Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Day 187: How to speak Canadian


These are words and phrases that I have heard in conversation with actual Canadians.

serviette = napkin
Timbits = doughnut holes at Tim Horton's, used generally for all doughnut holes
washroom = bathroom/restroom
hydro = electricity 
phone =  call, as in "Did you phone her?"
needle = shot/immunization
chocolate bar = any candy bar
knapsack = backpack
line-up = line, as in "Did you see how long the line-ups are?"
pencil crayon = colored pencil
marks = what you get on your report card
timetable = class schedule at school
Smarties = Canada's version of M&M's
toque (tuke) = winter hat. 
cheque =  check. "Did you get your paycheque?"
pop = Pepsi, Coke, Sprite etc.
"Pardon?" = "What? Excuse me, I didn't hear/understand you."
tickety-boo = going well/smoothly "Traffic on the QEW this morning is moving along tickety-boo."
zed = the letter Z
Kraft Dinner = macaroni and cheese
grade 6 = 6th grade

In the church library -
Me - "Can I have some chalk please?" 
Librarian - "Would you like a brush as well?"
Me - "What? I mean pardon? Oh! An eraser! Yes please."

Flavour, colour, neighbour, centre, fibre, metre, litre. (My spell check puts a squiggly red line under each of those words. Obviously my spell check isn't Canadian.)

Say project, process and progress with the emphasis on PRO. PROject.
BUT say produce, the stuff that is grown on a farm prah-duce.
Say adult with the emphasis on the A using the short 'a' sound, like in pass. A-dult
Say been like it's spelled - beeeen. Not bin. 
Also the word again. Just like it's spelled: a-gain

The words pasta, Mazda, drama and llama are pronounced with the short 'a' sound, like the word 'pass'
Say sorry and borrow like soar-y and boar-ow. When I say sorry, it sounds like "Saahhh-ry."

And in closing - I've said it before and I'll say it again. Canadians that I have talked to really do say "eh". They deny it though. I think they don't even realized they do it. It's funny every time :)

3 comments:

  1. I like Canada more and more as you describe it! Are you coming to UT for Christmas????

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  2. My Auntie always says "bun" for a dinner roll. I love Canadian accents.

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  3. I'm going to start working "tickety-boo" into conversations. :)

    ReplyDelete