Canadian slang is diverse and can vary across regions. Here are 50 Canadian slang terms, along with their meanings and usage examples:
- Toonie
- Meaning: A two-dollar coin.
- Example: “Can you lend me a toonie for the parking meter?”
- Loonie
- Meaning: A one-dollar coin featuring a loon on one side.
- Example: “I found a loonie in my pocket!”
- Double Double
- Meaning: A coffee with two sugars and two creams.
- Example: “I’ll have a double double from Tim Hortons, please.”
- Eh
- Meaning: A tag question, often used to seek agreement or confirmation.
- Example: “It’s a nice day, eh?”
- Canuck
- Meaning: A Canadian person or the Vancouver Canucks hockey team.
- Example: “I’m a proud Canuck.”
- Hoser
- Meaning: A playful insult, originally referring to someone who uses a hose to siphon gas.
- Example: “Don’t be a hoser; help me with the barbecue.”
- Molson Muscle
- Meaning: A beer belly.
- Example: “All those Molsons gave him a Molson muscle.”
- Mountie
- Meaning: A member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
- Example: “The Mountie patrolled the national park.”
- Two-Four
- Meaning: A case of 24 beers.
- Example: “Let’s grab a two-four for the weekend.”
- Chesterfield
- Meaning: A couch or sofa.
- Example: “Come sit on the chesterfield.”
- The 6ix
- Meaning: Slang for Toronto, often associated with the city’s area code (416).
- Example: “Drake represents The 6ix.”
- Poutine
- Meaning: A Canadian dish consisting of fries topped with cheese curds and gravy.
- Example: “I could go for some poutine right now.”
- Timmy’s
- Meaning: Tim Hortons, a popular Canadian coffee and fast-food chain.
- Example: “Let’s meet at Timmy’s for coffee.”
- Knapsack
- Meaning: A backpack or rucksack.
- Example: “I packed my lunch in my knapsack.”
- Eavestrough
- Meaning: Rain gutter.
- Example: “Clean out the eavestrough before winter.”
- Serviette
- Meaning: Napkin.
- Example: “Grab a serviette for your poutine.”
- Garburator
- Meaning: Garbage disposal unit in a sink.
- Example: “Don’t put bones in the garburator.”
- Gitch
- Meaning: Men’s underwear or briefs.
- Example: “I need to buy new gitch.”
- Pop
- Meaning: Carbonated soft drink or soda.
- Example: “Can I get a pop with that?”
- Loose Moose
- Meaning: A warning about wildlife or a clumsy person.
- Example: “Watch out for the loose moose on the trail.”
- Give’r
- Meaning: To go all out or give maximum effort.
- Example: “Just give’r on the ski slope.”
- Screech
- Meaning: A type of dark rum from Newfoundland.
- Example: “Let’s have a shot of Screech.”
- The Rock
- Meaning: Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Example: “He’s from The Rock.”
- Caesar
- Meaning: A Canadian cocktail made with vodka, Clamato juice, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Example: “I’ll have a Caesar with brunch.”
- Runners
- Meaning: Running shoes or sneakers.
- Example: “I bought new runners for the gym.”
- Click
- Meaning: A kilometer.
- Example: “The next town is just a click away.”
- Beauty
- Meaning: Something excellent or beautiful.
- Example: “That goal was a beauty!”
- Hydro
- Meaning: Electricity or the electric company.
- Example: “The power went out; must be a problem with hydro.”
- Mickey
- Meaning: A small bottle of hard liquor.
- Example: “Let’s grab a mickey for the camping trip.”
- Brown Bread
- Meaning: Whole wheat bread.
- Example: “I prefer brown bread for sandwiches.”
- All-Dressed
- Meaning: A flavor of potato chips with various seasonings.
- Example: “Pass me the all-dressed chips.”
- Keener
- Meaning: An overachiever or someone overly eager.
- Example: “She’s such a keener in class.”
- Trudeau Bucks
- Meaning: Canadian dollars.
- Example: “I need some Trudeau bucks for the weekend.”
- The Peg
- Meaning: Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Example: “I’m heading to The Peg for a concert.”
- Buddy
- Meaning: A general term for a person, often used when the name is unknown.
- Example: “Hey, buddy, can you give me a hand?”
- Homo Milk
- Meaning: Homogenized milk.
- Example: “I need to pick up a carton of homo milk.”
- Chinook
- Meaning: Warm wind that can melt snow quickly.
- Example: “Looks like a Chinook is coming; it’ll warm up.”
- The True North
- Meaning: Canada, referencing the national anthem.
- Example: “Proud to be from the True North.”
- Snowbird
- Meaning: A Canadian who spends the winter in a warmer climate.
- Example: “My grandparents are snowbirds; they go to Florida every winter.”
- Twoonie
- Meaning: A two-dollar coin.
- Example: “I found a twoonie in my pocket.”
Canadian slang can vary across regions and may be influenced by cultural and linguistic diversity. It’s always good to pay attention to the context in which these terms are used.