24 Canadian Words That Completely Confuse Americans
The English language is widely spoken in both Canada and the United States. But if you visit our neighbors to the North, you might have a hard time following the conversation.
Words like “gitch,” “gonger,” and even “double-double” are sure to leave Americans scratching their heads. How many of these Canadian terms had you heard?
1: Keener
Keener refers to someone who’s very keen or eager. It’s usually used in a not-so-nice way and could be synonymous with “brown-noser.”
2: Chirping
Chirping is Eastern Canadian slang for making fun of someone. In Western Canada, they say “beaking.”
3: Caesar
If you order a Caesar in Canada, you probably won’t get a salad. A Caesar is a type of drink similar to an American Bloody Mary.
4: Toque
On a cold winter’s day, your Canadian friend might don a toque. That’s the Canadian way of saying “beanie.”
5: KD
According to Global News Report, Canadians love Kraft Mac N’ Cheese even more than Americans. They consume 55% more of the cheesey pasta than their American counterparts and they don’t have time to say it’s full name. Instead they call it KD, short for Kraft Dinner.
6: Parkade
In Canada, you don’t park your car in a parking garage. Instead, they call it a parkade.
7: Timbits
Tim Hortons is the largest restaurant chain in Canada and they sell a popular breakfast treat called Timbits. In the U.S., we call them donut holes.
8: Serviette
Calling it a napkin is so very American. In Canada, the paper squares you use to wipe your hands and face are called serviettes.
9: Gitch
Gitch is another term for men’s underwear, particularly white briefs or what Americans call tighty whities. Canadians also use the terms gotch and gonch to describe the undergarment.
10: Pencil Crayons
For Americans, the term pencil crayons is incredibly confusing, given pencils and crayons are two very different things. In Canada, pencil crayons refer to standard colored pencils.
11: Dart
Dart is slang for cancer stick in Canada. So, if your Canadian friend asks you to meet them out back for a dart, you can rest assured they don’t intend to throw sharp-pointed projectiles at a round board.
12: Gonger
A gonger refers to a situation that got out of hand in a funny way. Sometimes, it can also be used to describe a party that went wild.
13: Larry or Roger
If a Canadian is trying to give you directions, they might say, “Hang a Larry” (or a Roger). These are terms for left and right.
14: Homo Milk
In Canada, homo milk is short for homogenized milk. If you hear someone say it, they’re usually referring to whole milk you buy at the grocery store.
15: Two-Four
Picking up a two-four is a must if you’re hosting a party. This Canadian slang term refers to a 24-pack of beer.
16: Champagne Birthday
In America, when you turn the age of your birthday date, we call it your golden birthday. In Canada, it’s your champagne birthday.
17: Chinook
If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you probably think Chinook is a type of salmon. If you’re into military planes, it’s a Canadian military helicopter. And if you’re simply Canadian, chinook describes unseasonably warm winds.
18: Eavestroughs
Cleaning out the rain gutters is a chore no one particularly likes doing. In Canada, though, you get to call them eavestroughs, which is at least more fun to say.
19: Garburator
A garburator is a garbarge dispoal in Canadian slang. Though garbage disposal is a slightly more descriptive term, garburator seems to better capture the essence of the under-sink machine.
20: Double-Double
Depending on where you live in America, a double-double might be a type of hamburger or it could be a basketball achievement. In Canada, it’s a popular Tim Hortons drink order that consists of a coffee with two milks and two sugars.
21: Runners
What Americans call sneakers or sometimes, tennis shoes, Canadians call runners. Given that they’re often made for running, this Canadian slang term makes perfect sense.
22: Chesterfield
In Canada, they have chesterfields not sofas. A chesterfield is a specific style of couch with a tufted back and rolled armrests. It became so popular in Canada that its name became synonymous with all couches.
23: Pogie
Pogie refers to being on welfare or social assistance. It may come from the British slang term “pogey” which means poorhouse.
24: Molson Muscle
What Americans call a beer belly, Canadians call molson muscle. Molson is a brand of Canadian beer, which makes this humorous term more understandable.
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