Canadian Phrases? - Printable Version
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- thipfan73 - 07-23-2004
hahah that IS funny. They sold twoonies and all circulation money, including the millenium quarters, I was there in like 1999, in special collector cases in the gift shop. I know because my ex-husband bought the twoonie one.
- Stephen Dame - 07-23-2004
thipfan73 Wrote:I know because my ex-husand bought the twoonie one.
He bought the Twonie collectors set? Yeah, I woulda dumped him too...
- thipfan73 - 07-23-2004
I personally thought it was waste, but hey, he wanted it. My Ottawa souvenirs were Hard Rock Cafe shirts from the Byward Market cafe and from the one that was in Kanata. Now THOSE were good investments;-)
- april_wino1 - 07-23-2004
I have lots of questions to ask about Canada!! Okay, here goes:
Measurament:
Okay, it is my understanding that you guys measure temperature in degrees Celcius, distance in kilometres, and speed in kilemetres per hour. But you measure height in feet/inches and weight in pounds, right? So what all do you use the metric measuament for? And what about the imperial measurament? What about as far as ovens go?
Words:
Okay, I understand that for the most part, your English in closer to American than to British, right? With a few exceptions, right?
I know the 'eh' is pronounced like 'hey' without the 'h', right? And it basically means 'do you agree', right? Also, 'for sure' means 'definitely', right? Do you say 'huh' for 'what do you mean', though?
A 'toque' (pronounced 'tuke') is a hat, a woolen pointy hat, right? A 'chesterfield' is a couch - even though that term isn't used much anymore, right? More say 'couch' or 'sofa'? And I know it's 'zed', not 'zee'. How do you finish off the alphabet song? Here we say 'now I know my abc's, next time won't you sing with me'. Also, it's 'runners' instead of 'tennies' or 'sneakers', right? 'Pop', - not 'soda', right? 'Washroom' - not 'restroom', right? 'Housecoat' - not 'bathrobe', right?
Instead of 12th grade - it's grade 12, right? Instead of grading a paper/test - it's marking a paper/test, right? And it's 'supply teacher' - not 'substitute teacher', right? Do you really say 'public school' instead of 'elementary school' - or do you say 'primary school'?
I know it's 'girl guides' instead of 'girl scouts' - and they sell 'girl guide' cookies instead of 'girl scout' cookies, right? What about 'boy scouts', though? Is that 'boy guides', too - or is it 'boy scouts'?
I know you have a prime minister - not a president. You have a deputy prime minister - not a vice president. House of Commons - not House of Representives. And Charter of Rights and Freedoms - not Bill of Rights. Where in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is Freedom of Speech covered?
Also, summers near Toronto get very hot - but winters near Toronto get very cold, right?
What are some other wording differences between Canada and the US?
Pronunciations:
Do you say 'herb' or 'erb'? Do you say 'proe-gress' and 'proe-ject' instead of 'prah-gress' and 'prah-ject'? Do you say 'cair-ruh-bee-uhn' - not 'cuh-ri-bee-uhn'? And is it 'sheh-jule' - not 'skeh-jule'? I know you pronounce it 'a-bout', not 'a-boot' - but you use a raised vowel type pronunciation, though?
I think I know most of it already - but any clarifications would be helpful.
- Stephen Dame - 07-23-2004
april_wino1 Wrote:I have lots of questions to ask about Canada!! Okay, here goes:
Measurament:
Okay, it is my understanding that you guys measure temperature in degrees Celcius, distance in kilometres, and speed in kilemetres per hour. But you measure height in feet/inches and weight in pounds, right? So what all do you use the metric measuament for? And what about the imperial measurament? What about as far as ovens go?
Officially, everything is done in metric, yet colloquialism's still favour the British Imperial system. So my drivers licence says I'm 185cm's, but everybody says: "six-foot-one." I notice more and more people of my sisters age ( 18 ) are dropping the Imperial all together. Ya gotta remember we didn't switch to metric until the 70's, so it's barely a generation old. Ovens and cars have both, metric usually in larger print. But slowly everything is switching... having American TV only prolongs the change since we hear WAY more measurments in feet/inches etc.
Quote:Words:
Okay, I understand that for the most part, your English in closer to American than to British, right? With a few exceptions, right?
I know the 'eh' is pronounced like 'hey' without the 'h', right? And it basically means 'do you agree', right? Also, 'for sure' means 'definitely', right? Do you say 'huh' for 'what do you mean', though?
A 'toque' (pronounced 'tuke') is a hat, a woolen pointy hat, right? A 'chesterfield' is a couch - even though that term isn't used much anymore, right? More say 'couch' or 'sofa'? And I know it's 'zed', not 'zee'. How do you finish off the alphabet song? Here we say 'now I know my abc's, next time won't you sing with me'. Also, it's 'runners' instead of 'tennies' or 'sneakers', right? 'Pop', - not 'soda', right? 'Washroom' - not 'restroom', right? 'Housecoat' - not 'bathrobe', right?
