Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About "Talking Canadian"

As a person who has lived all my life in the USA, but in different parts of the country, I know from personal experience there are unique "quirks" about how "Northerners" talk (those of us from places like Michigan, Wisconsin, or Minnesota) or Southerners talk (clearly people from "Down South" like Virginia, Tennessee, or Georgia) and people from "Out East" talk (Such as Massachusetts or Maine). These US "quirks" go beyond accents to phrases which when spoken, let people know where you are from. 

In the same way I've learned Canadians are famous for their friendly, polite, and sometimes quirky vocabulary. From ordering specific coffee orders at Tim Hortons to casually referring to their unique money, their daily lingo is full of unique idioms.  Culturally, Canadians also express their affection with localized, uniquely Canadian idioms. Common romantic phrases and some of the funniest and most iconic things Canadians say include:

• "I love you more than maple syrup on pancakes."
• "I'd share my last Timbit with you." (The popular bite-sized donuts from Tim Hortons). 
• "You're my double double."
  (Referring to a coffee with two creams and two sugars). 
• Eh?: The legendary conversational filler used at the end of sentences to seek agreement, like saying "right?" or "don't you think?"
• Loonie & Toonie: The names for the Canadian $1 and $2 coins, respectively. The loonie is named for the loon bird stamped on it.
• Toque: A warm winter hat or beanie.
• Canadian Tuxedo: The fashion choice of wearing a denim jacket with blue jeans.
• Pop: The Canadian term for soda (like Coke or Pepsi - also how we say it here in Michigan).
• Gong Show: Slang for a chaotic, messy, or completely out-of-control situation.
• Two-Four: A case of 24 beers.
• Giver: A popular way to encourage someone to try their best or push harder.
• Clicks: Slang for kilometers per hour.
• KD: Short for Kraft Dinner, the iconic boxed macaroni and cheese.
• Serviette: A table napkin.
• Zed: The phonetic pronunciation for the final letter of the alphabet, Z.
• Keener: An overly eager or enthusiastic person, similar to a brown-noser. To sound very "Canadian", you could use the term, "Eager Beaver", too!
• Chesterfield: An older term for a couch or sofa.
• Hydro: What Canadians call their electricity bill, named after hydroelectric power.
• Kerfuffle - commotion; flurry of agitation.
• Garburator: A kitchen sink garbage disposal unit.
• Pencil crayon: What most people call a colored pencil.
• Washroom: A restroom or bathroom.
Process and About: Words like process, project, and the vowel sounds in about and out undergo "Canadian raising," giving them a sharper vowel sound.
Sorry: Pronounced with an open "o" sound which rhymes with ore rather than ah.
Beauty is used to say something is good (a beauty), or in place of "awesome" and if you really want to sound Canadian, keep it simple with, "Beauty, eh?"  
The slang, bunny hug, actually comes from the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, and is a word which means a sweater or hoodie.
The Rock is the nickname for the island province of Newfoundland.
Furry, cute, and lovers of your poorly discarded garbage,(or something which steals your grandsons food when he is on a backpacking trip with his Scout group), trash panda is the nickname Canadian’s use to refer to raccoons.
Fill yer boots - A common Canadian idiom, the phrase means to take as much as you want, help yourself, or take full advantage of an opportunity.

Now I'll have a better idea of how to understand "Canadian" and even be able to talk "Canadian", too! You'll find many more things which are unique and wonderful about "talking Canadian" at this link.