Canuck

plural Canucks · alternative canuck · alternative Canack · alternative Cannack · alternative Canuc · alternative canuc · alternative Canuk · alternative Conuck · alternative Cunnuck · alternative Kanuck · alternative Kanuk · alternative K'nuck

1. CanadaUSderogatoryinformalsometimesA Canadian person; specifically (archaic), a French Canadian person; a pea-souper; also (obsolete) a Canadian person of other non-English descent.First known use early 19th c.

   He's got a Canuck a-workin' for him, and I'd livser trust a wolf 'n one o' them pea-soupers.

   1898, Rowland E[vans] Robinson, “Forebodings of Storm”, in A Hero of Ticonderoga, Burlington, Vt.: Hobart J[oseph] Shanley & Co., →OCLC, page 140

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   Canadians are somewhat jealous of the Americans; that they are secretly manœuvering, not exactly with the inoffensive good humor of a much respected yeoman of England, […] but rather after the inordinate example of Ahab of old, so pithily recorded by the sacred historian. Jonathan distinguishes a Dutch or French Canadian, by the term Kanuk.

   [1835, [Henry Cook Todd], Notes upon Canada and the United States of America: In the Year MDCCCXXXV […], Toronto, Ont.: […] W[illiam] J[oseph] Coates, […], →OCLC, paragraph 263, page 92

   We saw a few partridges: we also met a lusty fellow in a forest road with a keg of whisky slung round him, who called to us 'Come boys and have some grog, I'm what you call a canuck:' a (Canadian).

   1849, James E[dward] Alexander, chapter XV, in L’Acadie; or, Seven Years’ Explorations in British America. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 272–273

   It is a pity these Canadian militiamen spoilt the good work they had done by never-failing bluster. But for pure and unadulterated brag I will back the lower-class Canuck against the world. The Yankee is a very sucking dove compared to his northern neighbour.

   1889, John G[eorge] Donkin, chapter XIII, in Trooper and Redskin in the Far North-West: Recollections of Life in the North-West Mounted Police, Canada, 1884–1888, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington […], →OCLC, page 148

   [T]he Canucks were ready with bats, hands, feet and heads, to outplay the locals at all points. They did it to a nicety. It is wonderful to contemplate the quality of ball speiled by the Canucks when their lungs are filled with Rochester air.

   1895 August 26, “Sports of field and track: Toronto 14, Rochester 11—first game”, in Democrat and Chronicle, volume 63, number 238, Rochester, N.Y.: Rochester Printing Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 11, column 1

   The new-comers were a couple of farmers from Minnesota, genuine Americans from birth; wise men, with a keg of good water in their waggon. "And don't you want to be Americans any longer?" I asked. "No," said they most emphatically, "we're Canucks now."

   1907 May, Howard Angus Kennedy, “The Dry Patch”, in New Canada and the New Canadians, 2nd edition, London: Horace Marshall & Son, published October 1907, →OCLC, page 192

   Synonyms: Canadian, Canajan, Canajun, Johnny Canuck, hoser

   1. CanadaUSderogatoryinformalsometimeshobbiesA member of the Vancouver Canucks professional ice hockey team belonging to the National Hockey League.

      Synonyms: Canadian, Canajan, Canajun, Johnny Canuck, hoser

   2. CanadaUSderogatoryinformalsometimeshobbiesChiefly as Crazy Canuck: a member of the Canadian alpine ski team.

      Synonyms: Canadian, Canajan, Canajun, Johnny Canuck, hoser

2. rareA thing from Canada.

   Wha'll buy my caller herrin'? / Cod, turbot, ling, delicious farin', / Buy my caller herrin', / They're every one Kanucks!

   1887 February 19, “Caller Herrin’. As Sung by a New Haven, N.S., Fishwife. (An American edition—copyrighted too.)”, in J[ohn] W[ilson] Bengough, editor, Grip. An Independent Journal of Humor and Caricature., volume XXVIII, number 8, Toronto, Ont.: [Grip Print. & Pub. Co.], →ISSN, →OCLC, column 2

   1. historicalrareaeronauticsThe Avro Canada CF-100 fighter-interceptor aircraft, in use between 1952 and 1981.
   2. USobsoleterareA Canadian horse or pony.

      I'll sit here and blow till he comes round with his old go-cart, and then I'll hang on to the tail of it, and try legs with that little Kanuck of his.

