So you think you can speak Canadian eh??

[BrianH]

My sister commented that skookum is a slang word that originated locally (it's a salish Indian word).

Ahhh, now that's from my neighbourhood...from Tsinuk-wawa, the Chinook trade jargon of the 19th century that originated here and spread to Vancouver. Every historic reference I have encountered in my research has used a word or two from wawa.

Skookum can mean anything from strong to reliable to steadfast to finely-made. Chuck being water, skookumchuck is strong water, like rapids in a river...don't you have some place names like that?

Usage example: FG is a skookum fencer. Leon Paul makes a skookum mask.

[Fencergrl]

I would have sent you back to school m'dear if you (of all people) wouldn't know the meaning of the word without the use of google. We have several rivers with the name "Skookumchuck"... three that I can think of off the top of my head.

"Salt Chuck" is a common slang for ocean. I suspect it's origin is from the Indian word (although I never thought of that before now).

BC with it's mountains has several skookumchucks... much to the dismay of the goldrushers in the 1850's that came up from California who claimed our gold was guarded by "fierce monsters".... I'm reading a book on this can you tell?

I suspect the Chinook trade jargon has likely ended up in our language from these goldrushers as 80-90% of our population in the 1850's were Americans. It is also part of our local Indians vocabulary, but this probably has more to do with the enterprising Chinooks and predates it's introduction in our language.

Oregon's history actually had an impact on BC's in the 1850's.... (something I want to discuss with you Brian). Governor James Douglas worked hard to ensure that the Crown held on to BC. I hadn't realize the Crown held Oregon at one time. Anyway... I digress...

Rep for Brian for knowing the word skookum. So is it a word that you use or is used locally Brian?

[Go? Fencing?]

Bump this thread... more Canadianisms, please!
Yes, I'm talking to you, Cupcake! You know how I love the strange way you folks up in Canadia Proper talk.

[Fencergrl]

Being out on the prairies last week, I got reminded of some more country Canadian terms. Here's some easy ones to figure out their meanings:

Rode hard and put away wet.

and Git-er-done

[D'Art]

Not biting on these ones. The jokes are far too obvious

[freerider258]

Bump this thread... more Canadianisms, please!
Yes, I'm talking to you, Cupcake! You know how I love the strange way you folks up in Canadia Proper talk.

Word.

[Fencergrl]

You haven't been here long enough to understand the context. Years ago, Go? chose me as her "Fake Lesbian Love Interest". From then on we have been calling each other "Cupcake" and "Snookums".

The "Canadia Proper" reference came about when someone suggested Canada and the US should be one big happy country. Naturally I suggested the US become Southern Canadians. Go? particularly liked this idea (I suspect because it allowed her to use all the French she learned in school). Anyway she re-drew the map of the US and Canada, renaming the areas. I think "Canadia" is her way of combining the two countries names.

[Fencergrl]

Not biting on these ones. The jokes are far too obvious

You would have been partially right if you had.

Rode hard and put away wet. Is a horseman's term. When horses are ran hard they are sweaty. The first time I heard this was when a co-worker would come back from a hard day on the rode doing service calls and would comment that she felt "rode hard". Since my husband was from the same part of Canada as her, I asked him what it meant. He also used the term to describe a lengthy, sweaty, satisfying bounce on the bedsprings.

One could say after a long and difficult tournament "I feel rode hard and put away wet".

Git-er-done is something you hear a lot on the Canadian prairies. It's pretty much as it appears. Stop stalling, talking and thinking... just get the job done. There's a job to do, so let's do it.

In fencing, a coach might just slap a fencer on the shoulder before a bout and say "git'r done". Meaning you know what to do, just do it.

[D'Art]

The only time I make an attempt to keep it clean as well

[Go? Fencing?]

O Canadia.

As for the name Canadia, it just makes sense. If you're an American, you're from America. If you're a Cambodian, you're from Cambodia. If you're a Canadian, you're from... Canadia!

[Fencergrl]

Here's a new Canadian phrase.

Ka-dunka-dunk

I'll use in a sentence so it'll be easier to figure out it's meaning.

"The bridge was backed up because everyone was slowing down for the ka-dunka-dunks on the road."

[Meteoric Iron]

I honestly heard a 40-year-old Canadian/Albertian this week talk about freezing his "patootie" off. I'll ask him about ka-dunka-dunk.

[Fencergrl]

That's the funny thing about local slang... you don't realize it's slang until you see someone else amused/ confused by your choice of words.

Yes... "freezing your patootie" is a common phase or "getting kicked in the patootie".

Ka-dunka-dunk is regional on Vancouver, so your Albertian friend probably won't "get it" (but might be able to guess).

[Fencergrl]

Speaking of regional sayings... the Albertians I know refer to someone useless as "a waste of skin". This ties in with their common sense waste-not attitude, so I find it a little amusing.

[Zilverzmurfen]

O Canadia.

As for the name Canadia, it just makes sense. If you're an American, you're from America. If you're a Cambodian, you're from Cambodia. If you're a Canadian, you're from... Canadia!

Yeah, and if you're from Germany you're a...uuh...germ!

[Go? Fencing?]

Yeah, and if you're from Germany you're a...uuh...germ!

Germanians are from Germania.

If Finns are from Finland, why aren't Engs from England? Or is it Finlish from Finland?

[Fencergrl]

Here's a new Canadian phrase.

Ka-dunka-dunk

I'll use in a sentence so it'll be easier to figure out it's meaning.

"The bridge was backed up because everyone was slowing down for the ka-dunka-dunks on the road."

Ka-dunka-dunk: When they work on roads and bridges (mostly bridges) the metal plates, or uneven pavement or bumps they make slows down traffic. When you drive over them, they make the noise "ka-dunka-dunk".

Hence, when you hear a traffic report and they say that "Traffic is backed up on the bridge because every is slowing down for the ka-dunka-dunks" you'll now know what they mean.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Germanians are from Germania.

If Finns are from Finland, why aren't Engs from England? Or is it Finlish from Finland?

I've no idea. It'd be interesting also to know why you call my country 'Sweden' and why we're called 'swedes' instead of...swedians or something.

You english speaking people are just weeeird.

[Go? Fencing?]

I've believed for a long time that everyone should use the terms for counties, at least, that the people who live there call it themselves. It just makes more sense to me. Except, of course, for those countries who can't make up their minds, like Holland/the Netherlands, Britain/Great Britain/England/Scotland/Wales, and, naturally, America/the United States of America/the USA/the US of A/the US.

Oh, and Zz, last I checked, you were an English-speaking person, let me know if that's changed. Though if it has, I don't know if I'll understand you, as Scandinavian languages go, my Finnish is far better than my Swedish.

[Fencergrl]

Though if it has, I don't know if I'll understand you, as Scandinavian languages go, my Finnish is far better than my Swedish.

Well then, you should be able to have some good conversations with Mrs. E and Finnfence.