Yep. We always finished the song with Zed, and the usual "play with me" rhyme, since it rhymes with the C in "ABC's" anyway.
Quote:Instead of 12th grade - it's grade 12, right? Instead of grading a paper/test - it's marking a paper/test, right? And it's 'supply teacher' - not 'substitute teacher', right? Do you really say 'public school' instead of 'elementary school' - or do you say 'primary school'?
I went to public school, middle school then high school. Then I went to college (Community college) and now I'm finishing up University. (College)
Quote:
I know it's 'girl guides' instead of 'girl scouts' - and they sell 'girl guide' cookies instead of 'girl scout' cookies, right? What about 'boy scouts', though? Is that 'boy guides', too - or is it 'boy scouts'?
I was in Beavers, which is the first level of Scouting for boys, then Cubs, then Boy Scouts and some go on to the highest level, Royal Scouts, were you get to meet the Queen. My sisters were in Sparks, Brownies and then Girl Guides.
Quote:I know you have a prime minister - not a president. You have a deputy prime minister - not a vice president. House of Commons - not House of Representives. And Charter of Rights and Freedoms - not Bill of Rights. Where in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is Freedom of Speech covered?
The Charter is divided into sections, each dealing with specific rights. Prior to 1982, we followed the British tradition of assumed, unwritten guarantees of rights. Free speech section of the Charter is the "Fundamental Freedom's" Section, sec. 1/2/b and reads as follows: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication."
The Charter also allows the courts to place "reasonable limits" on speech rights, i.e you cannot deny the Halocaust since the damage done to others is greater than the damage done to your personal rights.
Quote:
Also, summers near Toronto get very hot - but winters near Toronto get very cold, right?
[\quote]
I grew up there, at it's worst: -40 Celcius in the winter, +40 Celcius in the summer... pretty much common in the whole Great Lakes region.
Quote:What are some other wording differences between Canada and the US?
Pronunciations:
Do you say 'herb' or 'erb'? Do you say 'proe-gress' and 'proe-ject' instead of 'prah-gress' and 'prah-ject'? Do you say 'cair-ruh-bee-uhn' - not 'cuh-ri-bee-uhn'? And is it 'sheh-jule' - not 'skeh-jule'? I know you pronounce it 'a-bout', not 'a-boot' - but you use a raised vowel type pronunciation, though?
I think I know most of it already - but any clarifications would be helpful.
Depends on area, history and dialect, but for the most part we don't say: "A-boot," but we do say "Up on the Roof" not "Up on the Ruf." Also, instead of "coloured tap water" we say "American Beer." Sorry, couldn't resist...
- april_wino1 - 07-23-2004
Thanks!
- lord brazle - 07-23-2004
But, uh, April, you need not worry yourself with this stuff...
Half of us Canadians don't even know it, nor give a shit...
That's what's so great about this country!
- BuffaloHipFan - 07-23-2004
My car ashtray is loaded with toonies and loonies, I use them at the toll.
processed is pronounced pro-cessed.
What is Canada most known for?
Well around here it's strip clubs and strong beer, or and hockey.
- april_wino1 - 07-23-2004
Thanks, guys!!
I'm definitely excited about the move!!
- ShannonW - 07-23-2004
Stephen Dame Wrote:Also, instead of "coloured tap water" we say "American Beer." Sorry, couldn't resist...
:lol: :lol: :lol:
- peregrine36 - 07-23-2004
I never realized that a simple question would turn to a question regarding the Charter Of Rights. Oh well.
Good input I must say. Kind of funny about the whole money thing. Here in the US we still can,t get people to accept dollars as coins, probably never will.
Speaking of odd currency, anybody had to deal with Euros lately? Now there's a confusing system. There is both a paper 5 Euro and a 5 Euro coin (not to mention the 1/2 Euros added to many coins), now that's progress everyone is satified I guess.
Anyway, I have found all of the feedback usefull. Keep it coming.
- akoso - 07-23-2004
These are highlights from <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://emily.icomm.ca/isms.html">http://emily.icomm.ca/isms.html</a><!-- m --> (An American's Guide to Canada).
LANGUAGE
back bacon
Canadian bacon. Sometimes rolled in peameal (like cornmeal, only it's made from peas).
brown bread
In most of Canada, whole wheat bread. If you are at a diner for breakfast and you ask for whole wheat toast, they'll understand you, but "brown toast" is a lot more Canadian. Down east, "brown bread" refers to a sweetened, molasses bread.
butter tart
A very small (single-serving) pie. They taste like pecan pies without the pecans. This is a fairly typical recipe. They're yummy.
candy floss
cotton candy
homo milk
Homogenized milk. Known in the States as whole milk. Nobody here thinks twice about what images milk cartons with the word "HOMO" in big letters on the side conjure up in the minds of Americans. A friend notes: "The term whole milk is actually used in Canada too, but refers to something different. Homo milk is homogenized milk with a butterfat content of 3.25%. Whole milk is not homogenized (it will separate if left standing for any period of time; this is the milk our parents drank). Almost all milk today is homogenized, although whole milk can still be found if one looks."
icing sugar
powdered sugar
Kraft Dinner, or KD
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. No difference between what's in the boxes, just what's on them. (Thanks to another visitor for this one.) Canadians eat a lot of KD. Referred to in some areas as "rubber bullets."
pop
A sweetened carbonated beverage. Canadians: not all Americans call it soda. Some call it pop, some call it coke (regardless of the brand or kind: "D'ya want a Sprite coke or a root beer coke?") -- it's a regional difference, rather than a national one.
poutine (pron. poo-TEEN)
Quebecois specialty. French fries covered in cheese curds and gravy.
