from the preface by the author, Bill Casselman

from the preface. . .

As its title proclaims, this is a book full of wholesome Canadian word stories and family-friendly Canadian sayings: words first, sayings second. 550 expressions are inside and 156 are brand-new, never before published in any of my collections. Other books of mine have contained racy, raunchy and off-colour items but not this one. Uncle Billy promises purity and swears on a stack of rusty Paul Martin campaign buttons!

THE WORDS

This word collection highlights my own favourite Canadian word stories, especially chosen for the enjoyment of the whole family. For example...

Just How did the Maple Leaf Become the Emblem of Canada ?

Long symbolic of Canada, the leaf of a sugar maple has been the heraldic device on our flag since 1965. The Québec and Ontario coats-of-arms granted in 1868 have maple leaves; so does the 1921 Canadian coat-of-arms.

But did one event begin this Canada-maple leaf association?

Well, some say the maple leaf symbolism began with its use as camouflage!

An intriguing suggestion, in the form of a folktale, is repeated in Frank Quance’s The Canadian Speller: Grade 6 (3 rd. ed., Gage, 1950): “During the war of 1812-1814, the scarlet jacket of Canadian and British soldiers made a perfect target for the enemies. Therefore, when fighting in the woods, each soldier cut slips in his blouse and inserted a twig of maple leaves to bluff the enemy. This was the first time the maple leaf had been specifically identified with Canadians or with Canada .”

The Maple Leaf Forever!

One day in the fall of 1867 a Toronto school teacher named Alexander Muir was traipsing a street in the city, all squelchy underfoot from the soft felt of falling leaves, when a maple leaf alighted on his coat sleeve and stuck there. After it resisted several brushings-off, Muir joked to his walking companion that this would be “the maple leaf for ever!” At home that evening, he wrote a poem and set it to music, in celebration of Canada ’s Confederation earlier that year. Muir’s song, “The Maple Leaf Forever,” was wildly popular and helped fasten the symbol firmly to Canada and things Canadian.

These stories from Canadian history and from last night’s news headlines are entertaining and surprising. You’ll find out in the first section of my newthe book why some terms that we use everyday are not what they seem.

Did you know that Lake Huron is a vicious, nasty insult to our First Peoples?

Canada has a fish that ignites. On our Pacific coast, the oolichan or candlefish is so full of oil it can be lighted at one end and used as a candle. British Columbia pioneers did just that.

PIPSISSEWA?

• Have you tasted pipsissewa? It’s a First Nations word that is 100% Canadian. If you’ve ever taken a swig of good, home made, tongue-startling, palate-corrugating root beer (not the homogenized, limp-bubbled suds of commercial root beers), then you know the refreshing, wintergreen-like taste of Pipsissewa. Taste more Canadian words for our food and drink inside Canadian Words & Sayings!

Are You A Cheechako?

Ever thought of heading to northern Alberta’s tomorrow country, the tar sands. When you arrive, you’ll be a cheechako.Prospectors heading north to the Klondike gold rush of 1898 brought this Pacific coast word for ‘greenhorn’ or ‘newcomer’ with them and it is still is wide use throughout Canada’s far north. Cheechako is Chinook Jargon, chee ‘new’ + chako ‘come.’ The term was introduced into Canadian English by the popularity of Robert W. Service’s books of frontier poetry, especially Songs of a Sourdough (1907) and Ballads of a Cheechako (1909).

Canadian Words & Sayings features Weather Rhymes from all across Canada, like these two from Ontario:

1

When the woods murmur, and the Great Lakes roar,

Then close your windows, and stay on shore.

2

When poplar shows its underwear,

The clouds do rain and thunder bear.

Enjoy more Canuck words plus 550 Canadian folk sayings (including 156 expressions newly collected), waiting inside Bill Casselman's newest book.