I found this video from QuébecOriginal (Tourisme Québec) promoting winter in Québec. In it, you’ll hear a few Québécois usages that we’ve looked at on OffQc.
This video was made to promote Québec to the European francophone market, which is why the speaker provides a couple definitions as she speaks.
L’hiver au Québec — attache ta tuque!
Tuque = bonnet de laine.
L’hiver, on marche, on court, on rame, on glisse, on promène les chiens, et ici le hockey, c’t’une religion. Eh bon, on s’calme le pompon!
Bref, l’hiver, pas l’temps d’niaiser.
Niaiser = perdre son temps.
On en profite au maximum. On a les mains froides, mais le coeur chaud. Ça, ça s’explique pas ; ça se ressent. Faut venir le vivre.
On est QuébecOriginal.
Winter in Québec — hold onto your tuque/hat! (Prepare yourself! Brace yourself!)
Tuque = woolly hat/winter hat. (Tuque is a Québécois usage; the speaker is providing bonnet de laine as an equivalent for the benefit of European listeners.)
In the winter, we walk, we run, we row, we slide, we walk the dogs, and hockey is a religion here… OK, let’s settle down now!
In short, no time to “niaiser” (waste time doing nothing) in the winter. (Time to get busy.)
Niaiser = waste your time. (The speaker is explaining to the European audience again; here, she’s defining the verb niaiser, which is a Québécois usage.)
We take full advantage. Our hands are cold, but out hearts are warm. You can’t explain it; you have to feel it. You have to come and live it.
We are QuébecOriginal.
