People living in the same area or community may speak differently from people in other communities. They may use what are called colloquialisms.

A colloquialism is:

• an expression used by people who live and work in a particular place
  

These words or phrases could mean one thing to one group of people. They could mean something very different to another group.
Sometimes, colloquialisms become popular and are used far from where they started. Some may become a part of our everyday language.

Colloquialisms are used all across Canada. Local words and phrases can be different from one part of the country to another. They tell us how people talk in their real life. These words certainly make our language interesting and our country distinct!

Here are some examples of Canadian colloquialisms:

"downhomer": refers to a person who lives in Newfoundland




"a bachelor": refers to a one-room apartment with a small kitchen and a bathroom




"eh?": means don't you agree?




"kerfuffle": means a stressful situation

You may know of other Canadian colloquialisms that people in your community use.