Canadian English Dictionary
@canadiandictionary.bsky.social
Canada's first new general English dictionary in two decades. Developed by a not-for-profit consortium including Editors Canada, the UBC Canadian English Lab, and the Strathy Language Unit at Queen’s University. https://linktr.ee/canadianenglishdictionary
Smooth current hurries
Slick glass ripples skim the stones
Speed without tumult
(Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles)
Slick glass ripples skim the stones
Speed without tumult
(Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles)
January 22, 2026 at 1:17 AM
Smooth current hurries
Slick glass ripples skim the stones
Speed without tumult
(Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles)
Slick glass ripples skim the stones
Speed without tumult
(Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles)
Can you figure out the riddle and get this week’s #CEDWordOfTheWeek? Comment your guess below and check Wednesday’s post for the answer.
January 20, 2026 at 2:19 AM
Can you figure out the riddle and get this week’s #CEDWordOfTheWeek? Comment your guess below and check Wednesday’s post for the answer.
Let’s play a game! Swap the words in these band names for synonyms and get our word of the week. Follow these examples:
Arctic Monkeys > Polar Primates
The Rolling Stones > The Tumbling Rocks
Guns n Roses > Weapons n Flowers
No Doubt > …?
Arctic Monkeys > Polar Primates
The Rolling Stones > The Tumbling Rocks
Guns n Roses > Weapons n Flowers
No Doubt > …?
January 15, 2026 at 1:17 AM
Let’s play a game! Swap the words in these band names for synonyms and get our word of the week. Follow these examples:
Arctic Monkeys > Polar Primates
The Rolling Stones > The Tumbling Rocks
Guns n Roses > Weapons n Flowers
No Doubt > …?
Arctic Monkeys > Polar Primates
The Rolling Stones > The Tumbling Rocks
Guns n Roses > Weapons n Flowers
No Doubt > …?
Can you figure out the riddle and get this week’s #CEDPhraseOfTheWeek? Comment your guess below and check Wednesday’s post for the answer.
January 13, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Can you figure out the riddle and get this week’s #CEDPhraseOfTheWeek? Comment your guess below and check Wednesday’s post for the answer.
Does being back at work after the holidays make you feel queasy? Don't worry, you aren't the only one.
January 8, 2026 at 2:02 AM
Does being back at work after the holidays make you feel queasy? Don't worry, you aren't the only one.
"Canadians can be, at once, critical and proud of our language," says Emma Ferrett in a recent CBC interview in which she discusses the 2025 Canadian Word of the year (CWOTY), maplewash.
Listen to Emma's interview here: www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...
Listen to Emma's interview here: www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
January 4, 2026 at 11:45 PM
"Canadians can be, at once, critical and proud of our language," says Emma Ferrett in a recent CBC interview in which she discusses the 2025 Canadian Word of the year (CWOTY), maplewash.
Listen to Emma's interview here: www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...
Listen to Emma's interview here: www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...
All is calm and all is bright. From the Canadian English Dictionary to all of you, we hope you enjoy the holidays and get to spend some quiet time with those you care about.
Programming note: we will be taking a short break over the holidays, but will be back on your feed in January 2026!
Programming note: we will be taking a short break over the holidays, but will be back on your feed in January 2026!
December 23, 2025 at 6:51 PM
All is calm and all is bright. From the Canadian English Dictionary to all of you, we hope you enjoy the holidays and get to spend some quiet time with those you care about.
Programming note: we will be taking a short break over the holidays, but will be back on your feed in January 2026!
Programming note: we will be taking a short break over the holidays, but will be back on your feed in January 2026!
Reposted by Canadian English Dictionary
"Canadian English evolved here and represents a unique aspect of our culture," the letter said. "It is one of the practices woven through our everyday lives that make us Canadian."
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/w...
Canadian Linguists Rise Up Against the Letter ‘S’
www.nytimes.com
December 16, 2025 at 8:06 PM
"Canadian English evolved here and represents a unique aspect of our culture," the letter said. "It is one of the practices woven through our everyday lives that make us Canadian."
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/w...
