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A Typology of Canadianisms

dchp.arts.ubc.ca

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Re: A Typology of Canadianisms

#251

Post by StrictDabbler »

jdougan wrote: post #56
nucleardog wrote: post #51

Surprising one for me was "all dressed" as a term for, e.g., a pizza with all the toppings. Apparently it's a direct translation from French and is pretty exclusive to Quebec English and the Easternmost part of Ontario (which is heavily French). And Saskatchewan. Which the site notes is "a bit of a mystery". Also found "parkade" interesting--apparently it's still much more heavily used in Western Canada, and they att…

I (West Coast) pretty much entirely associate "all-dressed" with potato chips.

As a West Coaster, I had to look up nearly every term in this article. As usual, "Canadian" almost entirely means the central/east areas.

Re: A Typology of Canadianisms

#252

Post by morkalork »

slumberlust wrote: post #186
dismalaf wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah if you say someone chirped you say, on the street or in a pub, it's fighting words...

I've always took it as the opposite. Chriping is just noise with no real threat (most chirping birds are not a threat to humans). It's just someone being friendly with their banter usually in a making fun of you type context.

I'm not into sports so I don't really know that angle but I did have a roommate in Ottawa who got into a fight outside of a bar because "some guys were chirping" him.

Re: A Typology of Canadianisms

#253

Post by morkalork »

bregma wrote: post #170
allenu wrote: post #61

I always loved the term "keener" growing up and was disappointed that it wasn't a term of use down here in the States. It's essentially the same thing as a "brown-noser" but a little less graphic.

A keener is an ardent enthusiast. A brown-noser (aka a browner) is a sycophant. Not the same thing at all. Also, a brown-noser should not be confused with a blue-noser.

A keener is also a bit of a try-hard.

Re: A Typology of Canadianisms

#254

Post by morkalork »

mykowebhn wrote: post #177

Growing up in Toronto during the 70s, I remember several expressions I've rarely, if ever, heard elsewhere. "No guff"--meaning something like "no, really?" in a sarcastic sense "My foot"--maybe something similar to "my ass!" And later, when living in Montreal, I remember several expressions that were basically direct translations from the French "Me, I..."--from the French "Moi, je..." "In place of"--instead of "inst…

"In place of" sounds like a direct translation of "En lieu"

Re: A Typology of Canadianisms

#255

Post by keoneflick »

talos_ wrote: post #167

Well, why not include the word "Canadian", which significantly predates the country, as the prime example? It's derived from Iroquois Nation words and used by French settlers to refer to Indigenous people. The word "Canada" was used by explorer Jacques Cartier to refer to the city now called "Québec". It broadly refered to the territory of a specific Indigenous tribe. (could be derogatory, but seemingly accurate / ma…

Be sure to also check out how francophone Quebecois have been very effective at revenge - driving out anglophones and allophones from Quebec through vindictive attacks against their language, culture, schooling and employment. It's sad, but I am ultimately glad I will be the last generation of my family born in Quebec. Au revoir and good riddance.

Re: A Typology of Canadianisms

#256

Post by astura »

nsavage wrote: post #166
michaelmior wrote: post #69

As a Canadian who married an American and now lived in the US, I was surprised how many things I say are Canadianisms without me having realized. There have been a lot of (minor) miscommunications because I didn't realize I was saying something only Canadians understand. Like when I told her that my parents' hydro had been out all day.

I travel to the UK a lot and am usually pretty careful with my Canadianisms, but during my last trip I accidentally asked a server for both a pop and a serviette at the same time, leading to a blank stare.

Pop isn't a Canadianisms, is common in a lot of the US too.

https://www.businessinsider.com/soda-pop-coke-map-2018-10

Re: A Typology of Canadianisms

#257

Post by cluoma »

eigenspace wrote: post #194
teqsun wrote: post #184

This list somehow doesn't have "converter" (to refer to a television remote), which was the first word to unexpectedly baffle my American coworkers the first time I said it, to my own surprise.

Where are you from? I'm from BC and I've never heard that one either.

I grew up in BC as well and never heard it. My parents were from Ontario and always called it the flipper. Because it flips channels I guess. Felt like every household had a different name for it though.

Re: A Typology of Canadianisms

#258

Post by SketchySeaBeast »

StrictDabbler wrote: post #251
jdougan wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I (West Coast) pretty much entirely associate "all-dressed" with potato chips.

As a West Coaster, I had to look up nearly every term in this article. As usual, "Canadian" almost entirely means the central/east areas.

It's just like "aboot" and milk in bags.

Re: A Typology of Canadianisms

#259

Post by School-Cotton »

throaway955 wrote: post #244
School-Cotton wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Crayons are the fat sticks of wax (e.g. Crayola brand). Colored pencils are, well, colored pencils. There are also various different ways to pronounce “crayon”; is that also true in Canada? For example I pronounce it with one syllable: “cran”, just like the beginning of “cranberry”. I get the feeling that’s not the majority pronunciation but it’s not exactly rare either (at least where I grew up).

Nope, coloured pencils are coloured wax encased in wood. Canadians emphasize that they are crayons in pencil shape; Americans emphasize that they are pencil-form but coloured.

Interesting, I never knew that. Never been much of an artist. So I guess the Canadian term is actually more accurate!
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