Canadian Idioms

unclepercy

Electoral Member
Jun 4, 2005
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Baja Canada
Since I'm American, I am trying to learn some Canadian Idioms.
I really do not understand these terms, so allow me some leeway.
Could someone tell me what they mean?

1. hoser
2. hoodie
3. chinook
4. eh
5. hydro - this is a prefix to us, like hydromulch
6. loonie
7. pissed - it means angry to us
8. runners
9. Tim Horton
10. pogo dog

Thanks.

Uncle
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
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Winnipeg
1. hoser: One who hoses.
2. hoodie: Same as a bunny-hug
3. chinook: A species of Salmon
4. eh: How you pronounce the first letter of the alphabet.
5. hydro - this is a prefix to us, like hydromulch: Water (latin, not Canadian)
6. loonie: Insane
7. pissed - it means angry to us: To urinate
8. runners: Those who run
9. Tim Horton: Dead hockey player
10. pogo dog: a dog operating a pogo stick

Hmmmm...maybe I should go sit on the chesterfield and drink a 2-4.

:p

Uncle, if you are really interested in our words, I suggest you pick up a Canadian Oxford Dictionary.
 

MMMike

Council Member
Mar 21, 2005
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unclepercy said:
Since I'm American, I am trying to learn some Canadian Idioms.
I really do not understand these terms, so allow me some leeway.
Could someone tell me what they mean?

1. hoser a derogatory term from Bob and Doug Mackenzie - Candian icons and heros. :wink:
2. hoodie those sweatshirts with the big hood, ya know!?
3. chinook A warm, dry wind that descends the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains4. eh don't really know how to explain this5. hydro - =electricity in common usage
6. loonie $1 dollar coin
7. pissed - ask me tomorrow nite - I'll be pissed, eh? :lol: :wink:
8. runners running shoes.... sneakers
9. Tim Horton ex hockey player, massively popular coffee shop
10. pogo dog - that's american, innit?
Thanks.

Uncle
 

Hard-Luck Henry

Council Member
Feb 19, 2005
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"Pissed off" means angry to us. "Pissed" alone means drunk.

Incidentally, we have over 140 euphemisms for "drunk". (Below are a few - I've missed out the more offensive ones). Peapod will say that we Brits drink too much, but that allegation is unfounded.



Ankled

Badgered, Banjaxed, Battered, Befuggered, Bernard Langered, Bladdered, Blasted, Blathered, Bleezin, Blitzed, Blootered, Blottoed, Bluttered, Boogaloo, Brahms & Liszt, Buckled, Burlin

Cabbaged, Chevy Chased, Clobbered

Decimated, Dot Cottoned, Druck-steaming, Drunk as a Lord, Drunk as a skunk

Etched

Fecked, Fleemered, Four to the floor

Gatted, Goosed, Got my beer goggles on, Guttered

Had a couple of shickers, Hammer-blowed, Hammered, Hanging, Having the whirlygigs, Howling

Inebriated, Intoxicated

Jahalered, Jaiked up, Jan'd - abbrev for Jan Hammered, Jaxied, Jeremied, Jolly

Kaned

Lagged up, Lamped, Langered [also langers, langerated], Laroped, or alt. larrupt, Lashed, Leathered, Legless, Liquored up (South Carolina), Locked, Locked out of your mind, Loo la

Mad wey it, Mandoo-ed, Mangled, Manky, Mashed, Meff'd, Merl Haggard, Merry, Minced, Ming-ho, Minging, Moired, Monged, Monkey-full, Mottled, Mullered

Newcastled, Nicely irrigated with horizontal lubricant

Off me pickle, Off me trolley, On a campaign, Out of it, Out yer tree

Paggered, Palintoshed, Paraletic, Peelywally, Peevied, Pickled, Pie-eyed, Pished, Plastered, Poleaxed, Pollatic

Rat-legged (Stockport), Ratted, Ravaged, Razzled, Reek-ho, Rendered, Rosy glow, Rubbered, Ruined, Rat-arsed

Saying hello to Mr Armitage, Scattered, Schindlers, Screwed, Scuttered, Shedded [as in " My shed has collapsed taking most of the fence with it"], Slaughtered, Sloshed, Smashed, Snatered (Ireland), Snobbled (Wales), Sozzled, Spangled, Spannered, Spiffed, Spongelled, Squiffy, Steamin, Steampigged, Stocious, Stonkin

Tanked, Tashered, Tipsy, Trashed, Trollied, Troubled, Trousered, Twisted

Warped, Wasted, Wellied, With the fairies, Wrecked

Zombied
 

unclepercy

Electoral Member
Jun 4, 2005
821
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Baja Canada
Thanks for taking the time to explain these. We never say "Eh,"
but in hesitation, we all say, "Uh, uh...the red pair." That's as close as I can come.

What is meant by hoser - a derogatory term - it could be stupid, ugly, smells bad, any number of things?

