Canadianisms
If you want to blend in when visiting Canada and not stick out like a sore-thumb or an obvious tourist, here are a few local phrases and all around Canadianisms to help you fit right in.
It is worth noting there are some popular terms and phrases in Canada that may seem familiar, listed at the bottom of this post. Given Canada’s proximity to the United States, a lot of American vocabulary and terminology are commonplace in Canada, just as a lot of British phrases, slang terms, and colloquialisms are equally prominent, in large part because of Canada’s membership in the British Commonwealth. I mean, the Queen of England is technically Canada’s Head of State after all - hence why you’ll see her face on Canadian money. It’s only natural for Canadian’s to be familiar with, if not embrace, British vocab.
However, there is a selection of words, terms, phrases, etc. that are uniquely Canadian or that have originated here. So brush up on your Canadianisms before visiting to help you fit right in.
As noted above, there are common terms, phrases, and slang words in Canada that may be common in the UK or USA. Canadians will fully understand these words, and many use them interchangeably with the British/American counterpart.
Below is a list of popular examples for words/phrases that differ between the US and UK, where Canadians understand and use both terms, with the more popular word choice in Canada bolded for your reference. If neither word is bolded, then most likely both words are commonly used, a preference for one or the other mainly dependant on age and part of the country.
Serviette/Napkin
Queue/Line Up (In Canada, it’s most common to use ‘line up’ as a verb, and ‘queue’ as a noun)
Housecoat/Bathrobe/Robe
Vacation/Holiday
Fall/Autumn
Tea Towel/Dish Towel
Starter/Appetizer
Skipping Rope/Jump Rope
Tights/Pantyhose
Icing Sugar/Confectioner’s Sugar
Double Cream/Heavy Cream
Knock on Wood/Touch Wood
Porridge/Oatmeal
Peckish/Hungry
Toboggan/Sled
Tap/Faucet
Timber/Lumber