Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge The Canadian Use of Eh?

You may have heard of our use of the word "eh" in Canada it is somewhat like the use of "huh" in the US but as you can see far more expressive even without any superlative "U"s This can be your primer for when we all can start travelling across the border again, eh?

Type of Eh

Sample Sentence

1. Statement of opinion

Nice day, eh?

2. Statements of fact

It goes over here, eh?

3. Commands

Open the window, eh?

Think about it, eh?

4. Exclamations

What a game, eh?

5. Questions

What are they trying to do, eh?

6. To mean “pardon”

Eh? What did you say?

7. In fixed expressions

Thanks, eh?

I know, eh?

8. Insults

You’re a real snob, eh?

9. Accusations

You took the last piece, eh?

10. Telling a story [the narrative eh]

This guy is up on the 27th floor, eh? then he gets out on the ledge, eh...

I think of it more as a speech impediment,

If you were Canadian you would have finished the statement with, Eh

We say that in Oz, but it's Ay.

And we both use the superlative U as some on this web site to refer to it as.

Speaking of which I wonder if Dwight is still around?I haven't seen him here for quite awhile,but there again I don't get around much anymore either more on the FB America/Speedmaster pages

All we need to do to get Dwight's attention I'd to use a little bait so.....

DOUGHNUTS, NEIGHBOURS. .EVEN IF THEY ARE MADE FROM ALUMINIUM.

That ought to do it.

Nah. Needs far more PUNCTUATION!!!!!!!!!!!!@@@@@####$$$$%%%%^^^^&&&&****????....

LOL

Well, FIRST of all, that 'U' which you guys both up there in Canada AND you guys down there in Australia STILL so needlessly insert into the spelling of those above listed words and even AFTER your respective countries became fully independent and autonomous, well okay, SEMI-autonomous anyway from the British Crown, is NOT "superLATIVE" but IS in fact "superFLUOUS"!!!

(...and secondly, well, I suppose it's nice being remembered for something around here anyway)

LOL

It worked

LOL

Yep, you know that old sayin' don't ya:

"Speak of the Devil, and up he pops!"

(...and this little devil here still pops in occasionally to check out what's goin' on with the old crew)

Nah, I'll stick with Superlative. It gives us a feeling we have completed the job not just made due. ;-)

Well, actually here Paul, I'd say what you're professing here would be far less the idea of "completing the job" but REALLY more the idea expressed within another old saying and kind'a like but a different one than the one I offered up earlier about "speaking of the Devil".

Ever heard the old saying "Gilding the Lily"? Well, there ya ARE! Spelling words inclusive of that OH so needless letter 'U" is just "gilding the lily"! And with the expression "Gilding the Lily" meaning of course that some form of over-ornamentation has been needlessly applied to something.

(...and NOT to mention of course, JUST a bit pretentious TOO, and in that oh so British manner they have over there across the pond!)

LOL

You do of course realise ( not realize) the profound superfluity contained in your own name.
Presumably you should now be referring to yourself as.....
Dwite

HUH?! (or as they say in Canada, "EH?!")

Ooooh, YOU must be under the impression that I pronounce my first name just like that Eisenhower dude did HIS! And so THAT'S why you must've said this, huh...errr...EH?!

Why NO, I pronounce MY name JUST like it's spelled, and with BOTH that 'G' AND that 'H' fully pronounced and not silent.

Yep, it's sounds like "DWI-g(ee)-h(i)t" when I say it! Uh-huh, with three full syllables, and not sounding at ALL like Ike pronounced HIS with only one syllable.

So glad we could straighten this out.

(...and now, what else shall we talk about here?...oh, I've got IT...how about how you guys over there for some strange reason have always reversed the 'E' and the 'R' in words like "theater" and "center"?...that's always a good one too, ya know)

OH, btw Alan. Question. And no, this one's not about spelling.

Have you TOO noticed yourself having WAY too much damn free time on YOUR hands over there of late on that little grouping of islands you live on, and with this whole Covid thing goin' on right now?

(...well, I have, and as you might've guessed...and I've heard those Canadians aren't nearly as "oat and aboat" as they once were either, for that matter)

No such luck, old bean.
I've been fending off requests from my old mental health profession to come back and assess very mad people for compulsory hospital admission ....then there's the folks who asked me to assess illegal immigrants for signs of trauma.
Neither holds much appeal for me.
Then there's the various bikes requiring care and attention.
Then there's those domestic tasks my Beloved thinks need doing.
Then there's my new hobby/ business healing sick guitars.
Then there's my forum correspondence.
Other than that the time hangs heavily on my hands( not.)
If all else fails I can put the world to rights.( As someone once memorably said ' hoHow come everyone who knows how the world ought to be run is busy cutting hair or driving a cab'?)

Dwight up until recently a very good friend of mine was a supplier of high grade gold leaf to art conservationists around the world so I kind of like the idea of gilding the lily, putting a shine on it so to speak.

The Canadian "Eh" is the linguistic equivalent of the old time Londoner "Eh wot?"

'Rather'