Common Toronto Slang Words
Say any of these slang terms to sound like a local. Here’s a list of the top slang terms that most people in Toronto know. Toss these phrases into casual conversations with friends and family members, or when you want to seem hip and trendy: Aboki: Means “my friend.” (“He’s my aboki.”) Ahlie: Used to agree with another person in conversation, or to express disbelief. (“She’s beautiful, ahlie?”) Ballin’ up: To smoke marijuana. (“You wanna ball up tonight?”) Bare: Means “many” or “a lot.” (“There were bare people at Osheaga Festival this year.”) Blem: A cigarette or marijuana joint. (“I’m going out for a blem.”) Bredrin: Means “brother,” “good friend,” or “homie.” (“How’s everything, my bredrin?”) Cut: To leave. (“I’m about to cut.”) Dun kno: A remark to confirm that something has been understood. (“That meal was delicious, dun kno?”) Fam: The short form of “family,” given to friends to indicate closeness. (“Thanks for coming out to support me, fam. It means the world.”) From time: Means “from way back when” or “for a long time.” (“I’ve been coming to this cafe from time.”) Gheez: An exclamation of joy or surprise. (“That’s your new girlfriend? Gheeeez!”) GTA: Stands for “Greater Toronto Area.” (“I’m from the GTA.”) Link up: Means “meet up” or “get together.” (“Let’s link up at Hunter’s party.”) Merked: To be attacked, beaten up, or eliminated. (“If you mess with the wrong folks, you’re going to get merked.”) Mickey: A hip-flask-size bottle of liquor. (“Just bring a mickey. We’re not trying to get too crazy.”) Mossin’: Means “hanging out” or “relaxing.” (“I didn’t do anything this weekend, I was just mossin’ on the couch.”) Nize it: Means “shut up” or “be quiet.” (“If you don’t have anything valuable to add to the conversation, nize it.”) Nyeah eh: Used for affirmation or emphasis, similar to “yeah” or “huh.” (“It’s a beautiful day, eh?” “Nyeah eh.”) Reach: Means “to arrive” or “be there.” (“You wanna come over and hang out?” “Yeah, I’ll reach you.”) Say word?: Means “really?” (“Did you hear Jess and Julian broke up?” “Say word?”) Styll: An interjection used for emphasis at the end of a statement, similar to “though” or “for real.” (“That’s a solid point, styll.”) T-dot: Nickname for Toronto, Ontario. (“She’s from the T-dot.”) The 6ix: Refers to the six former cities that make up Toronto now, made famous by the rapper Drake. (“Yeah, this is a crazy life. But you and the 6ix raised me right.”) Two-four: Refers to a case of 24 beers. (“I’m gonna pick up a two-four for the party tonight.”) Two-twos: Means “in conclusion,” “before you know it,” or “quickly.” (“I’ll be there in two-twos.”) Wagwan: A friendly greeting that means “what’s going on?” (“Wagwan, my guy?”) Wallahi: Means “I swear to God” or “by God.” (“I’ll be there in ten, Wallahi!”)
Funny Toronto Slang Words
Get the giggles going with these funny slang words. Use any of the slang below when you want to break the ice, ease tension, or make everyone laugh out loud. They’re silly on their own, especially if you throw them out in a random conversation: Bunny hug: A regional term, mainly used in Saskatchewan, for a hoodie or sweater. (“It’s so cold. Grab me my bunny hug out of the car.”) Cheesed: To be mad, annoyed, agitated, or pissed off. (“All the Raptors tickets are sold out? I’m cheesed, dog.”) Chesterfield: A large couch or sofa. (“I need to lie on the chesterfield after this long day.”) Dart: A cigarette. (“I’m going to rip a dart.”) Deafaz: A harsh slap to the ear or a strong attack. (“I’m about to give this guy a deafaz if he doesn’t leave.”) Jesus Murphy: Used as an exclamation to express astonishment, frustration, or disbelief; also, a less offensive version of “Jesus Christ!” (“Jesus Murphy, you scared me!”) Kerfuffle: A commotion, fuss, or minor argument, often used to downplay a messy situation. (“How’d you get yourself into that kerfuffle?”) Mandem: Used to describe a group of men. (“The mandem too inconsiderate.”) Marved: Means “starving.” (“When is this meeting over? I’m marved!”) Mazza: Means “too crazy” or “a mad situation.” (“The Drake concert was mazza.”) Moving mad: To act in a strange, erratic, or wild manner. (“Why is your brother moving mad?”) Top left: Used to emphasize the truth of a statement, similar to saying “seriously.” (“Top left, I lost my keys. You have to come and pick me up.”) Trash panda: A raccoon. (“I saw a trash panda run across the driveway.”)