Uncle
 

unclepercy

Electoral Member
Jun 4, 2005
821
15
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Baja Canada
unclepercy said:
Since I'm American, I am trying to learn some Canadian Idioms.
I really do not understand these terms, so allow me some leeway.
Could someone tell me what they mean?
__________________________________________________________

Let's have a little fun - let me guess what it is or sounds like. __________________________________________________________

1. hoser - the manufacturer of ladies' pantyhose
2. hoodie - a hoodlum who is a beginner
3. chinook - a chenille throw
4. eh - the sound you make before you cough
5. hydro - the stage just before it becomes a hybrid
6. loonie - a long legged bird - white
7. pissed - it's when a cat is hissing and growling
8. runners - messengers for corporations
9. Tim Horton - should read Tom Horton of Days of our Lives
10. pogo dog - those stupid poodles that jump up and down

Well, I tried. :lol:



Uncle
 

no1important

Time Out
Jan 9, 2003
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members.shaw.ca
Twoonie - is the 2$ coin ( Idread to think what the 5$ coin would be called if they ever made one)

Chinook- is a warm wind to Prairie folks but out here it is one of the 5 species of Pacific Salmon sometimes referred as a "Tyee". Americans call them "King salmon".
 

MMMike

Council Member
Mar 21, 2005
1,410
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Toronto
unclepercy said:
Thanks for taking the time to explain these. We never say "Eh,"
but in hesitation, we all say, "Uh, uh...the red pair." That's as close as I can come.

What is meant by hoser - a derogatory term - it could be stupid, ugly, smells bad, any number of things?

Uncle

That's not close at all, uncle! Eh is not a filler word, or is it ever said in hesitation. Its more of a punctuation. You americans are really missing out on a great word, eh?
 

unclepercy

Electoral Member
Jun 4, 2005
821
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Baja Canada
MMMike said:
It's kinda like "huh...huh!?" with a little jab in the ribs if ya know what I mean. :wink:

Yeah, I do. I have heard it used a couple of times, but I could not get any meaning from it. So it is a puncuation - like a question or an exclamation. ??

Uncle
 

GL Schmitt

Electoral Member
Mar 12, 2005
785
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Ontario
You know how the French mitigate a declarative sentence, no?

You also know that the English have a somewhat similar habit, right?

And you know that an archaic British synonym for right is Aye?

So, you can probably deduce the etymology of the Canadian ecphonesis, eh?

Or, at least, so one explanation goes.
 

zenfisher

House Member
Sep 12, 2004
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Seattle
Eh (interj) 1. an exclamation of doubt,surprise or failure to hear. 2. informal an all purpose tag question : So that's what you think ,eh? 3. Informal a filler, like " you know or you see : It's late,eh, so I'd better go.

The Canadian Concise Dictionary

I've never really considered hoser to be a true derogatory term. More of a friendly banter between buds( right Eddy).

Pissed ...I've always used as either angry or drunk...just one of those versatile words.

Hydro is hydro electric...in other words the power company or electricity.
 

GreenGreta

Electoral Member
Jun 5, 2005
854
1
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Lala Land
My friend from texas hates it when we canadians say
"you guys" hey "you guys" instead of "y'all". I told her "it's actually you's guys"

She said that was even worse. But at least we know how to pronounce INSURANCE and PROGRAM.

As soon as an american says "insurance" he sounds like a dumb redneck hick. YUP.
 

Twila

Nanah Potato
Mar 26, 2003
14,698
73
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My friend from texas hates it when we canadians say
"you guys" hey "you guys" instead of "y'all". I told her "it's actually you's guys"

ROFLMAO. You ever been to Langford BC? It's heard there. The local radio station use to joke about it. Sort of like how Surrey is the butt of jokes for the mainland, langford is Victoria's Surrey. Lots of 4x4's, primer black. Cars on blocks, everyone has a camero or firebird in the driveway. Painters buckets on the lawn. and lots of Thank you's. Langford was a fun place to party. Everyone was really friendly. Except for Frenchy who supposedly partied,left, killed his girl friend and came back to the party covered in blood. Freaky.
 

Twila

Nanah Potato
Mar 26, 2003
14,698
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48
I think Americans call a pogo dog, a Corndog. Both are equally unpaletable
 

Jo Canadian

Council Member
Mar 15, 2005
2,488
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PEI...for now
:) I've found that that the word EH, is used as a form of Verbal Question mark.

It seems to work best if it's not overkilled when talking with someone. If you get someone who says Eh at the end of every sentence they're just trying too hard.
 

unclepercy

Electoral Member
Jun 4, 2005
821
15
18
Baja Canada
Re: RE: Canadian Idioms

GreenGreta said:
My friend from texas hates it when we canadians say
"you guys" hey "you guys" instead of "y'all". I told her "it's actually you's guys"

She said that was even worse. But at least we know how to pronounce INSURANCE and PROGRAM.

As soon as an american says "insurance" he sounds like a dumb redneck hick. YUP.

Actually, "you guys" is becoming more common here, as people from the North (America) move here. I prefer y'all or ya'll, my own personal fav spelling. All rednecks aren't dumb. Really. In fact, you can make it work in your favor. If you are one of the "good old boys" - it implies a degree of redneck/but not into hillbilly.

Uncle