##  [Canadianisms: Prairies](/writing-tips-plus/canadianisms-prairies)

##  Avertissement

Ce contenu est offert en anglais seulement.

A Canadianism is a word or expression that is used only in Canada. When a Canadianism is used in a specific region of Canada, it is called a regionalism. Below is a small sample of Prairie regionalisms, that is, words or expressions that originate and are used only in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

## Prairie regionalisms

| Word or expression | Meaning and example |
|---|---|
| booter | A bootful of snow or water  **Example:** My foot sank in the deep snow, and I ended up with a booter. |
| bunnyhug | A hooded sweatshirt  **Note:** This term is most commonly heard in Saskatchewan. In other parts of Canada, this garment is known as a “hoodie.”  **Example:** Bunnyhugs make good gifts for teenagers and young adults. |
| dainties | Fancy baked treats (cookies, cakes, etc.) usually served at a social gathering  **Note:** This term is always used in the plural.  **Example:** After the house concert, dainties were served. |
| Halloween apples! | Interjection used by children on Halloween to collect candies, corresponding to the phrase “Trick or treat!” used in other parts of Canada  **Example:** When I answered the door, a little girl dressed as a goblin shouted, “Halloween apples!” |
| jambuster | A jam-filled doughnut  **Example:** My favourite doughnut is a jambuster dusted with cinnamon. |
| late lunch | A traditional midnight spread of rye bread, cold cuts and mustard served at a social (See definition of “social” below.)  **Example:** At a social, the guests are traditionally served a late lunch. |
| matrimonial cake | A date square  **Example:** Martha passed around a platter of brownies and matrimonial cake. |
| social | A public social gathering held before a wedding to raise money for the couple that is to be married  Elsewhere in Canada, this type of event may be known as a “stag and doe” or a “Jack and Jill.”  **Example:** To help the young couple get started, their friends organized a social. |
| spongee, sponge hockey | A hockey-like sport that originated in Winnipeg  Spongee is played on ice with a sponge puck. Instead of skates, players wear thickly-padded sponge shoes.  **Example:** The girls are playing in a spongee tournament this weekend. |

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## Liens connexes

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