Fam

“Fam” may be short for “family” but that isn’t exactly what it means. It often refers to your inner circle– your closest friends.

The use of “fam” goes way back to the early 2000s. Black English communities have our thanks for its popularity, as it was frequently used in urban British slang. 

6ix

“6ix” is a shortened way of referring to the city of Toronto. People thought it was easier and cooler so why not?

Toronto’s primary area code is 416, so it wasn’t a surprise when Drake started calling the city “the 6ix.” Given his stardom and the respect people have for him, it wasn’t long before everyone jumped on the trend.

Some also say this was coined because of the six municipalities that made up Metro Toronto before they were joined as one.

Tdot

“Tdot” is another way of calling the city. It’s believed to be a variation of T.O. which is also a shortened way of saying Toronto.

You’ll probably hear Tdot from older locals since it was coined years before 6ix was even a thing. We have yet to see if it will stand the test of time.

Klicks

Canada follows the metric system and uses the word “Klicks” as a shortened way of saying “Kilometres.” Be ready to hear it often from people when they’re talking about distance.

Loonie and Toonie

Locals like to use “Loonie” and “Toonie” when referring to the Canadian one-dollar and two-dollar coins.

The $1 coin is known as a loonie since it features an image of a loon, a bird typically found in Canadian lakes. When the $2 coin was introduced, people started calling it a toonie, a combination of the words “two” and “loonie.”

Timmies

A short-hand for Tim Hortons, a Canadian fast-food coffee chain loved by many in the country. They even popularised the term “timbits” for their famous doughnut holes that we started using the word for similar snacks bought from other places.

Double-double

It’s what we like to call a cup of coffee with two creams and two sugars. It was popularised by Tim Hortons and it’s our favourite way of enjoying java. 

Timmies is a hotspot for young Torontonians so it’s not surprising they have so much impact to the culture.

Trana

When we talk about Toronto, we say “Trana.” The first “O” and the second “T” do not exist unless you’re a tourist.