Comments on: 10 Canadian Expressions

By: Priyank

Priyank — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:16:35 +0000

Oh good series!! Some more words:

Washroom (Americans just don’t understand it, eh!)
Tuque: Close fitting knitted head covering (its not a hat, its not a cap!)
Canuck: A Canadian
Timmies: Tim Hortons (I think you covered this before)
I’m sure there are more words, I just can’t remember them rightnow!
Priyank´s last blog ..Linguistic delights of Toronto

By: Zhu

Zhu — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:36:27 +0000

@barbara – It is a love/ hate relationship, yet it is overall a good one. It’s more a mix of fascination and envy I guess…

By: barbara

barbara — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:56:23 +0000

Salut Zhu,

Fascinating !! I love it
I always suspected something of a “love / hate” realtionship with your US neighbors. For once it’s nice to say that despite my citizenship, I don’t live next door since a long time. I’m of the transplanted variety of American

Bises !

By: Zhu

Zhu — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000

@Nigel Babu – You do, eh?

@Bluefish – I have never heard “guichet” being used in Ontario to be honest. Maybe it’s just a Québec thing?

@Agnes –

@shionge – Do you, as well, in Singapore?

@Tanya – I found there is quite a lot of slang we have in common, between Canada and Northern US states. Must be the cold

@Seb – You’ve never seen a toonie before? You’d love them! Maybe you can apply to design the bear on them? You’d make them more fun, I’m sure.

@DianeCA – I know, even in France signs say “stop” and not “arrêt”.

@Rich B – This expression is so funny for me, because in French it is synonym with “having an affair” (most people finish work at 7 pm, so if you leave at 5 pm without the wife/ husband knowing and don’t go straight home, well…). I have never heard English people using it though, only Québecers.

Hope you are doign well!

@Kirsten – It is definitely more common in less urban areas. I once had a couple of customers from the country and they “eh-ed” every two words – hilarious!

@Khengsiong – Yes, there are. The accent in the Maritimes is stronger and more “Scottish” like I have heard. Otherwise, nothing as drastic as UK/ Scottish/ Irish accent. At least, not that I have noticed.

@Seraphine – It seems a bit more formal to me. I almost never hear Canadians saying stuff like “he don’t got any” or “I ain’t done that” — this is more American to me.

By: Seraphine

Seraphine — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:02:00 +0000

a branch manager! laffs.
it’s fun to learn some canadian colloquilisms. but i think canadian english is a bit more formal than american english.
at least, canadians don’t “butcher the language” the same way americans do.
Seraphine´s last blog ..My Fascination with Xombies

By: Khengsiong

Khengsiong — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:27:28 +0000

Canadian is so vast. Are there regional differences?
Khengsiong´s last blog ..陶傑評海外中國人

By: Kirsten

Kirsten — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:58:03 +0000

I have a friend who lives in Toronto. When he was at university in Sudbury, he used “eh” a lot more than he does now. I’m assuming it’s more common in less populated areas.

I especially like the term “gas bar” for gas station. It makes it sound so elegant!
Kirsten´s last blog ..On The Internet #5

By: Rich B

Rich B — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:12:40 +0000

Hey Juliette,
you forgot about “cinq a sept” which I heard after listening to “outside the city” by Young Galaxy

Americans don’t have an equivalent…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinq_%C3%A0_sept

By: DianeCA

DianeCA — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:27:06 +0000

Okay I’m all set to go to Canada! Now I know the lingo But honestly, even in Norway they don’t make the stop signs bilingual…I mean most people get STOP! hehehe
DianeCA´s last blog ..Window shopping on a rainy day in Bekkestua

By: Seb

Seb — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:14:21 +0000

Awww, those poor Newfies, always getting picked on. Great joke though, I like it!

I had no clue there was a 2 dollar coin in Canada called a Toonie. And you say it features a polar bear??!!! Awesome. Just awesome.
Seb´s last blog ..Circus Magic Drawing