A dozen ways to order beer, ski caps or coffee the Canadian way
By Leanne Italie, APTuesday, January 19, 2010
Glossary of useful Canadian terms
Have a sit-down on the chesterfield with your double-double and learn ya some Canadian.
With the caveat that not all Canadians may agree on the language, definitions and spellings below, and not all may use all expressions listed here all the time in all contexts in an all-joking or an all-earnest manner, let’s begin:
LOONIE: One-dollar coin bearing the image on one side of a diving bird known in North America as the Common Loon.
TOONIE or TWOONIE: Two-dollar coin bearing the image on one side of a polar bear. Named as a play on Loonie and for its double-dollar denomination.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE: A coffee with two creams and two sugars.
TRIPLE-TRIPLE: You guessed it, same as above plus one each.
CHESTERFIELD: Generic term for couch. Refers elsewhere to a specific leather style.
TIMMIES: Shorthand for Tim Hortons, Canada’s answer to Starbucks and making its first foray into the United States.
TIMBITS: Doughnut holes at Tim Hortons.
TWO-FOUR OR TWOFER: A case of beer that contains 24 bottles.
TOQUE or TUQUE: Pronounced TOOK, a knit cap called a ski cap in the United States.
THAT’LL LEARN YA: Meaning, “That will teach you,” said in response to a stupid or non-fatal avoidable bad outcome.
HYDRO: In some areas, refers generically to electrical power and power bills.
HOMO MILK: Non-homogenized milk.