Toronto Dating Slang Words
Use these slang terms to talk about dating and relationships. Here’s a list of common Toronto slang terms used in texting, dating apps, and flirty conversations, perfect for setting boundaries with someone or taking things to the next level: Bitty: Refers to an attractive girl. (“Check out that bitty in the combat boots.”) Checking: The state of dating someone without being official. (“Are you guys together?” “Nah, we’re just checking.”) Chop: Attempting to woo someone to get their phone number. (“Josh has been tryna chop Sydney for months.”) Pine: To engage in sexual intercourse. (“We pined last night.”) Sweeterman: A sweet, cute, and attractive guy. (“He’s such a sweeterman, I love it!”) Ting: Refers to an attractive person, usually a female, who is seen as a fling with potential for a relationship. (“I’m grabbing dinner with my ting tonight.”)
Toronto Slang Insults
Drop these slang insults to roast someone and sound like a local. Whether you’re playfully roasting a friend or preparing to throw a serious punch, you might find these slang words helpful. Here are the top ways to get under someone’s skin and insult them: Beat: Means “ugly” or “stupid.” (“Man, you’re beat.”) Bucktee: A derogatory term for someone who is homeless or an addict, similar to “crackhead.” (“You need to shave, you look like a bucktee.”) Chirp: To make fun of someone or trash-talk, often in sports. (“The opposing team was chirping at the goalie during the entire game.”) Cyattie: A female with a reputation for being loud, obnoxious, and promiscuous. (“Did you see what she wore to the club? She’s a total cyattie.”) Hoser: A derogatory term for a foolish or stupid person. (“He’s the definition of a hoser.”) Keener: Someone who tries hard to please others or is overly enthusiastic, similar to “nerd,” “brown-noser,” or “geek.” (“Stop being a keener. It’s so annoying.”) Miskeen: A poor, pathetic, or unfortunate person. Alternatively, it refers to someone innocent and naive. (“What a miskeen boy—he always gets caught up in the wrong crowd!”) Wasteman: A useless man lacking in maturity and motivation. (“John is unemployed, living rent-free with his girlfriend, and is in severe credit card debt. He’s a complete wasteman.”) Waste yute: A useless young person. (“Your boyfriend is a waste yute who plays video games all day.”)
General Canadian Slang You Should Know
Check out these classic Canadian slang terms before your next trip. If you’re planning a vacation to the Great White North, you’ll need to get familiar with the following terms. They’ll help you order food, make friends, and have the best time: Bud: A way to refer to someone without using a name. (“How are ya, bud?”) Canuck: A slang term for Canadians. (“Look at those Canucks!”) Clicks: Slang for kilometers. (“The nearest Timmies is only a few clicks away.”) Cowtown: The city of Calgary, Alberta, which is known as the center of the Canadian cattle industry. (“I want to eat a steak in Cowtown.”) Dep: Short for “dépanneur,” which means convenience store in French. (“Can you grab me some chips at the dep?”) Double-double: A regular coffee with two creams and two sugars. (“You want a double-double from Timmies?”) Freezie: A Canadian popsicle. (“I’m craving a strawberry freezie.”) Hang a Larry: Means “make a left turn.” (“Hang a Larry after the next block.”) Hang a Roger: Means “make a right turn.” (“After the hill, hang a Roger, then it’s the first left.”) Loonie: One-dollar coins in Canada. (“Do you have a spare loonie?”) ODR: An abbreviation for an outdoor rink. (“Her family made an insane ODR in their backyard.”) Raincouver: A nickname for Vancouver, British Columbia, which gets nearly 168 days of rain on average per year. (“I need to leave Raincouver. It feels like I haven’t seen the sun in 10 years.”) Regular: A coffee made with one cream and one sugar. (”I need a regular ASAP.”) The Peg: A nickname for the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. (“Let’s go to the Peg next weekend!”) The Rock: A nickname for the island province of Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada. (“We’re hitting the Rock over winter break.”) Timmies: Slang for Tim Horton’s, the fast-food coffee chain. (“Go to Timmies and grab me a box of Timbits.”) Toonie: Two-dollar coins in Canada. (“Can you give me a toonie for the vending machine?”) Toque: A warm knitted hat. (“I need to grab my toque before we hit the slopes.”)
Origins & History of Toronto Slang
Toronto slang comes from the city’s diverse immigrant communities. Many slang words come from Patois, Somali, and Arabic influences, with roots in large-scale migration from the 1960s to the 1990s. During this time, immigrants from countries like Jamaica, Trinidad, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, and Ethiopia settled in Toronto (and other parts of the Greater Toronto Area), transforming it into a vibrant melting pot of different cultures. Additionally, the rapper Drake is credited with popularizing Toronto and Canadian slang in mainstream media.
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