Canadian Slang (english)
Created | Updated Feb 15, 2002
Being Both the neighbour to, and largest trading partner of, the United States, AND being a former Colony of the British Isles, Canada often finds itself culturally, well, ignored. This leaves Canadians alone to search for their own cultural identity.
As with all things Canadian and cultural, this list must be sufficiently regionalized, and its distinctness must be affirmed. When suggesting a word, please state what region of Canada the slang originated, and (where possible) how it differs from an US or UK slang word.
Also included in this list are "Canadianisms"; Words that, while not actual slang, are none-the-less, distinctly Canadian.
| (numbers) | |
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 2-4 | Beer Related - noun (pronounced "too-fore") - a case of twenty-four bottled beers. as in "Yes, we'd like a 2-4 of Elsinore please..." |
| A | |
| B | |
| Word | Meaning |
| Barmp | Newfoundland - verb - to honk your car horn, "Barmp the horn" or to honk at someone or something "Hey, Barmp this buddy here" Cultural Note- In most Atlantic Provinces, honking your car horn is actually a friendly gesture-- a way of saying hello to people you are passing by. |
| Block Heater | Canadianism - noun - a device that comes standard on every car sold in Canada. Essentially, it is a small electric heating coil, under the engine block, that is connected to a standard electrical plug protruding from the front of the car (usually above the left headlight). During the winter a car owner will, using an extension cord, plug the block heater into an external wall socket at night. The purpose of this device is simple-- to keep the engine warm so that it will start in the morning. This piece of automotive equipment is so commonplace that Canadians rarely even mention it by name; they instead, refer to block heater usage as "plugging in the car" |
| Bum | Canada wide - verb - to take, or receive- usually used when asking a favour. "Can I bum a ride to the store?" |
| C | |
| Word | Meaning |
| Canuck | Canada Wide - noun, adjective - Colloquial term interchangeable with the word "Canadian". Many non-Canadian journalists and educational institutions improperly assume this is somehow an offensive word, while it is regularly used within Canada in a semi-affectionate manner. Also the name of a British Columbia professional hockey team ("the Vancouver Canucks"). Comparable to the Austrailian term "Aussie", or the UK term "Brit". |
| Chapped | Alberta - noun - Used to describe feelings of anger or frustration toward someone or something. The phrase "chaps my ass" may also be used if especially upset. Currently Requiring Verification if any other Albertans could verify/dismiss this term, it would be greatly apreciated. (a sentence detailing its usage would also be handy) |
| D | |
| E | |
| Word | Meaning |
| Eh | Canada wide - sentence suffix - An unconscious additive to almost every sentence ever spoken by Canadians, as in "Great hockey game last night, Eh?" This seems to reflect a deep-seeded desire by Canadians to have their opinions validated. |
| F | |
| Word | Meaning |
| First Nations | Canadianism - proper noun - The preferred term used when mentioning Canadians of aboriginal decent. comparable to the US term "Native American" |
| G | |
| Word | Meaning |
| Great One, the | Hockey Related - Proper noun - Nick name associated to Wayne Gretzky, an exceptionally talented hockey player and a true gentleman. A Canadian living legend. |
| H | |
| Word | Meaning |
| Hockey | Canadianism - noun - the only word needed by Canadians when talking about the game that every other country in the world calls "ice hockey". Canadians only put adjectives in front of the word if mentioning sports being played on surfaces other than ice ("field hockey", "street hockey") or to indicate the level of skill the hockey players posses ("amateur hockey", "semi-pro hockey") |
| Hockey Chick | Hockey Related - noun - Pertaining to young women whose ultimate goal is to date, and eventually marry a "Rising Star" hockey player in hopes that he will "make it big". "Hockey chicks" can typically be found in small rural towns. They are identified by their propencity for tight pants and exessive make-up. |
