Canadian Slang

CANADIAN SLANG

Loonie - the Canadian one-dollar coin. Although not actually slang, the way it sounds has lead other people to believe it is.

Toonie - the Canadian two-dollar coin, pronounced "too-nee." Also not slang.

Garberator- disposal for biodegradable garbage found in kitchen sinks, referred in the US as "garbage disposal"

Kerfuffle - Awkward or stressful situation.

Highway - A major road, Canadian equivalent of the American "freeway"

Hoover - Vacuum, deriving from the brand name. To say someone "is like a hoover" means they eat very fast.

Homo Milk - homogenized whole milk, 3% milk.

Beauty - expression used to refer to something done extremely well. Much less common, but still said by a fair amount of us.

Runners - athletic sport shoes. Taken from 'running shoes'.

Timbits - The "doughnut hole" pastries available at Tim Hortons.

Timmies - Slang for Tim Hortons, a chain of coffee shops named after a famous hockey player.

Brutal- Something excessively harsh or unfair. ex. "Oh man, that fall was brutal."

Eh - (pronounced "ey", as in "hey" or "hay") word you add to the end of a sentence, to ask for a response of agreement or disagreement, similar in meaning to "don't you think?", or "right?" (ex. "Looks like a storm comin' in, eh?"). It is also sometimes used with "I know", and in that case it doesn't really mean anything. ("Wow, the Calgary Flames really kicked butt tonight!" -"I know, eh?").

Two-Four - (may be pronounced "Two-Fer") a case of beer, so-called because it contains 24 bottles. In fact, Victoria Day, a federal holiday honoring Queen Victoria (or the current reigning British monarch), and which takes place the Monday on or before May 24th, is often referred to as "the May two-four," since it's considered an excellent time to get good and hosed.

Toque - (pronounced "tuke" (like Luke)) a knit cap usually worn in winter. Known as a Ski Cap in the USA. Popular amongst skateboarders year-round.

Toboggan - a simple sled and a traditional form of transportation. Now used primarily on snow to carry one or more people (usually children) down a hill for recreation.

Click- a kilometer, which is how most of the world measures distance, as opposed to the American and British mile. For reference, a mile is 1.7 kilometres.

Peameal or Back bacon -back bacon cured in maple syrup. Often coated in peameal. Referred to by Americans as 'Canadian Bacon'.

Rattled - When someone is embarrassed or angry