These are called Timbits; they’re sold at Tim Hortons
After looking at the Québécois names for trays and coffee cup sleeves in #1013, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to look again at ways of ordering coffee itself, as well as a few other food items.
A lot of people land on OffQc looking for help with ordering at Tim Hortons in particular because of road trips, so that’s what we’ll go with here. The coffee at Tim Hortons is filter coffee, and people usually add milk, cream or sugar to it, which is why the cups are so big. The coffee is usually served in a paper cup.
I’ve written some sample exchanges below. The prices are just made up. I’ve tried to include a variety of ways of ordering here, trying to imagine the situations you might find yourself in and the different usages you might hear.
— Passez ici! (…) Bonsoir.
— Bonsoir, un moyen deux-deux, s’il vous plaît.
— C’est pour ici ou pour emporter?
— Pour emporter.
— C’est tout?
— Oui, c’est tout.
— Ça fait une et cinquante.
— Next! (…) Good evening.
— Good evening, a medium double-double, please.
— Is it for here or to go?
— To go.
— Will that be all?
— Yes, that’s all.
— That’ll be one fifty.
— Passez ici!
— Bonjour, je vais prendre un petit café, s’il vous plaît.
— Qu’est-ce qu’on met dedans?
— Un lait, un sucre.
— Ensuite?
— C’est tout.
— Une et vingt-cinq, s’il vous plaît. (…) C’est juste à côté pour votre café. Ça sera pas long.
— OK, merci.
— Passez une bonne journée.
— Next!
— Hi, I’ll take a small coffee, please.
— How do you take it?
— One milk, one sugar.
— Will that be all?
— That’s it.
— One twenty-five, please. (…) Your coffee will be just off to the side. It won’t be long (in coming).
— OK, thanks.
— Have a good day.
— Suivant! (…) Bonjour, monsieur.
— Bonjour, ça va être un moyen café une crème, un sucre; un petit café noir; un grand deux-deux; et un moyen deux crèmes, pas de sucre.
— Ensuite?
— C’est tout.
— Sept et soixante, s’il vous plaît. (…) C’est pour emporter?
— Oui.
— Voulez-vous un cabaret de transport?
— Oui, s’il vous plaît.
— Next! (…) Hello, sir.
— Hello, I’ll take a medium coffee one cream, one sugar; a small black coffee; a large double-double; and a medium with two creams, no sugar.
— Anything else?
— That’s it.
— Seven sixty, please. (…) Is it to go?
— Yes.
— Would you like a take-out/take-away tray?
— Yes, please.
— Suivant!
— Bonjour, un grand café deux crèmes, deux sucres.
— Autre chose?
— Oui, une boîte de vingt Timbits.
— Avez-vous une préférence (pour les Timbits)?
— Non… mélangés.
— Autre chose?
— C’est tout.
— Quatre et trente-cinq, s’il vous plaît. (…) Voulez-vous la facture?
— Non, merci.
— Merci à vous, bonne journée.
— Next!
— Hello, a large coffee with two creams, two sugars.
— Anything else?
— Yes, a box of twenty Timbits.
— Do you have a preference (i.e., for which Timbits you want)?
— No… mixed.
— Anything else?
— That’s all.
— Four thirty-five, please. (…) Do you want the receipt?
— No, thank you.
— Thank you, good day.
— Passez ici!
— Bonjour, je prendrais une demi-douzaine de beignes, s’il vous plaît.
— Mélangés?
— Oui.
— Ensuite?
— Un moyen café corsé.
— On met quoi dedans?
— Noir, s’il vous plaît.
— Ensuite?
— Un bagel plein goût avec du fromage à la crème.
— Grillé?
— Oui.
— Est-ce qu’on met du beurre?
— Non, pas de beurre.
— Autre chose?
— Une brioche à la cannelle deux fois.
— C’est va être tout?
— Oui, merci.
— Dix et cinquante.
— Next!
— Hi, I’ll take a half-dozen donuts, please.
— Mixed?
— Yes.
— Anything else?
— A medium dark roast.
— With what in it? (i.e., how do you take it?)
— Black, please.
— Anything else?
— An Everything bagel with cream cheese.
— Toasted?
— Yes.
— With butter?
— No, no butter.
— Anything else?
— Two cinnamon buns.
— Will that be all?
— Yes, thanks.
— Ten fifty.
Well, that should get you unstuck out of a few situations at any rate!
___
Updates:
- An iced cappuccino is called un cappuccino glacé on the menu, but most people just call it an iced capp when they order, which sounds like ice cap (aïss capp). If you wanted a small iced capp, for example, you can ask for un petit iced capp.
- The breakfast sandwich is called le Timatin (which comes from Tim + matin and is also a wordplay on ti-matin, p’tit matin).
- A danish is une danoise; a muffin is un muffin.
- For the donut names, check what they’re called on the little signs under each one when you’re ordering. If you want more than one of something, you can use deux fois, trois fois, etc. For example, if you’re choosing a dozen donuts, you could say glacé au chocolat trois fois if you wanted three chocolate dip donuts.
