries served with cheese curd and covered with gravy. Originally from Quebec but can now be found all over Canada (risk increases heart attack but tastes delicious). You're not Canadian if you've never played hockey and stopped for poutine and beer).
Sook, sookie or sookie baby – Ordinary means someone who is weak and self-pitying; people who don't want to cooperate, especially out of spite; a crybaby or a bitter loser. This term can also be an affectionate term for a loving pet or child. Pronounced to rhyme with the term "took" in Atlantic Canada. In Ontario, it is pronounced and spelled like "suck" but is used the same.
Beaver Tail – Cakes commonly sold by Beaver Tail Canada Inc., are flat-fried, crumbly cakes with beaver tail shape. This cake is usually served with various toppings: ice cream, maple syrup, powdered sugar, and fruit. Originally from Ottawa.
Crayon Pencil - colored pencils.

Step 2. Canada is a big country (second largest in the world and only lost by Russia)

Different parts of the country have their own slang terms for some things. Make sure you learn the local slang of the area you are visiting:

Canuck – Canadians!
Run a message – means to carry out the task.
Coastie – someone from Vancouver or the Lower Mainland area; someone who behaves and dresses like a city person.
Islander – someone from Vancouver Island on the left peninsula of Prince Edward Island, in the Maritimes area.
Elephant Ears – a dessert made from fried dough, usually added with lemon juice and cinnamon sugar. This dish is also called Beaver Tail or Whale's Tail (South-Western Ontario).
Boot - Short for "bootlegger," a term used in Western Canada to refer to someone who illegally purchases alcohol for minors.
The Island - Vancouver Island, B. C., or, if you are in the Maritimes (NB, NS, etc.), this term refers to Prince Edward Island or Cape Breton Island. When you're in Ontario, this term usually denotes Manitoulin Island.
the rock – Usually refers to Newfoundland, but is sometimes used for Vancouver Island.
ByTown - Ottawa, Ontario, the capital of Canada.
EdmonChuck - Edmonton. Refers to immigrants from Eastern Europe who came from ancient times, with surnames usually ending in the element "chuck". For example: Sawchuck, Haverchuck, etc.
Cow-Town - Calgary, Alberta
Fraggle Rock - Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia (is a mining town, and Fraggle Rock used to be a TV show for kids that involved dolls, including small miner dolls).
Tumbler Turkeys – A crow found in or around Tumbler Ridge, B. C.
from away – People who were not born in the Atlantic provinces, but are visiting or living in one of them.
Dawson Ditch - Dawson Creek, B. C.
Deathbridge - Lethbridge, Alberta
The Hat - Medicine Hat, Alberta
Hog Town," or "The Big Smoke - Toronto
The 'Shwa - Oshawa, Ont.; mocking term, "The Dirty, Dirty 'Shwa"
Jambuster – Jelly donuts (a term used in the prairie provinces and Northern Ontario).
Vi-Co (Vai-ko) – Chocolate milk. Named after a defunct milk brand that was founded in Saskatchewan. This term can still be found on some menus, especially truck rest areas. Options for milk are usually written as "white" or "Vico".
BunnyHug - A hooded pullover, also known as a 'hoodie'. Only used in Saskatchewan.
The 'Couv - Vancouver, B. C. (a very unpopular term).
The Hammer - Hamilton, Ontario
Whadda'yat?

