Do any Canadians actually use the word "Hoser" - Yoga Hosers (2016) Discussion

Me neither! Never before, never since. Except once on a crossword puzzle. Oh. And here.

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[–] SethOfTheFields 8 years ago

Maybe it's a very specific regional thing that Americans have somehow latched on to and made into a stereotype, like that stereotypical Canadian accent that you won't find in most of Canada.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FE9SLJ2Xoc

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[–] jeff-1076 8 years ago

Maybe it's a very specific regional thing that Americans have somehow latched on to and made into a stereotype, like that stereotypical Canadian accent that you won't find in most of Canada.

Kind of like the term "Chi-Town": I've lived in the Chicagoland area for 34 years and have never heard anyone who lives here actually call it that nor use the term "Windy City" except in jest. Then again Hollywood seems to think that we all talk like the Prohibition never ended, despite the Midwestern accent being the most popular among newsreaders because of how neutral of an accent it is.

I've heard that New York City natives don't call that place "The Big Apple" either, it pretty much just exists in tourist guides and TV commercials.

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[–] PlugInNewBorn 8 years ago

I live in the Greater Toronto Area. I never heard "hoser" until I saw the Canadian movie Strange Brew

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[–] adoroportugal 8 years ago

I've lived in Toronto Canada my entire life (35 years) and never, not even once, heard anyone saying "hoser"... you only hear it on American tv shows for some reason...
I have no clue where they got that from

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[–] chris-wulfers 7 years ago

It's from SCTV dude. Using the word Hoser is the equivalent to any time you quote something from SNL or Simpsons.

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[–] masterofallgoons 8 years ago

Evidently, it was a term popularized by Rick Moranis on SCTV.

So a Canadian is to blame. I'm not sure where he got it from though.

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[–] stevefisher 8 years ago

Yes. I was born in Canada and have lived here most of my life, and I've heard "hoser" at least a couple times most years.

It's not very common, but I recognized its use in this movie title immediately.

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[–] racl_101 8 years ago

Not where I live (Calgary, Alberta).

Seems like a thing only a Canadian caricature of a character would say.

EHHHHHHHH????

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[–] flamefan 8 years ago

I'm 47 and I've used hoser since I was a teenager. Maybe it's a generational thing? I've lived all across Canada so I'm not sure it's a geographical thing.

See you on the dark side of the moon.

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[–] mtabernac 7 years ago

I'm also 47 and grew up in Ontario. I haven't really heard people "seriously" use it since the 80s. When I was a teenager it seemed a somewhat "normal" thing to say, but I guess it's fallen out of favour long ago.

I'm not sure if people used it before Bob & Doug MacKenzie, though (see SCTV & "Strange Brew"). I certainly don't remember hearing it around before they popularized it (but I don't remember a lot from 30+ years ago!) Did it originate with them?

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[–] Ace_Spade 8 years ago

Just Bob and Doug. Koo-loo-koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-koo!

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[–] Ace_Spade 8 years ago

Never heard anybody say "aboot", either, unless it's in a film taking shots at Canada.

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[–] academas-177-729004 8 years ago

We can take shots at Canada, but Canada always makes the save

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[–] Ace_Spade 8 years ago

I don't think I've met a Canadian who minds shots being taken at Canada. Canada can take a joke (excellent sense of humour - giving and receiving - in the Great White North).

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[–] SethOfTheFields 8 years ago

I have no problem with shots taken at Canada, I just wish these American writers would stop relying on tired old stereotypes, many of which are barely true.

It's just lazy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FE9SLJ2Xoc

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[–] Ash_B 8 years ago

Well you've just met one, me. When every single mention of your country is an insult, dismissal, or a shot against it, you get pretty damn fed up.

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[–] tor-valamo 8 years ago

It's an exaggeration of the actual pronounciation, which DOES have an 'oo' aboot it.

You can deny it all you want, but canadians do say aboot, just not that severe.

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[–] SethOfTheFields 8 years ago

It really doesn't. At least not in my pronunciation or that of any Canadians I've met. I know some east-coasters who say something closer to "aboat" but never anything with an "oo" sound. I would describe the Canadian vowel sounds in the middle of the word as almost a short "e" sound followed by a long "o". Even that isn't quite right. But it's closer to reality that "aboot."

Here's an interesting article on the subject: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/whats-going-on-with-the-way-canadians-say-about?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FE9SLJ2Xoc

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[–] mnevill 8 years ago

I agree that Canadian's don't say "aboot", but neither do we say "abOWt" like Americans, which can be highly exaggerated, so to just say "about", to them, sounds clipped and odd to them.

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[–] ViniB 8 years ago

I think I've heard some Canadian NHL players, but mostly specifically Sidney Crosby say "abo-oot" a lot... like he is sounding it out phonetically.

I have some extended-family in Toronto, but they speak with a slight accent, not as pronounced as HIMYM etc make it out though.

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[–] James_Bondy 8 years ago

Nobody I know does. They also don't say "aboot" nor do they say "eh" at the end of every other sentence.

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