Where did that come from, eh? New dictionary traces 'Canadianisms'

CTV News Channel: Dictionary of Canadianisms UBC English professor Margery Fee discusses why 'eh', 'all-dressed' and 'table' are distinctly Canadian.

While most of us are familiar with the distinctly Canadian term “eh” or maybe even “all-dressed” as it pertains to potato chips, there are numerous words, phrases and expressions that have come to shape modern-day Canadian English, according to a unique dictionary.

The second edition of the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles (DCHP-2) is the culmination of 10 years of work, primarily by the University of British Columbia’s Canadian English Lab. The first edition was published in 1967.

According to the dictionary’s introduction on its website, the goal of the scholarly work is “to provide a historical record of words and expressions characteristic of the various spheres of Canadian life during the almost four centuries that English has been used in Canada.”

The dictionary will be published online this month in conjunction with the country’s 150th anniversary of Confederation.

Margery Fee, an English professor at the University of British Columbia and the dictionary’s associate editor, told CTV News Channel on Tuesday that there were so many words and expressions relevant to Canadians that they weren’t able to cover them all.

In addition to the entries taken from the original publication, the latest edition has more than 1,000 words and more than 1,100 meanings. The popular and oh-so-Canadian word “eh” was obviously included in the work, but its etymology can actually be traced to Canadians’ ancestors across the pond.

Fee explained that despite its common association with Canadians, “eh” was actually a popular word in British English.

“Sometimes words get new meanings and that seems to have happened in Canada,” Fee said. “We have a lot of different ways of using this little two-letter word.”

Even though the dictionary credits the British with the term, Fee said it was included in the publication because it has become a national mark of Canadians’ collective identity.

Another word that has come to mean different things for different people is “table” when it’s used as a verb. Although it seems straightforward enough, Fee said Canadians tend to use it in a way that differs from their neighbours south of the border. She said the dominant meaning in Canada is to “bring something forward,” such as to “table a bill” for example. In the U.S., the word is used to “put something aside” and “table it for later.”

The disparity in the meaning of the word “table” isn’t the only difference between Canadian English and American English. Fee said Canadians are more inclined to use the word “washroom” over “restroom” and “runners” over “sneakers.”

Regional differences

The dictionary recognizes that linguistic variation isn’t a country-to-country phenomenon either. Fee said the publication also addresses the diverse “Canadianisms” within the country’s regions.

For example, residents in Ontario or British Columbia may not know that a “kitchen party” is usually a gathering involving music and dancing in Prince Edward Island or that a “bunny hug” refers to a hooded sweatshirt in Saskatchewan.

One term that most Canadians should be familiar with, thanks to its widespread branding on potato chip bags, is “all-dressed.” According to Fee, “all-dressed” was originally a French term used in Quebec to add all of the extra toppings or garnishes to a fast-food item.

“It applies to everything. It’s the equivalent of what an Anglo-Canadian would say, ‘Oh a pizza with the works. Everything you’ve got, put it on,’” she said.

As for Fee’s favourite “Canadianism” in the dictionary, she said it’s too difficult to choose just one.

“That’s like asking which one of your children you like,” she said with a laugh. “They’re all great.”