The United States' neighbors to the north have a lot more to their lexicon than “eh” and “aboot.” If you’re interacting with a friendly Canuck (that’s slang for Canadian) and they throw down one of these words or expressions, now you'll know what they’re talking … aboot.
Toque / Tuque
In America, a hat worn in the winter might be a beanie, a skull cap, or simply a knit hat. In Canada, it’s referred to as a “toque” (sometimes spelled "tuque"), a single-syllable word that rhymes with "juke." It’s been the French word for a winter hat since the early 16th century, and as Canada is a bilingual nation, certain French-isms have become national parlance.
Loonie / Toonie
Americans take pride in their $1 bill, but our northerly neighbors have saved millions of trees by switching to coins. Canada's one-dollar coin is known as a "loonie," because a loon, a type of bird, is depicted on one side. When a $2 coin was introduced, it quickly was given the moniker of “toonie,” as in "two" + "loonie."
Giv’r
Canadians are known for their gritty tenacity (and with subzero temps for half the year, who can blame them?), and this down-home expression speaks to that. Saying, “Giv’r Bob!” means you’re rooting for someone to give it their all. “Giv’n’r” is also shorthand for someone or something that’s really been putting the proverbial pedal to the metal.
Head’r
After you’ve given it your all, this word signals packing it in for the night — whether from work, a hockey game, or an evening with friends. “I’m gonna head’r,” is an easy way to say goodnight.
Double Double
No toil or trouble here – Canadians are big fans of Tim Horton’s (or Timmy Ho’s to the locals), a national coffee shop chain that’s similar to Dunkin’ Donuts. Ordering a "double double" is shorthand for a coffee with two creams and two sugars.
Beauty
The word "beauty" is commonly used to describe someone’s appearance, but Canadians will describe anything great as a beauty. "Beauty" could be used as an expression of thanks, or a suggestion something is cool, as in, “That’s a beauty.”
Keener
Anyone who’s super eager or overly enthusiastic (keen) may be slapped with the lightly chiding label of “keener.” It’s used in a way that’s similar to "brown-noser" or "geek," but many people will jokingly apply it to themselves.
Gotch / Ginch / Gitch / Gonch
The spelling and pronunciation might change slightly from province to province, but all of these words refer to underwear — specifically men’s.
Hosed
There’s a lot of regionalisms around getting drunk up north, but "hosed" is used pretty much nationwide as a term for having a good time. So much so, in fact, the term “Hoser” exists to describe someone who acts boorish even when they haven’t knocked back a few Molsons (a popular domestic beer).
Snowbirds
This one is used within the U.S. as well, but a Canadian resident (often retired) who spends their summers in Canada and winters in America is known as a snowbird. Like Canadian wildlife, snowbirds like to migrate to Florida when it gets cold.
Kerfuffle
If there’s a bit of a dust-up, argument, fuss, or fight, that's called a "kerfuffle." It’s said how it looks — "kerr-FUFF-el" — and is often seen on a hockey rink.
Parkade
Americans call them "garages"; Canadians put their cars into "parkades." The etymology of this word is disputed and may actually be of American origin, although it’s far more commonly used in Canada.
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