Reposted by Canadian English Dictionary
Is Canada 'maple washing' British spelling? @canadiandictionary.bsky.social's John Chew joins @eliasmakos.bsky.social to explain:
Is Canada 'maple washing' British spelling? - The Elias Makos Show | iHeart
<p>John Chew, Canadian English Dictionary editor-in-chief, among signatories of the letter urging Mark Carney to scrap a federal move toward British spelling</p> <p>THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang</p>
www.iheart.com
December 17, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Is Canada 'maple washing' British spelling? @canadiandictionary.bsky.social's John Chew joins @eliasmakos.bsky.social to explain:
You may not give a second glance to the use of "utilise" or "catalyse" in documents coming from our federal government. But Canadian spelling and Canadianisms make up our unique identity. Now is not the time to retreat from what makes Canada distinct. www.ctvnews.ca/canada/artic...
Canadian English supporters urge Carney to abandon federal shift to British spelling
Promoters of Canadian English say the federal government is sending the wrong message to the world with its recent use of British spelling in official documents.
www.ctvnews.ca
December 18, 2025 at 2:22 AM
You may not give a second glance to the use of "utilise" or "catalyse" in documents coming from our federal government. But Canadian spelling and Canadianisms make up our unique identity. Now is not the time to retreat from what makes Canada distinct. www.ctvnews.ca/canada/artic...
Did you solve this week's riddle to get the #CEDWordOfTheWeek? As a reminder the clues were:
It’s a single-syllable word
It’s the past-tense form of an obsolete verb
It’s famously referenced in connection with a bird
It’s used in first person and the third
#Draftoriginal
It’s a single-syllable word
It’s the past-tense form of an obsolete verb
It’s famously referenced in connection with a bird
It’s used in first person and the third
#Draftoriginal
December 18, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Did you solve this week's riddle to get the #CEDWordOfTheWeek? As a reminder the clues were:
It’s a single-syllable word
It’s the past-tense form of an obsolete verb
It’s famously referenced in connection with a bird
It’s used in first person and the third
#Draftoriginal
It’s a single-syllable word
It’s the past-tense form of an obsolete verb
It’s famously referenced in connection with a bird
It’s used in first person and the third
#Draftoriginal
Can you figure out the riddle and get this week’s #CEDWordOfTheWeek? Comment your guess below and check Wednesday’s post for the answer.
December 16, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Can you figure out the riddle and get this week’s #CEDWordOfTheWeek? Comment your guess below and check Wednesday’s post for the answer.
Curious how the word you voted for measured up to others? Check out the results! It was a close race; “maplewashing” just narrowly beat out the popular runner-up, “elbows up,” 33.8% to 31.3%.
December 13, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Curious how the word you voted for measured up to others? Check out the results! It was a close race; “maplewashing” just narrowly beat out the popular runner-up, “elbows up,” 33.8% to 31.3%.
And the results are in! After carefully reviewing the results of a national poll the Board of Directors of the Society for Canadian English (SCE) has determined that this year’s Canadian Word of the Year (CWOTY), the first of its kind, will be “maplewashing.”
December 13, 2025 at 12:50 AM
And the results are in! After carefully reviewing the results of a national poll the Board of Directors of the Society for Canadian English (SCE) has determined that this year’s Canadian Word of the Year (CWOTY), the first of its kind, will be “maplewashing.”
I’m a tiny troublemaker, a trivial distraction,
I show up when hairs are split with too much satisfaction.
I can grow from the smallest spark to a mild confrontation,
And sometimes when I’m involved it’s just misinformation.
I show up when hairs are split with too much satisfaction.
I can grow from the smallest spark to a mild confrontation,
And sometimes when I’m involved it’s just misinformation.
December 12, 2025 at 12:34 AM
I’m a tiny troublemaker, a trivial distraction,
I show up when hairs are split with too much satisfaction.
I can grow from the smallest spark to a mild confrontation,
And sometimes when I’m involved it’s just misinformation.
I show up when hairs are split with too much satisfaction.
I can grow from the smallest spark to a mild confrontation,
And sometimes when I’m involved it’s just misinformation.
LAST CHANCE TO VOTE! 2025 has been an eventful year for Canada's identity. To commemorate the year, The Society for Canadian English is choosing a 2025 word of the year (CWOTY), based on the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
!["Canada's 2025 Word of the Year should be...
ding (v): charge an unexpected fee
elbows up (expression): a patriotic rallying cry
hegemonologue (n): public discourse that includes only dominant voices
icicle kick (n): rearward overhead soccer kick on snow
maplewash (v): make [something] appear Canadian
renoviction (n): eviction of a tenant as justified by a planned renovation
Other: ____________"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:24oz5pfd25gd3nr5rcoq5wdj/bafkreib4uup6razaqkv7j7lrlgpftvwc2c6qom46yud2vv3g26fgvnwxuq@jpeg)
December 9, 2025 at 12:49 PM
LAST CHANCE TO VOTE! 2025 has been an eventful year for Canada's identity. To commemorate the year, The Society for Canadian English is choosing a 2025 word of the year (CWOTY), based on the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Can you figure out the riddle and get this week’s #CEDWordOfTheWeek? Comment your guess below and check Wednesday’s post for the answer.
