Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English

Alicia Kerfoot is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of English and
Cultural Studies at McMaster University.

The Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English provides guidance to
those confused by the multiplicity of Canadian initialisms, acronyms,
and abbreviations (HRDC, TSX, etc.). The book includes “over 800
uniquely Canadian words and senses,” from double-double, to
dump-and-chase (adj. Cdn Hockey), to the Giller Prize, to toque.

While making the reader more aware of the influence of contemporary
Canadian culture on everyday language, the dictionary does not neglect
historical definitions. For example, we learn that the term gig can
refer not only to “a live performance by or engagement for a musician
or other performer,” but also to “a small light carriage with two
wheels, pulled by one horse.”

Readers who are left puzzled by the pronunciation symbols in the Oxford
English Dictionary will appreciate the straightforward explanations
provided here; macchiato, for example, is pronounced “Say macky
ATTO.”

The editors are to be congratulated for having compiled this useful and
entertaining resource.