– A Newfoundland term meaning "What are you doing?"
Siwash – The general Saskatchewan term to refer to a type of sweater from the Western peninsula, also known as the Cowichan. The tribal roots are different.
Caisse popular – Cooperative banks, or credit unions, are most commonly found in Quebec. It is also known as caisse pop or caisse po or, more simply, the caisse. Say "Keise Pop-yu-leir"
Homeneur – in Quebec, the grocery store or corner store. The word comes from the word "dépanner", which means "to help for a while". The short form is usually called "the dep".
Guichet – Quebec term for ATM machine.
Seltzer – B. C. slang for a carbonated drink commonly known as "pop" by other Canadians, and as either "pop" or "soda" to Americans ("Pop" is the preferred term in most areas of B. C.).
Rink Rat – Someone who spends a lot of time in the ice skating ring.
Skook – Slang terms in B. C. or "Chinook" (pronounced sku-kam) to denote the term "strong", it can also mean "great", "big", and "magical". The jargon “Chinook” itself is a mixture of French, English, Salish, and Nootka that was used by the early traders and early settlers of Canada. The word Skookum comes from the Chahalis language, which means strong, brave, or great.
"Hammered" - Drunk
"polluted" - Drunk – Atlantic Canada
"Wrecked" - Drunk – Atlantic Canada
"Right out of 'er" - Drunk – Atlantic Canada
"Drive 'er" or "Drive 'er MacGyver" – Do it. Try it (Atlantic Canada).
"Give 'er" – Similar to the term above, but can also mean "come on, please". Used throughout Canada.
What are you sayin' – Atlantic slang for "What are your plans?"
Snowbirds - (Usually) elderly people who leave their country in the winter and live in the Southern states of the US.
The Esks - Edmonton Eskimos, Football team. The term is commonly used with positive connotations by local residents.
"Winterpeg" – A pejorative term for Winnipeg, Manitoba.
"Toon Town" – Local term for Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Newfie of Newf – Residents of Newfoundland. The term can also refer to the Newfoundland dog.
Bluenose – Resident of Nova Scotia, or refers to a well-known secondary as seen on Canadian coins.
Cod-choker, or cod-chucker – New Brunswick resident.

Step 3. "Caper" – People from Cape Breton Island

Boonie-bounce – Drive through bushes or uneven roads while driving a four wheeler, bicycle or truck for fun and noise.
Saskabush - Saskatchewan
Mum – The call of the people of British Columbia (and other provinces) for their mother. Occasionally, you'll see a “Mom” version here, but only on ads imported from Ontario or the US.

Step 4. "Ma an Da" - A call to mom and dad by some in Cape Breton

Step 5. “mudder and fadder” – Many Newfoundlanders call their mom and dad

"missus" - Newfoundland – can mean any woman, or someone's wife based on the context.
Prairie Newfie - Residents of Saskatchewan.
Ginch, gonch; gitch or gotch – An ancient and prolonged debate over the proper term for underwear. Residents of Northern British Columbia prefer ginch or gonch, while residents of Southern Alberta, gitch or gotch.
A Social – Manitoba social gatherings for large numbers of people, usually held in community centers or public halls. Tickets are on sale for the event and there will be a bar available, usually as a fundraiser for an engaged couple or a local charity. There is always music and dancing, and snacks are usually served around the evening, including coldcuts etc. – all foods suitable for socializing. Sometimes there are also prize draws and silent auctions.
It's givin – A term to refer to weather forecasts. "It's giving rain for tomorrow". "What's it givin'?"(what's the weather tomorrow? – used by people in the Southwest Nova Scotia area)
Weatherin – A term to refer to bad weather. "It's weatherin' here, so be careful driving home".
Casteup - Accident. "There was a big casteup on the highway last night".
botatoes – Potatoes (Southwest Nova Scotia).
smash - Mash "She smashed the botatoes" (He pounded the potatoes – Southwest Nova Scotia).
" lewer day" – Days when fishermen must not go to sea due to weather conditions (Southwest Nova Scotia).
" flatass calm" – The day when there are no waves in the sea (Southwest Nova Scotia).
" Tunk" - Knock "She tunked on the door"
" cruellize" – was cruel to "He cruellized that dog, you" (He was cruel to the dog - Southwest Nova Scotia).
" some", " right", " right down" – Adjectives used like this: "That was some good meal, you" (That was right down silly). "That was right good" (That was really good - Southwest Nova Scotia)
" alarm" - Trigger. "He alarmed the clock"
" copasetic" - Okay, fine. Used like this: "Is everything copasetic now?"
" mawga" – Not feeling well. "I'm not going to work because I'm mawga."
" lobby" - lobster (Southwest Nova Scotia)
" homard" - lobster (from France, but now used by the Anglos) (Southwest Nova Scotia)
" bones" - dollars. "That cost me 50 bones."
" buddy" - man, neighbor "Buddy up the road helped me shovel out"
" God's country" - Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia).
" rappie pie" – An Akkadian dish made with potatoes and meat (rabbit, chicken). Its real name is pate rapure.
" Cowboy codfish “– Residents of the Maritimes region who go to the West for work.
" T" Used instead of petit. "You know T-Paul, eh?" (Paul's son, little Paul). Some people may add the names of parents or fiancés to the first name to distinguish many people with identical names. A daughter may be called with the addition of her father's first name until she married, then changed to her husband's first name: SallyJohn, then SallyBilly (Southwest Nova Scotia). These nicknames are very common in the Southwest Nova area, and for the same reason.
" owly" – in a bad mood. "She's some old today"
" greasy" - slippery. "Those roads are some greasy today"
" hain't" – no/no (Southwest Nova Scotia)
" titrieye" or " rinctum" – tantrums (Southwest Nova Scotia)
" stiver" - stumbled. "He was so drunk that he was stiverin' around on the main road"
" nighin' onto" - approaching. "It's nighin' onto noon"
" smart" – still alert and active."She's still smart even though she's 90".
" cunning" - cute. "Hain't that some cussid cunnin' kid?"
" tantoaster" – a great storm.
" whose boy amya?

