Canadian Terms Beginning with B

Bachelor - A reference to a "Bachelor Apartment". Sometime referred to as a studio apartment. The term "Bachelor to Rent" is very confusing to American visitors.

Back Bacon - Canadian bacon, as referred to by our American neighbours.

Bag - The common Canadian name for a grocery sack.

Bare Naked Ladies - A popular Canadian band. They have had limited success in the USA, but remain extraordinarily popular in Canada.

BC Bud or BC Hydro - Marijuana (or Pot) grown in BC, often in Grow Ops (hidden hydroponic growing operations) scattered throughout the province in both urban and rural areas. BC Bud has a reputation of being very strong and is apparently sought after, especially in the United States, where much of it is 'exported' to. Rumor has it that BC Bud is the largest cash crop in the province and contributes significantly to the provincial economy.

Bean - One hundred dollars. Strictly a Quebec term.

Beater - An old beat-up car. "Winter Beater" qualifies that one is driving a beater only because the summer car is in storage. "Beater with a heater" is often used as well.

Beauty - A term of endearment. ie., "That goal was a beauty."

Beep - An orange drink sold in the Prairie Provinces and the Maritimes from the 1960s to the 1980s. It was sold in schools as a healthy alternative to pop, but it contained nearly the same amount of sugar.

Beer Store - Of course, the official place to buy beer... when you are in Ontario.

BFI - A "BFI" is a garbage dumpster. It is named after a prominent Canadian waste management company, and the initials "BFI" are painted on the outside of the metal container.

Big Smoke, The - Nickname sometimes used for large urban centres such as Vancouver and Toronto.

Bill - A restaurant check. Where Americans ask the waiter for the check, Canadians ask for the "Bill".

Biscuit - A hockey puck.

Blinds - Americans call them shades. Canadians refer to slatted window coverings as blinds.

Blockhead - A derogatory term for Anglophone, or English speaker in the province of Quebec. Considered by Quebecers as the equivalent to an Anglo-Canadian calling a Franco-Canadian a "frog".

Bloody Caesar - Just like a Bloody Mary, except it's made with Clamato (clam and tomato) juice instead of plain tomato juice.

Blue Cocaine - A nickname for Kokanee brand beer. Likely derived from its addictive qualities.

Bluenoser - A person from Nova Scotia. The nickname is derived from the historical schooner "The Bluenose" which had its home port in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

Booter - When snow or water gets in your boot or footwear.

Booting - A regional term (Alberta) which describes the act of buying liquor or cigarettes for minors. Short for "Bootlegging".

Boozcan - An illegal after-hours establishment where alcohol is served.

Boxing Day - The day after Christmas. So named because of the British tradition of giving gift boxes to people such as mail carriers, milkmen, etc., on December 26. In Canada, Boxing Day is the date for many huge annual sales, the equivalent to "Black Friday" in the USA.

Brown Bread - In most of Canada, whole wheat bread. If you are at a diner for breakfast and you ask for whole wheat toast, they'll understand you, but "brown toast" is a lot more Canadian. Down east, "brown bread" refers to sweetened, molasses bread.

Buckle Bunny - A term used in the west, particularly in Alberta, to refer to a rodeo groupie, always female, who chases rodeo riders or dates rodeo riders. Not necessarily derogatory, depending on usage. See also definition of Puck Bunny. May also be used in the U.S.

Bunny Hug - Term used in Saskatchewan that is a hooded sweatshirt with or without a zipper that has a pocket in the front. Also referred to as a Hoodie in most other provinces. At one time it was also referred to as a "Kangaroo Jacket".

Butter Tart - A very small (single-serving) pie. They taste like pecan pies without the pecans

Buttons - Loose change, like buttons you find on a shirt. May be a local Montreal term.

Bytown - The original name of Ottawa before its designation as national capital, often still used in the same context as "Hogtown" for Toronto or "Cowtown" for Calgary.