      1860, J[osiah] G[ilbert] Holland, “Miss Gilbert Visits the Sky, and Little Venus Takes up Her Permanent Residence there”, in Miss Gilbert’s Career: An American Story, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner, […]; London: Sampson Low, Son & Co., →OCLC, page 29

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      Forty years ago the States south of the French part of Canada procured a large number of horses from that country. These were popularly called "Canucks," and were distinguished from the horses of the country by strongly marked characteristics. […] The Canuck was thoroughly a Norman horse in all respects except size, though having more strength in proportion to size and more spirit, […] Canucks in general had excessive knee action, and were natural trotters or pacers, were not built for galloping, and not inclined to take that gait; […]

      1892 January 26, “The ‘Canuck’ horse”, in The Boston Weekly Globe, volume XX, number 4, Boston, Mass.: Globe Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 6, column 4

1. historicalrareSynonym of Canadian French (“the French language as spoken by Francophones in Canada”).

   So Mama will say, Bon jour, Grack, tu viens enfin? That's Canuck for you ain't been a son to your ma. Can't you see by my skin and bones—I'm sick, I got a habit—I ain't my mama's anymore?

   1956, Herbert Gold, “Round and round, the trick of want”, in The Man who was Not with It (An Avon Library Book), New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, published March 1969, →OCLC, page 179

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   "Oh, monsieur, monsieur, ayez pitie de moi; je suis honnète et vous paierai dix fois autant." / "You blasted scoundrel that you are, I want none of your impertinence and Canuck lingo; go hunt up your dirty trash of hungry humbugs, that you shouldered upon me last evening.[…]"

   1866, Andrew Learmont Spedon, “Tale III. Adventures with Religious Impostors.”, in Canadian Summer Evening Tales, Montreal, Que.: […] John Lovell, […], →OCLC, pages 71–72

   On the deacon-seat in the leapin' heat / With the corn-cobs drawin' cool and sweet, / And timin' the fiddle with tunkin' feet, / A hundred men and a chorus. / "Roule, roulant, ma boule roulant," / It 's all Canuck but a good old song; / Lift it up then, good and strong, / For a cozy night 's before us.

   1904, Holman F[rancis] Day, “Kingdom o’ Spruce: Song of the Men o’ the Ax”, in Kin o’ Ktaadn: Verse Stories of the Plain Folk who are Keeping Bright the Old Home Fires up in Maine, Boston, Mass.: Small, Maynard & Company, →OCLC, page 145

   Synonyms: Canadian French

2. slangSynonym of Canadian English (“the variety of the English language used in Canada”).

   "It is one ver' gran' night," I said in my dialect of the rude Canuck; for I did not wish him, or any one, to know me.

   1901 July 25, Irving Bacheller, chapter XXII, in D’ri and I: A Tale of Daring Deeds in the Second War with the British. […], Boston, Mass.: Lothrop Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 302

   Synonyms: Canadian English

comparative more Canuck · superlative most Canuck

1. derogatorysometimesOf, belonging to, or relating to Canada, its culture, or people; Canadian.

   Well, what do you think of the Canuck elections?

   1887 March 5, “A Premium on It”, in J[ohn] W[ilson] Bengough, editor, Grip. An Independent Journal of Humor and Caricature., volume XXVIII, number 10, Toronto, Ont.: [Grip Print. & Pub. Co.], →ISSN, →OCLC, column 2

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   "I want none of your d—— peasoup excuses, or promises," and, calling upon the hostler, a fat-blooded Englishman, he ordered him to stable the horse immediately, and keep a sharp "look out" to that Canuck Frenchman.

   1866, Andrew Learmont Spedon, “Tale III. Adventures with Religious Impostors.”, in Canadian Summer Evening Tales, Montreal, Que.: […] John Lovell, […], →OCLC, page 71

   It is well known that Canada, by the adoption of a protective tariff, shut out many of our American articles from the Canuck markets.

   1879 June 1, “Various topics”, in The Detroit Free Press, volume 44, number 242, Detroit, Mich.: The Detroit Free Press Co., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 4, column 3

   Any trend by the big brother to the south to tell Canadians how to run their affairs can raise Canuck dander very quickly.

   1963 February 2, The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Ont.: The Globe and Mail Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 6

   Synonyms: Canajan, Canajun, Canuckistani, Canuckistanian · Antonyms: non-Canadian

2. hobbiesOf or relating to the Vancouver Canucks professional ice hockey team belonging to the National Hockey League.