I am a unilingual Canadian English speaker. I don't know it that makes any sense. I have a small bit of French and was exposed to German when I was growing up.
So I'm an English speaker.
I don't know how many English accents there are but I can not understand some of them. Being elderly and having hearing loss makes it difficult to follow accents. Hearing loss means that you miss some of the letters, words or phrases. Just enough so that you do not get the message.
But what I'm thinking about today is the different terms we use for the same things. For someone like me who doesn't travel much I find terms difficult.
One New Zealand friend talks about a chilly box which we call a cooler ! She also talks about a wheely bin which we call a cart. Lorrie? Yes, somebody told me it meant truck. "Boot" for car trunk.
In different places you find different interesting terms.
Most people have no idea that they use a term someone else may not understand.
So here's my challenge to you. What are some terms Canadians use that others may not understand? Terms that Canadians have no idea that they're not known or understood by others? This is turning things back on me. Have fun. I know I'm going to learn some things.
I think it was from watching shows like All Creatures Great and Small and the one about Midwives that I picked up that boot was a car's trunk and lorrie was a cart. We call our cooler a refrigerator. Long ago it was an ice box because it was a lined cabinet with a block of ice. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThat was a great series and read most of his books.
DeleteI enjoy the differences in words in the English speaking world. I am in the USA and learned that in the UK they say torch while in the US we say flashlight. When I moved to California from Wisconsin I asked at my first job, Where is the bubbler? We finally figured out in California they say drinking fountain.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard bubbler before. That's a good one. Now ,most of us carry a water bottle
DeleteInteresting post, it is always fun to learn something new.
ReplyDeleteTake care, have a happy day and a great week ahead!
We tend to get trapped in our own little world and as a result don't know much about others.
DeleteI useda think that buddies knew what I was talking about when I made tracks as a Bluenoser . That was when I discovered expressions vary within Canada itself! Two terms I had to explain when they were not understood within the context of the conversation were: "I can't look back!" and "Quiet behind the eyes!"
ReplyDeleteI have wonderful memories of the many maritimers I worked with...mostly in the arctic.
DeleteWe say housecoat for robe. Toque is a famous one.
ReplyDeleteYes, we don't use robe.
DeleteMy brother who lives in the southern part of this country calls "wheely bin" which you and I call a "cart", a "buggie". I guess I've been reading enough Canadian blogs, that I have picked up their lingo and don't have any to add that I don't know. The last one I picked up was "toque" or what I call a stocking hat.
ReplyDeleteWe wouldn't wear a tuque id it was called stocking cap.
DeleteI love watching British shows on my PBS station but I always have to use the closed captions feature so I can decipher what they are saying!
ReplyDeleteI can't think of any Canadian sayings right now, Red. Sorry!
There's big difference between Canadian English and British English. Since I'm hard of hearing I have trouble understanding accents.
DeleteOh gosh. I have seen Canadian lists in the past, but my mind is pretty blank right now. How about a two-four for a case of beer? Is mickey/micky Canadian? OK … I’ve done a little search. How about double-double, toque or loonie and twonie.
ReplyDeleteLoonie and twony are certainly our expressions.
DeleteRed, Canadians definitely have some unique expressions that can confuse non-Canadians. Here are a few I can think of related to food: 1. Double-double – A coffee with two creams and two sugars (from Tim Hortons). 2. Timbits – Doughnut holes sold at Tim Hortons. 3. Poutine – Fries with cheese curds and gravy. 4. KD – Kraft Dinner (mac and cheese). How about it, Red … Would you agree? 😊 John
ReplyDeleteDefinitely our terms. I've never had a double double. I rarely go to Tim Hortons.
DeleteWell, chilly box is spot on. It's interesting to read about the different terms.
ReplyDeleteApparently if you go on line many are listed there.
DeleteWell as someone from Saskatchewan....it is and always will be a bunny hug.....not a hoodie!
ReplyDeleteWell, your blogger is from Sask. too. But I've been away most of my life.
DeletePart of the pleasure of listening to other people is hearing the different expressions they use.
ReplyDeleteIt is a pleasure listening to different speech.
DeleteIn NZ I hear Chilly Bin for a Cool Box..and a Wheelie Bin is what rubbish goes in to go in the bin lorry..
ReplyDeleteBin lorry is a new one for me. I admit that I don't know how to spell lorry.
DeleteA cooler here is called a cool box or an esky cooler.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of esky cooler.
DeleteI can't think of any!
ReplyDeleteMy grandkids like to correct my pronunciation. They are bilingual.
So the kids check your French.
DeleteLoonie...I have a few just for fun:) When we used to go camping in Manitoba my girls would count how many times they heard eh!
ReplyDeleteWe just don't notice eh. I guess we use it so much we don't notice it.
DeleteI cannot think of any that I've actually heard although I read about 'hanging a Larry' or 'hanging a Roger', but it was interpreted: Turn left or right. In Wales, they call a microwave a popty-ping though, and a blogger wrote about a snicket which is a path between two buildings. When I visited my daughter, I got myself a bit turned around on a walk and had to ask for help. The man recognized me as 'not from these parts' and gave me directions using the word 'snicket'. I was delighted. I think that he was a bit disappointed that I understood. I love unusual sayings.
ReplyDeleteApparently you can go on line and find many different sayings.
ReplyDeleteI'm always interested in regional expressions, but I don't know any Canadian ones -- and the Floridian ones I can think of aren't very nice!
ReplyDeleteI held back on commenting, looking forward to hearing about Canadianisms that others don't understand, but it seems there aren't many. I think back to when I started reading blogs from other countries and realize I learned as I went along. Maybe our bloggy friends from around the world have likewise learned as they went along.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what Canadians call a "coke", or a "can of pop" or "a soda" but these vary across the U.S.A.
ReplyDelete