Buzz
In Québec, language is a matter of great importance. The province enforces strict rules on when French is required for government services, who needs to learn it, and how prominently it should appear on signs alongside English. Protecting the Québécois dialect of French, which predates English colonization, is a vital mission for la belle province.
In everyday life, however, things are more nuanced. The slang spoken in Montréal and other parts of Québec is a vibrant mix of old French, modern influences from Arabic and Haitian Creole, and borrowed English terms. Here are 11 slang expressions from Montréal that will make you sound as cool as the locals in the Plateau, Villeray (ranked the 18th coolest neighborhood globally), or even Longueuil (more on that later).
1. Hold onto your hat
Québeckers use the phrase attache ta tuque! (“tie your tuque!”) to tell someone to brace themselves. Tuque, a term used across Canada for what others might call a “beanie” or “knit cap,” makes this expression uniquely Québécois. It’s akin to saying “hold onto your hat” or “buckle up.” As Benoît Melançon, a professor at Université de Montréal, notes, the phrase can hint at both positive and negative outcomes.
2. Aweille
Pronounced like the English word “away,” aweille stems from the French verb envoyer (“to send”) and conveys enthusiasm or frustration, similar to “let’s go” or “come on.” The word can be written in various ways (awèye, envouèye, enwoye, etc.), but “aweille” was the spelling used by the hip-hop group Dead Obies in their 2016 track “Aweille.” The group hails from Longueuil, a suburban area of Montréal often jokingly referred to as “the Brooklyn of Montréal.”
3. Bibitte
While Louisiana French speakers might use it as a crude term, in Québec, bibitte typically means a bug (like the ever-present mosquito) or, figuratively, a minor annoyance that’s just as bothersome.
4. Boss des Bécosses
This colorful phrase, boss des bécosses, translates to “boss of the outhouses.” It describes someone who acts overly authoritative, often in a way that’s unnecessary, unproductive, or humorously over-the-top. The term bécosse is believed to come from the old English term “backhouse,” meaning a latrine. Despite being a common expression and even the name of a children’s book, it’s considered just edgy enough to have been banned in Québec’s National Assembly since 2020.
5. Correct
In Québec, correct serves as the local version of “OK” and is used just as frequently. Saying “C’est correct” (“it’s OK” or “it’s fine”) can convey comfort, reassurance, or approval. Remember to drop the Ts when pronouncing it: it’s “say correck,” not “set correct.” But no worries—if you slip up, C’est correct.
6. Coupe Longueuil
Elsewhere in North America, this hairstyle—business in the front, party in the back—is called a “mullet,” but in Québec, it’s known as the coupe Longueuil (“Longueuil cut”), named after the Montréal suburb. Currently experiencing an unlikely—or, as they say in Québec, “l’improbable”—resurgence, the coupe Longueuil holds a unique significance in hockey, where one’s hair, or “flow,” plays a key role. Interestingly, the French word for “cup” (coupe) is the same as “cut,” leading the Québec press to cleverly joke about the 1993 NHL championship, where “Longueuil and Stanley coupes [cuts/cups] blend seamlessly,” and about young player Jon Merrill, who in 2021 was “willing to do whatever it takes to bring back the coupe [cut/cup] ... Longueuil or Stanley!” Pretty sharp, eh?
7. Là
While it technically means “there,” you’ll often hear it tacked onto the end of phrases. In this context, it acts as Québec’s second most common discourse marker, similar to “like” or “you know” in English. Adding it to almost any sentence can make you sound more authentically Canadian. (Fun fact: English speakers in Québec and across Canada sprinkle “there” into their speech just as often as Québeckers do, there.)
8. Patnais
Since the 1960s, Québec has welcomed many Haitian immigrants, who have enriched the local slang with a wealth of Creole terms. Patnais (or patnè) is one such word, referring to a friend in singular or “the crew” (les patnais) in plural. It joins other familiar terms like mec, chum, copain, and gars for describing pals. However, to keep things interesting, those words can also mean a romantic partner—un(e) partenaire—the root from which patnais originates [PDF].
9. Tiguidou
Tiguidou is a charming, old-fashioned term expressing satisfaction and contentment. When life is going smoothly, everything is tiguidou. Its origins are uncertain, but it might trace back to the English phrase tickety-boo. The word is so beloved that it even serves as the name for a popular Québec cheddar cheese.
10. Quétaine
On the topic of cheese, quétaine is the Québécois term for something “cheesy” (as an adjective) or “cheese” (as a noun), used to describe things that are tacky, outdated, or simply unappealing. Its exact origin is unclear, though a humorous folk tale suggests it comes from a family named Keating (or Keaton) in Saint-Hyacinthe, known in the 1940s and ’50s for their outdated fashion sense.
11. Tabarnouche or Tabourette
So far, we’ve carefully steered clear of any profanity (though Québec boasts a vibrant array of sacres, or swear words). This entry continues that trend. Tabarnouche and tabourette stem from the French term for a tabernacle—the sacred cabinet in Catholic churches housing communion wafers—a word that, when exclaimed, is a potent swear. Tabarnouche and tabourette, however, are gentler, family-friendly versions of the profane T-word, perfect for expressing mild frustration around kids (think “oh shoot”). Master these, along with the 10 expressions above, and you’ll sound like a true Longueuillois(e) (a resident of that up-and-coming suburb) in no time. Maybe it’s time to plan that trip, brush up on your slang, and prepare to savor—and maybe clog your arteries with—Québec’s iconic dish, poutine. Attache ta tuque!
