Questions tagged [canadian-english]
Questions about the English language as spoken in Canada.
54
questions
4
votes
1answer
780 views
How did cougar come to mean predatory woman?
The common slang connotation of the term cougar is that of an older women who has sexual relationships with younger men. The expression appears to come from Canada but its origin is still unclear ...
-1
votes
0answers
199 views
Is it grayscale or greyscale in Canadian English?
I know that grey is used in Canadian English - does that then mean that it should be greyscale in Canadian English?
0
votes
2answers
137 views
Meaning of “bareback”
I've been watching Guy Maddin's 2007 My Winnipeg and there's a sentence there I have difficulty understanding. The narrator is talking about the coldest month, January, and it goes something like this:...
3
votes
1answer
6k views
What does “blazes” mean in “Stay the blazes home!”
Canada Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil's war cry against COVID-19, "Stay the blazes home", trending #1 in Twitter Canada today (April 4, 2020). See news article coverage.
What does "blazes" here ...
18
votes
2answers
5k views
Is this the correct pronunciation of “heinous” in any English-speaking country?
I've never heard "heinous" pronounced "HI-ness" before; I always thought the only valid pronunciation was "HAY-ness."
Is "HI-ness" a valid pronunciation of "heinous" in any English-speaking country? ...
-2
votes
1answer
771 views
Alternatives to “Happy Remembrance Day”?
Isn't "Happy Remembrance Day" dis-tasteful? How can a nice person be "Happy" on Remembrance Day??? I read news articles that say it...see under...but the "Happy" feels opprobrious.
I live in Canada. ...
-1
votes
1answer
219 views
Is there a word for before previous? [closed]
Not an exact duplicate of this:
How to say 'before previous' in one word?
My new pet project with the Linux app aaa (Android Access Archive) has these tentatively named fields:
Filename
...
2
votes
1answer
124 views
What does “beef on the rope” mean"
"The did have one good pro sailor, Ed Roach, for "beef on the rope" and shipkeeping and cooking."
4
votes
3answers
979 views
Do Canadians say 'go to hospital' or 'go to the hospital'?
Do Canadians follow the British in saying 'I need to go to hospital', or do they say "He needs to go to the hospital'?
0
votes
1answer
2k views
What is considered as verbatim copying exactly? [closed]
I am always confused when it the word verbatim copying or word for word comes up.
What does that exactly mean
For example
The statement below:
Examining and investigating any electrical components ...
2
votes
1answer
388 views
Draft Beer or Draught Beer (In Canada)
There's a few threads on here about draft vs draught, but I couldn't find an answer to my question. As a preface, I'm Canadian, and know that draft (US) and draught (UK) are generally interchangeable,...
0
votes
3answers
7k views
Where exactly did the slang phrase “digging it” come from
I'm a young native english speaker raised in Canada. At school me and most of my friends tend to use the phrase "Im really digging this", as to mean i'm really enjoying a specific thing or activity. ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Alternative terms for Men's and Women's T-shirts?
I'm going to be hosting an event that may include gender non-binary participants, and we have some t-shirts to give away. They are manufactured in Men's and Women's cuts.
Are there any terms that ...
3
votes
3answers
8k views
Defense vs. Defence in Canadian English
I recently came across this spelling of "defense/ce" in a Canadian newspaper:
Canada is a close U.S. military ally and the top U.S. export market, more than the U.K., Japan and Germany combined. It ...
0
votes
1answer
2k views
Is it impolite to say hello to a doctor as “Hi, First Name”? [closed]
I'm based in Canada and I'm not a native English speaker. Is it impolite to call doctors and dentists by their first name instead of "Dr. Last Name" when answering a phone call?
1
vote
1answer
186 views
“'ve” contraction in Canadian and Australian English
I'm wondering if in Australian or Canadian English you can use " 've" before a noun phrase in informal style:
I've a car.
They've a great time.
The question is somewhat related to this one. The ...
-1
votes
3answers
8k views
“I have to face” or “I have been facing” and what is the difference? [closed]
I have to face the real face of life.
Is this sentence correct?