“– Where are you from and who are your parents?? (Southwest Nova Scotia)
" Hali" - Halifax, Nova Scotia
" the city" - Halifax, Nova Scotia, for those who live in Nova Scotia.
" Hawlibut" – How people in Southwest Nova Scotia pronounce halibut (only different in emphasis).
" Skawlups" – How people in Southwest Nova Scotia pronounce scallops (only different in emphasis).
" Fillit" – How do people in Southwest Nova Scotia pronounce fillet.
" fordeleven" – A measurement that means several miles. "He lives fordeleven miles up the road"
" upalong" – Along the peninsula "He lives upalong" (He lives there - Southwest Nova Scotia).
" marvel on up the road" – Drive down the street and see what happens (used on a very small area in the Southwest part of Nova Scotia)
" yarn" – chat. "Guess I'll marvel on up the road and have a yarn with John."
" EH-yuh" – A versatile word. "EH-yuh, I don't believe that foolishness." This word can also mean thank you, as well as show approval: "Amya going out (fishing) tomorrow?" ?) "EH-yuh, but it's givin' rain".
" mugup" - Snack. "That was some good mugup I had aboard the boat. (That was a nice snack on the boat - Southwest 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. Don't be mistaken for a Caper.
" tinka" – Minors. "We don't let tinkas drink here."
"son", " sonnybub", " bubba", " old son", " bye", " you" – A very informal call but taken for granted by locals in Southwest Nova Scotia. "How are you, old son" (How are you?) "Now don't be doing that, sonnybub" Hey you, give me a hand with this lobster pot" (Hey, help me with this lobster dish) "Here you go deah. That should be enough to pay for the coffee." These terms are unacceptable when spoken "from away" to local residents (Southwest Nova Scotia)
" Who was she back in the day?” – What is her maiden name? (Southwest Nova Scotia)
ceilidh - (Kei-li) word from Gaelic. Kitchen party. In Cape Breton, this means gathering people to play music, sing, dance and eat.
" geely", " kriley", " geely kriley". There are several functions. "Geely, did you see that?" (Wow, did you see that?) "Kriley, it's some cold out there" what you do before you hurt someone - Southwest Nova Scotia).
" Young fella" – Usually refers to boys (sometimes girls) in their early teens and late twenties (Southwest Nova Scotia).
" Little fella" Usually used in a manner indicating the ownership of "Whose little fella is that?" – for an infant or young child (Southwest Nova Scotia).
" Geezly" – Can mean 'very'. "That's some geezly big shark he caught"
" Prit'near" - Short for "pretty near". Used in Southern Saskatchewan to refer to the term "almost" or sometimes "fairly". For example: "Let's head inside, since it's prit'near suppertime".) "Aunt Jennie has 52 cats. Yup, she's prit'near crazy" (Aunt Jennie has 52 cats. Yes, she's almost crazy).

Step 6. Be careful using the following pejorative terms:

