This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada, which closed in 2021.
Paid Content

Only Canadians Know What These Words And Phrases Mean

That thing you wear on your head during the winter months. What do you call it? How about the colouring tool you used in school? Ask a Canadian and you’ll get a response our global counterparts won’t understand.
Woman holding canadian flag against blue sky
wundervisuals via Getty Images
Woman holding canadian flag against blue sky

That thing you wear on your head during the winter months. What do you call it? How about the colouring tool you used in school? Ask a Canadian and you’ll get a response our global counterparts won’t understand. That’s because Canadians have a special way of speaking and describing things. We say “eh” and go “oot and aboot” when we have time. The folks who manage the .CA domain name get this. In partnership with them, we list words and phrases that are uniquely Canadian.

KD, Kraft Dinner

Canadians know that if your mum said she was making KD for dinner, you were in for a tasty night. Ask an American if they like KD, however, and they won’t understand what you’re saying. Our friends to the south of us call their version of cheese and noodle bliss Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Two-Four

A “case” of beer? Absolutely not, my friend. We call it a two-four because there are 24 bottles in a case. And while we’re on that subject, can you get us one?

BeaverTails

A uniquely Canadian dessert: dough hand stretched to resemble a beaver’s tail, and then deep fried. It’s like a doughnut, but way better.

Canadian Tuxedo

You’ve got your jeans on, right? Slap a jean jacket on top of whatever shirt you’re wearing and ta-da, you’re rocking a Canadian tux.

Double Double

Double the cream, double the sugar. It’s the combo that made Tim Hortons famous. The only thing better than a cup of hot coffee is a free chocolate doughnut to go alongside it (thanks Roll Up The Rim To Win!)

Loonies And Toonies

Our one-dollar coin has a loon on it, hence loonie. Our two-dollar coin is worth two dollars, hence toonie. Creative, eh?

Caesar

We see your Bloody Mary and raise you a celery salt rim and Clamato juice concoction. It’s the unofficial mixed drink of Canada.

.CA

You can keep your .com, .net, and .org, because a .CA domain stands on guard for thee. We like to think of the .CA as the Canadian flag on your digital backpack. Canadians know when they see a .CA website that it is 100 per cent Canadian and can be trusted.

Toque

You need one for winter, and one for spring. Okay also another one for fall. While most Canadians know that a toque is the cap that you wear on your head, there’s some debate surrounding the spelling of the name. The CBC Style Guide claims that “tuque” is the right way to spell it. It’s a French-Canadian term that’s probably derived from the Old Spanish word “toca,” a type of headdress.

Pencil Crayon

It’s not a pencil, it’s not a crayon, but man, when you have a set of them, colouring gets real.

Mickey

Our version is much more fun than the mouse. It’s 375 mL of booze contained in a nice little bottle. Could anything be better?

Give’r

While others “go for it,” “do it” or “have a try,” real Canadians “give’r.”

Serviette

It sounds fancy, but really we’re just using a napkin to wipe our faces clean from the Caesar that we just sipped.

We’re a special breed up here. We look out for one another and wear our Canadian Tuxedos and toques with pride. Show your pride by registering your .CA domain. Whether you're a small business owner, an aspiring entrepreneur, charity storyteller, or just a person with a great idea, a .CA domain name will brand your website as 100 per cent Canadian. Get started today by searching for your .CA domain.

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Canada. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.