Or should I say:
I have been facing the real face of life.
What I am trying to say is that I have been forced to do this.
2
votes
1answer
94 views
What is the archaic Canadian word for a chesterfield throwover?
So in a casual conversation with other Canadian writers, I asked the question because I was told by my parents that there was a specific word used by their parents for the throwover you place on the ...
4
votes
2answers
827 views
In Canada, does the expression “I'll pick up your slack” have negative, derogatory or positive connotation?
I was speaking to a native Canadian when he told me during a video game progress:
"I'll pick up the slack"
I got upset with him because I know that slack has a negative connotation which means he ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
How do Canadians pronounce “eh”?
In a recent post, I was trying to describe Spanish vowels succinctly to an unsophisticated participant, and used the Canadian "eh?" as an example. A participant from the U.S. (California, ...
3
votes
3answers
9k views
Is “in-TEST-eyen” a valid pronunciation for “intestine”?
Is "in-TEST-eyen" /ɪnˈtestaɪn/ a valid pronunciation for "intestine"? I looked up "intestine" in MacMillan, Oxford, Cambridge, Merriam-Webster and even the Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, none of ...
1
vote
1answer
3k views
Why isn't it appropriate to use an exclamation point in an essay? And how can I get around that? [closed]
I am currently writing a research essay for my English twelve class, and we are not allowed any exclaimation points whatsoever. But this one sentence is something I feel absolutely requires it! HELP: ...
1
vote
2answers
158 views
What does the term “White Privilege” mean?
I can't really find a definition that explains the concept of "White Privilege" in a simple way, but what I have understood so far is that it means white people will benefit or enjoy more power and ...
3
votes
7answers
2k views
Hallowe'en and shell out
Growing up in Canada, in addition to "trick-or-treating" as a description of kids' activities on Hallowe'en evening, I often heard the verb "shell out", conjugated as "shelling out" or "shellouting". ...
1
vote
1answer
924 views
meaning of “quite+adjective” in Canadian English
I am translating a Canadian article, and here's a sentence I need some help with:
There are innumerable colour choices when choosing gladioli corms but
until recent years, those colours classed ...
3
votes
3answers
2k views
“Accessory” pronounced with a stress on the first syllable
I'm a first language English speaker, but grew up bilingual in Spanish in a Spanish speaking country. Today I was speaking to another first language English speaker (Canadian) and used the word "...
4
votes
3answers
1k views
What word(s) do children of English native speakers use for “kid”/“child”/etc
I'm looking for (a) word(s) that is/are perceived to be child's language by adults, not words used by adults to describe children. What would be fine though are words used by adults when they are ...
4
votes
3answers
16k views
Is written Canadian English closer to American English or British English?
I'm having some writing done for a website aimed at a Canadian audience. In order to leverage our resources more, I'd like to focus on American English or British English.
So, is written Canadian ...
1
vote
1answer
856 views
Meaning of “Feds” in Canadian English?
Examples:
"Feds will make music downloading illegal, Heritage minister says."
and
"Feds to look at offering Canadians option to increase CPP
contributions"
My best guess is simply Federal ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
Canadian English and collective nouns subject/verb agreement
Please, forgive me if this has already been asked. I did a quick search and found nothing specifically regarding Canadians, but a kind redirection would be helpful if this is a repeat.
I understand ...
1
vote
1answer
268 views
Socket or outlet, which one do you use when explaining to a child? [closed]
I'm just curious....
In the USA, how do you explain to a child 'don't put anything in the electrical outlet' or 'don't play with a wall socket'??
How do you say the same thing around the globe?
3
votes
1answer
778 views
How can choosing to speak in English rather than French have an emotional impact on me? [closed]
I’ve grown up speaking two languages. I can seamlessly swap between French and English, but somehow I often feel like I can’t speak my mind when speaking French.
When it comes to things that are ...
15
votes
4answers
3k views
How do Torontonians pronounce the name of their hometown?
Toronto - The capital and largest city of Ontario, Canada, in the southern part of the province on Lake Ontario.
