Speaking French in Canada: 10 Quebec expressions

Dry your teeth

This expression is used to talk about a forced or silly smile, denoting pettiness, falsity or hypocrisy on the part of the person smiling. Being “drying your teeth” or “drying your teeth” is the equivalent of a fake smile or a beta smile in our household. By extension, this expression is also used to designate a person with badass behavior.

An example: “Denis doesn’t talk, he’s drying his teeth!”

Denis doesn't speak, he only smiles stupidly. This may also want to express the falsity of Denis.

This expression is also used to describe someone who sleeps with their mouth open in certain parts of Quebec.

Have hands full of thumbs

If someone tells you that your hands are full of thumbs, it means that you are very clumsy. It can be used to refer to someone who would drop everything or break a lot of things. It is also used to talk about a person who has difficulty saying things well or who says them in an unskillful way. In France, a similar expression would be “to have two left hands”.

An example: “Marie has her hands full of thumbs when she speaks in public.”

Marie is not very good at talking to many people at the same time. She is socially awkward.

Have a sweet tooth

This expression means that we like sweet things: candy, chocolate, maple syrup, ice cream and others.

An example: “Children all have a sweet tooth, you have to deal with it.”

All children like sweet things, you have to deal with them.

Moreover, at the time of the sugaring season, or the sugaring season, we often say that we are going to have a sweet tooth. This means that we will visit a sugar shack at the very beginning of spring. This is the place where maple syrup has been produced for centuries. Absolutely worth trying: maple taffy on snow, a soft confection made with maple syrup caramel to enjoy on the snow!

Tie your hat

A toque is a type of hat widely worn in Quebec during the winter. When the wind starts to blow, we tie it up so it doesn't blow away. So, this expression means to hold on tightly to what is to come which may be disconcerting, disappointing or surprising.

An example: “You’re going to have to tie your hat, the fuel has increased.”

Be careful, it's going to sting, fuel prices have increased again.

We can also say “fasten your hat with a brooch”. This means that we will have to hold on tight for the future. We use this expression when difficulties are looming on the horizon and we must prepare for the worst or at least for something serious.

An example: “He’s going to have to fasten his hat with a brooch, his girlfriend is pregnant!”

He needs to prepare himself mentally, his girlfriend is pregnant.

Hay spit

This expression describes a product, service or event whose quality is doubtful, or even poor. An event labeled as such may be poorly organized, oversold or simply rubbish.

An example: “Have you ever heard of the Lyft Festival? It was a real haystack!”

The Lyft festival was a complete disaster.

The origins of this pictorial expression lie in the agricultural history of the province and the country in general. Lack of resources forced farmers to make makeshift spits to gather the hay into bales. Since they were not strong, they fell apart and the boot had to be reassembled.

A piss

For a Quebecer, we use the expression un pissou to designate someone who is timid and who lacks courage. A pissou is a freak, a person who tends to be afraid of everything and who has a lot of difficulty leaving their comfort zone.

An example: “I’m not going to suggest rafting to Benoît, he’s a fool.”

I will not suggest this thrilling activity to Benoît because he is too fearful.

This expression has a distant French origin and simply referred to a child who still wet the bed.

Be alert

This expression that we also know is indeed Quebecois. As we know, it is used to say that we find something suspicious or that we suspect something.

An example: “Annie’s behavior alerted me.”

Annie's behavior is questionable, it worries me or there is something going on.

In the past, homes were unsanitary and fleas were common. An itchy ear sting immediately makes the person look worried when they scratch.

Go to the smooch

If someone wants to go to the toilet, that means they want to go to the toilet.

An example: “Quickly show me the way, I have to go to the woods!”

The origin of this word is a distortion of the English word “backhouse” or the house at the back. The toilets used to be separate from the main house, and they were always at the back of the house.

Selling to dehorn the oxen

Refers to particularly violent windy weather.

An example: “If I were you, I would hang up my tuche, it’s windy enough to dehorn the oxen outside!”

If I were you, I would tie my hat, the wind is blowing hard outside.

In the 19th century, farmers cut off the horns of oxen to prevent them from getting hurt while fighting. To facilitate healing and prevent flies from settling on the wounds, ox horns were cut during periods of high winds.

Pull yourself a log

If someone asks you to “pull a log”, it is simply an invitation to sit down and talk.

An example: “Don’t stand there like that, shoot yourself.”

Don't stand, come sit down.

In the past, modest households used logs as seats due to lack of means. Visitors were therefore invited to pull one out and sit on it.

To speak like a Quebecois

Are you moving soon and want to integrate? Are you going on vacation to Quebec soon and you want to understand the people? We give you some everyday expressions and tips to better understand discussions.

Everyday expressions

In Quebec, we would rather say “Good morning” than “Hello” and “See you soon” rather than “See you soon”.

In Quebec, we also say “Quessé ça” for “What is there?” and “What the hell?” For “What is that?”. If a Quebecer has the impression that you are making fun of him, he will say “Are you kidding me?” And if we're asking you to “don't fool around with the puck”, it's because you need to stop beating around the bush and get straight to the point.

To understand the Quebec accent

Are you still struggling to understand the Quebec accent? He's a Frenchman who uses a lot of shortcuts!

For example, we say “chu” for “I am”, “asteur” for “at this time”, “pi” for “then” or “passe que” for “because”. They also replace the sound “è” as in never with an “a”. “Palais” becomes “pala”, “mauvais” is “mauva” and “je le sais” becomes “je le sava” in Quebecois.

It is not finished ! The “e” sometimes transforms into “a” in words: Quebecois sometimes says “ramuer” for “stir” and “énarvé” for “edgy”. Consonants such as l or r fall into certain words: “plus” becomes “pus” and “toujours” becomes “toujou”...

They also add “tu” at the end of questions: “Are you lost?”

The Quebec French language is no longer considered simple, vulgar and unrefined. On the contrary, it is a reflection of the country's history and is a source of pride for French-speaking Canadians.

Don't hesitate to take a look at our online store to discover many quality Canadian products. Want to discover flavors of Quebec? Maple syrup is a must, as are wild blueberries from the Lac Saint Jean region.