Shreddies
A brand of breakfast cereal, vaguely resembling Chex.
Smarties
Not the ones you're used to seeing in the US. In Canada, Smarties are a candy resembling M&Ms. They do melt in your hand, and they're a lot sweeter. (Thanks to a visitor for this one.) Smarties conoisseurs eat the red ones last.
Timbits
Do(ugh)nut holes from Tim Horton's. Several people with dark senses of humo(u)r have pointed out to me that these were introduced shortly after Tim Horton, a famous and beloved hockey player who started the chain, was killed in a car accident.
tortière
A kind of meat pie, most popular in Quebec.
ALCOHOL
mickey
A measurement of alcohol (13 ounces: it's a flat, curved bottle, supposed to fit in your pocket, but it doesn't, really).
Molson muscle
Not a drink itself, but the potbelly one gets from drinking too much beer.
twenty-sixer
A bottle of liquor containing 26 ounces. Sometimes called a "two-six" or a "twixer." This term is outdated; the equivalent bottle now contains 750 milliliters.
two-four
A package containing twenty-four bottles of beer.
HOLIDAYS
Boxing Day
The day after Christmas. So named because of the British tradition of giving gift boxes to people such as mail carriers, milkmen, etc., on December 26. In Canada, Boxing Day is the date for many huge annual sales.
Canada Day
Canada's birthday. July 1, the anniversary of the Confederation of Canada in 1867. The day is marked by parties and fireworks.
The May Two-Four
See "Victoria Day"
Remembrance Day
November 11, known in the US as "Veterans' Day." Canadians were important and valiant fighters in the two world wars, and are still known and respected as military peacekeepers. See "Why everyone wears poppies in early November."
Thanksgiving
Celebrated on the second Monday of October, to reflect that Canada's harvest comes earlier than the American one. Very similar to the American Thanksgiving -- family get-togethers, big turkey dinner with potatoes, gravy, etc. -- but not as big a deal here, and there's no mention at all of Pilgrims.
Victoria Day
Queen Victoria's birthday, May 24th. It's celebrated the Monday before Memorial Day. Beer is the official beverage of the Victoria Day weekend, because it's more or less the first weekend of the summer, when everyone goes to their cottages or cabins and opens them up for the first time since fall.
If you're American, be aware that Canadians don't celebrate
Independence Day (duh), Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Columbus Day, Memorial Day, or Presidents' Day.
MISCELLANEOUS
eavestrough
A gutter, the sort that is attached to houses and funnels rain water down a pipe.
elastic
rubber band
lineup
line. "There was a really long lineup for tickets to last night's hockey game." Some Canadians also use the British term "queue." Canadians wait in line or in lineups, never "on line."
postal code
The Canadian equivalent of ZIP codes. Postal codes are six characters long and are a mixture of three letters and three numbers.
serviette
French for "napkin." This term is used by anglophones as well as francophones. One visitor noted that younger people don't seem to use this term.
I took a lot out, so check out the website if you wanna see the rest.
- akoso - 07-23-2004
A couple highlights from "How to Tell You Are in Canada"
Everything is labelled in English and French.
There's hockey gear everywhere. A guy can get onto a bus wearing goalie pads, a helmet -- everything but the skates -- and nobody gives him a second look.
Restaurants serve vinegar with French fries.
When new coins are introduced to replace paper currency, people actually use the coins.
Contests run by anyone other than the government have "skill-testing questions" that winners must answer correctly before they can claim a prize. These are usually math problems, and are administered to get around the law that only the government can administer lotteries.
When you step on someone's foot, he apologizes. (This really happened.)
There are billboards advertising vacations in Cuba, and Cuban cigars are freely available.
It's almost impossible to get a glass of iced tea in downtown Toronto. (This person must have been a Southerner -- in the US South, "iced tea" is unsweetened, and "sweet tea" has sugar. "Sweet tea" is what you get when you ask for "iced tea" in Toronto.)
People ask whether you'd like "a coffee" rather than "some coffee."
- april_wino1 - 07-23-2004
akoso Wrote:Restaurants serve vinegar with French fries.Malt vinegar, right?
- Summiteer - 07-23-2004
We also have our own word for saying "Cheerz" Up To here, we say "Chimo" when we cheerz our drinkz, I hardly, if ever hear it used though...