| Hockey Mother | Hockey Related - noun - Pertaining to overly aggresive mothers of young hockey players. Sometimes former "hockey chicks", a "hockey mother" is an extremely viscious and bloodthirsty type. Found at almost all amataur hockey games, they are always the most vocal, and obsene, critiques of referees. Completely dispassionate, "hockey mothers" seem to thrive off witnessing the injury* of players who aren't their own offspring. |
| Hork | Ontario - verb - to spit, usually after drawing phlem from the nasal cavity into the mouth "Lets go hork on cars from the overpass." Alternately, to steal or take "Somebody horked our clothes. C'mon, lets go check lost and found." |
| Hosed | Beer Related - noun(?) - extremely Drunk. "Man, was I hosed last night." |
| Hoser, Hosehead | Canada Wide - noun (arcane) - Slightly derogitory term popularised in the mid-Eighties by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis when they conceived the characters Bob and Doug MacKenzie on the variety show SCTV*. No self respecting Canadian actually uses these terms anymore. Comparable to "Idiot" or "Moron". |
| I | |
| Word | Meaning |
| Inuit | Canadianism - proper noun (pronounced "INN-you-eet") - The preferred term used when mentioning the most northerly members of the First Nations. It also aplies to their language (both written and spoken). Literally translated, it means "The People". Comparable to the more vulgar, and somewhat racist, word "Eskimo"* used world-wide. |
| J | |
| K | |
| L | |
| M | |
| N | |
| O | |
| P | |
| Word | Meaning |
| Pogey | Canada Wide - noun (pronounced Poh-GEE) - welfare*, or government assistance. Comparable to the UK term "Dole". |
| Poutine | Quebec - noun (pronounced "Poo-TEEN") - A fast-food dish comprising of french fries , cheese curds and gravy (usually beef gravy, but sometimes chicken). This is especially tasty after night of drinking. |
| Poverty Pack | Beer related - noun - A box of six bottled beers. as in "I'm short on cash this week, just get me a Poverty Pack." |
| Q | |
| R | |
| S | |
| Word | Meaning |
| Smoke | Canada Wide - noun - a cigarette, comparable to the UK term "fag"* |
| Steamé | Quebec - noun (pronounced STEE-meh) - essentially a steamed hot dog, traditionally garnished with chopped cabbage. |
| Stubby | Beer Related - noun (now defunct) - the name associated to the short, neckless, bottles Canadian beer used to be shipped in. These bottles were phased out in favour of the American style "Longneck" bottle when "twist off" caps became popular. |
| T | |
| Word | Meaning |
| T.O.(,The Big) | Canada Wide - noun (pronounced "TEE OH") - Short form for Toronto, Ontario; Canada's Largest city, and the capital of Ontario. As such, much of Canada's big business and media production is done there. Many Canadians hold a certain resentment for Toronto, as most get the impression that Torontonians* assume that they are all there is to Canada. No where is this resentment more apperant, than in Ottawa Ontario, the National Capital. |
| Toque | Canadianism - noun (pronounced "tewk") - A woolen cap, coming to a point, traditionally topped off with a "Pom-Pom". Worn with the bottom rim rolled up, many toques will also have a crest or badge of some sort, to indicate which side goes in the front. |
| Training Beer | Beer Related - noun - Any beer with a per volume alcohol content less than 4.5%. |
| T'rana | Canada Wide - noun (pronounced "trah-NAH") - Usualy said with a heavy nasal inflection. A more sarcastic version of "The Big T.O." |
| U | |
| Word | Meaning |
| U-All | Southern Ontario - noun - Semi derogatory term for a US tourist. A play on the linguistic tendency of Americans to turn the phrase "You All" into one word. Comparable to the UK term "Yank" |
| V | |
| W | |
| W****r | Ontario - noun - Completely different from the British meaning*, a Canadian "w****r" is an individual who listens to Late Eighties and early Ninties Heavy Metal music almost exclusively. Traditionally, a "w****r" sports very long hair teased to obsene volumes, and is prone to wairing extremely tight blue jeans, construction boots (usually unlaced with the tongue sticking out) and a leather or denim jacket. The prefered mode of "w****r" transportation is the late eighties Trans-Am. A "w****r chick" is the female variation of the "w****r". They are set apart only by the desire to whair exremely large amounts of make-up. While the male "wr****r" breed seems to be slowly dying off, many "w****r chicks" can still be found working as check-out attendants in various grocery and department stores. This may be due to the similarity between "hockey chicks" and "w****r chicks". |
| X | |
| Y | |
| Z | |