Canuck (if not spoken by a Canadian) could be considered demeaning. This term is spoken by Canadians to themselves and to each other as an expression of affection. However, you shouldn't use it unless you're Canadian (though most Canadians like to be called Canuck.. –Signed. The Canuck-).
Hoser- Hoser: This term has many origins: most commonly referring to the game of hockey, before the invention of Zamboni, the losing team had to melt ice on the field by pouring water through a hose (hose). This is what underlies the term "hoser".
newfie – a slightly derogatory term for someone from Newfoundland and Labrador. The term is mainly used in "Newfie jokes", that is, typical ethnic Canadian jokes. Many Newfoundlanders use this term with pride among their own people, so they are usually not offended when the term is used not intentionally derogatory.
Frog – A pejorative term for Canadian French, spoken by Canadian Westerners. More common, however, is "Jean-Guy Pepper," or "Pepper," or "Pepsi," which is usually an insult that French Canadians are like a bottle of Pepsi, containing nothing but empty air between the neck and the top.
Square head – A pejorative term for Anglophone Canadians. Most often used in Quebec. However, in Quebec, the term is called in French "Tête carrée." (Say Thet-Kerei).
Ruth – British Columbian slang for 'cruel'.
Saltchuck British Columbia term for the Pacific Ocean.
The Sticks A term originating in British Columbia to describe a person who lives in the forest.

Tips

The Anglo Canadian alphabet has 26 letters and the letter 'z' is pronounced 'zed'.
The term "junior high" is used for grades 7-9 or 7-8, "middle school" is usually only used for schools with grades 6-8, and the terms "freshman", "sophomore", "junior", and "senior" usually never used for high school (Eastern Canada) or secondary school (Western Canada). Students after secondary are usually referred based on the year of the program of study.
You should understand that as in all countries, there will be different dialects in some provinces and areas. This article is written to teach common expressions of certain areas and cannot duplicate all common pronunciations and phrases.
English words are also often the same as French words for Quebecers, for example: hamburger, coke, gas.
The term “university” is restricted to schools that offer four-year degree programs. The term "college" usually refers only to community colleges with a one- or two-year program (applies to most provinces, but not Quebec, which has a slightly different school system).
In the suburbs of Alberta and Saskatchewan, the term "bluff" is used to describe a group of trees isolated by a prairie, while the term "slough" (pronounced slu) refers to a small, marshy area of land isolated by grassland.
Metric measurements are usually shortened in some areas of Alberta, such as "klicks" or "Kay" for kilometers ("I ran five Kay" or "I drove thirty klicks" (I drove thirty kilos); "cents" for centimeters ("eight centimeters long"); and "mils" for millimeters and milliliters ("eg eight mils - eight millimeters wide").
People in Newfoundland will visit a mime show at Christmas.
The speakers hailing from B. C. and Alberta rarely combines words like "at you" which sometimes sound like "etcyu".
In Atlantic Canada, the accent is more influenced by Scottish and Irish sounds, especially in Cape Breton and Newfoundland. Newfoundland has hundreds of different words and dialects that have been preserved mainly because of the isolated state of its communities. These accents and dialects can't be found anywhere else in Canada, and linguists have long been coming to Newfoundland to study these 500-year-old dialects. One example is the word outport, meaning a small peninsula community, which resulted in a perpetual feud between townies (people from towns in St. John's and Central such as Grand Falls-Windsor and Gander) and baymen (people from outport areas).).
Quebec Anglophones have adopted French words liberally, such as autoroute for highway and dépanneur for grocery store, as well as French constructions. In Quebec, people travel by Metro instead of the subway, are part of a syndicate system organization instead of unions, and attend reunions instead of gatherings.
In the Ottawa Valley, the accent is heavily influenced by the Irish people who inhabit the area. The accent here is very distinguishing, and can't be found anywhere else in Canada.
Toronto residents may refer to the city as T-Dot.
People in various parts of Canada refer to Remembrance Day as Poppy Day or Armistice Day.
In most provinces, the "ou" sound in words like "about" is usually pronounced the same as the "oa" in aboat," especially when speaking fast/casual. This pronunciation is also usually the only indication that the speaker is not American. This is most pronounced in the Eastern peninsula and Ontario. In BC, the word usually sounds like "abouh," with the ou sound as in snout and the H taking the place of T. This is because of the mixing of the word endings in the region.
Quebecois cursing usually has more to do with blasphemous words than bodily functions, for example, "Ostie, Sacrement, Tabernacle, Calice" (pronounced "osty tabarnak kahliss") which really refers to the host, sacrament, tabernacle, and cup on Catholic churches. This is considered a very scandalous saying. In addition, French Canadians are usually free to say "C'est toute fucké" ("totally fucked up") in almost all companies, except the most formal ones. Less powerful versions of the saying about the church include – but are not limited to: tabarouette (pronounced tabberwet), sacrebleu, caline, and chocolate.