[tə-ˈrän-(ˌ)tō, -ˈrän-tə] — Merriam-Webster
[tuh-ron-toh] — Reference.com
[təˈrän(t)ō] ...
4
votes
3answers
196 views
Term for aboriginal people of Canada in a historical context
The tribes that inhabited Canada before European contact are generally known as First Nations today. From what I can tell, this term is fairly new.
What term could I use to refer to First Nations ...
-1
votes
1answer
382 views
Translating from American to Canadian, when these are used as verbs, is it “log in” and “log out” or “login” and “logout”?
This is not a duplicate of questions such as“Login” or “log in”? or “log in to” or “log into” or “login to”. The reason is that this question deals specifically with converting from American English ...
1
vote
1answer
394 views
“Her” in a sentence
I have a question about the use of "her" in English.
Here is a conversation:
Q. Any luck finishing your part? A. Working on her right now.
Here, does her refer to part A of the question? Is it ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
"Why are you still in my office? VS Why do you still in my office? [closed]
What is the difference between those questions and which one is the correct form?
1
vote
3answers
18k views
Use of “as good” and “as well”
Are these two sentences correct?
This is as good as ...
This works as well as ...
Edit:
This one is as good as the other one.
This one works as well as the other one.
4
votes
4answers
12k views
Boogie - Negative connotation?
I work in a company which has a product called "Boogie" (for reasons that the original owner knows). The product has been called that way for years in our French Canadian environment. Our few English ...
2
votes
3answers
461 views
Résumé as summary vs document describing work experience
Because "résumé" or "resume" as a noun is a false cognate with the French equivalent, I tend to avoid using "résumé" to mean "summary", and only reserve it to mean "that document people bring to ...
3
votes
1answer
3k views
What is the most common name for the floor above the ground floor in Canada?
I think the floor above the ground floor, in public buildings, is either called 2nd floor (in which case the ground floor is the first) or 1st floor. This is quite confusing since you need to know the ...
17
votes
2answers
3k views
Canadian spelling: why?
As a Canadian, I feel that our spelling tendencies—sometimes British, sometimes American—fit quite well with our geographic, historic and cultural placement between these two bigger countries.
I have ...
16
votes
6answers
14k views
The use of “hey” in North America
Having had my formative years in New Zealand, I was born in South Africa. I vaguely recall when I was VERY young having someone tell me when I said "hey" that "hay is what horses eat".
I got that ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
What does the end of sentence “eh” tag mean in Canadian English?
What does the end of sentence eh tag mean in Canadian English? It seems like it should mean something. In other languages, final tags can indicate questions or other things.
6
votes
7answers
2k views
Tuques and dialects - What do you call a knitted cap in your region/dialect? [closed]
In Canadian English the word tuque refers to a knitted cap for use in cold weather.
I'd like to know what such an item is commonly called in other dialects and regions since most people are utterly ...
1
vote
5answers
3k views
Americans stereotype Canadian pronunciation of “about”? [closed]
Americans think that Canadians pronounce about as aboot (I've never heard anyone pronounce it that way) yet they pronounce route as root. They know how to pronounce out, about, router (as rauwter) ...
11
votes
9answers
33k views
Why is it called an “Indian file”?
I recently came across a US phrase, Indian file. This is utterly unheard of in the UK, and probably outside North America; at least I’ve certainly never heard of it. The phrase would be expressed in ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
Spelling protocol (American/British/Canadian) for an International conference
If I'm a Canadian who'll be presenting in an international conference, should I use my country's spelling, which is the Canadian/British spelling like "grey" or the more used American spelling like "...
16
votes
5answers
49k views
Why is 'forty' spelled without a 'u' in Canadian/British English?
I was writing in Word today (with the Canadian English dictionary enabled) and it kept putting a redline under "fourty" which I couldn't understand. A bit of searching says that, even in British and ...
16
votes
9answers
27k views
Is “Canuck” offensive?
I was criticized the other day for using this word. It never occurred to me that it was offensive, but Wikipedia says it "may" be derogatory. Given Vancouver's hockey team, I tend to think it's benign,...
