Canadian Sayings Unpublished -part 2 at Bill Casselman's Canadian Word of the Day at www.billcasselman.com

Here are some Canadian Sayings newly collected and published here for the first time.

Prairie Bravery

He has more guts than Gainers.

● Gainers was a packing plant that existed in Edmonton, Alberta for many decades. It started as a family owned business and its days ended in the hands of one Peter Pocklington.

contributed by Maurice Bastide

Canadian Weather

Cold as a cod-fisherman’s knuckle.

● There’s nothing worse on a cold day that handling a wet jig-line and being soaked with freezing Atlantic waves.

Intelligence or The Lack Thereof

The gates are down; the lights are flashing; but the train isn’t coming.

● This direct quotation from an Army performance appraisal suggests that, although the soldier’s dress code and general appearance do follow regimental regulation, his mental acuity may be questionable.

Attaining A Desired Result

Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and shit fights.

● This is a variation of a folksy truth from my book Canadian Sayings 2 (page 85) and this was contributed by Maurice Bastide.

Flatulence definition

Fart: a trouser cough

Integration

He blended in like Santa Claus in North Africa.

from Len Ross

Distance Lends Enchantment to the View

She looked good from afar, but, up close, far from good.

from Gerry Joynt of Alexander, Manitoba

World War II Canadian Food Saying

This delightful bit of Canadian food history came in an email.

Dear Mr. Casselman,
I don’t recall seeing this expression in your books, but here’s another one you might find interesting. When my dad was in the second World War, he and his army buddies would dine on army rations, and when someone opened a can of beans, he would say “So, I heard that Libby’s bought a new pig this year.” This was a jocular remark about the meager amount of pork in a can of pork and beans.

from Glen Derksen

Bill Casselman adds: Libby’s® Pork & Beans was a canned staple of my childhood too. The brand name is now owned by the Nestle corporation.