December 9, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Can you figure out the riddle and get this week’s #CEDWordOfTheWeek? Comment your guess below and check Wednesday’s post for the answer.
December 4, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Can you figure out the puzzle and get this week’s #CEDWordOfTheWeek? Comment your guess below and check Wednesday’s post for the answer.
December 2, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Can you figure out the puzzle and get this week’s #CEDWordOfTheWeek? Comment your guess below and check Wednesday’s post for the answer.
2025 has been an eventful year for Canada's identity. To commemorate the year, The Society for Canadian English is choosing a 2025 word of the year (CWOTY), based on the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles.
Have your say: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Have your say: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
November 27, 2025 at 12:17 AM
2025 has been an eventful year for Canada's identity. To commemorate the year, The Society for Canadian English is choosing a 2025 word of the year (CWOTY), based on the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles.
Have your say: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Have your say: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
On Black Friday I joined a long line,
For a gadget I thought was divine.
My feet went to sleep,
The discounts weren’t cheap,
And I questioned my life by Aisle Nine.
#Draftoriginal
For a gadget I thought was divine.
My feet went to sleep,
The discounts weren’t cheap,
And I questioned my life by Aisle Nine.
#Draftoriginal
November 27, 2025 at 12:09 AM
On Black Friday I joined a long line,
For a gadget I thought was divine.
My feet went to sleep,
The discounts weren’t cheap,
And I questioned my life by Aisle Nine.
#Draftoriginal
For a gadget I thought was divine.
My feet went to sleep,
The discounts weren’t cheap,
And I questioned my life by Aisle Nine.
#Draftoriginal
That's a lot of vowels for one word! Can you figure out the puzzle and get this week’s #CEDWordOfTheWeek? Comment your guess below and check Wednesday’s post for the answer.
November 25, 2025 at 2:45 AM
That's a lot of vowels for one word! Can you figure out the puzzle and get this week’s #CEDWordOfTheWeek? Comment your guess below and check Wednesday’s post for the answer.
A playful tilt of head, a stare,
Not quite an answer, not quite fair.
A teasing tone, but not a lie,
An adjective that questions: Why?
With comic charm, or tinged with spite,
A smirky ask, raised eyebrow in sight!
#Draftoriginal
Not quite an answer, not quite fair.
A teasing tone, but not a lie,
An adjective that questions: Why?
With comic charm, or tinged with spite,
A smirky ask, raised eyebrow in sight!
#Draftoriginal
November 20, 2025 at 2:20 AM
A playful tilt of head, a stare,
Not quite an answer, not quite fair.
A teasing tone, but not a lie,
An adjective that questions: Why?
With comic charm, or tinged with spite,
A smirky ask, raised eyebrow in sight!
#Draftoriginal
Not quite an answer, not quite fair.
A teasing tone, but not a lie,
An adjective that questions: Why?
With comic charm, or tinged with spite,
A smirky ask, raised eyebrow in sight!
#Draftoriginal
"Between 1919 and 1930, the terms Remembrance Day and Armistice Day were used interchangeably. In 1931 the name was officially changed to Remembrance Day, emphasizing the memory of the war and the soldiers who died in battle, rather than the armistice, which was a political achievement"
November 11, 2025 at 8:37 PM
"Between 1919 and 1930, the terms Remembrance Day and Armistice Day were used interchangeably. In 1931 the name was officially changed to Remembrance Day, emphasizing the memory of the war and the soldiers who died in battle, rather than the armistice, which was a political achievement"
It's not on the path you first planned,
It goes sideways, but you'll lend a hand.
A bit off the track,
You might circle back!
Random? Distraction? On brand!
#Draftoriginal
It goes sideways, but you'll lend a hand.
A bit off the track,
You might circle back!
Random? Distraction? On brand!
#Draftoriginal
November 6, 2025 at 1:30 AM
It's not on the path you first planned,
It goes sideways, but you'll lend a hand.
A bit off the track,
You might circle back!
Random? Distraction? On brand!
#Draftoriginal
It goes sideways, but you'll lend a hand.
A bit off the track,
You might circle back!
Random? Distraction? On brand!
#Draftoriginal