# The ABC's Of A Canadian Winter **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 17, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103 "2003-01-17T00:11:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/1 "2003-01-17T00:11:47Z")
A - Antifreeze. Gasline, windshield, radiator. B - Block heaters. or Blizzards. Take your pick. C - Cold. Cold. More cold. Freakin’ cold. D - Degrees celsius below zero. E - Ears frozen. F - Frostbite. G - Gravel on the roads for traction. H - Hockey. I - Iced up windshields. J - Just around the corner. Spring. Sure. K - Kold. L - Leaves. Remember these? M - Mittens. N - New front windshield after gravel breaks it. O - Outside? I think I’ll stay in, thanks. P - Plugging the car in so it starts. Q - Qold. R - Ruts in the snow buildup on the road. S - Scraping the windows of the car. T - Toque. U - Underwear. Long. Thermal. V - Very cold. W - Warming up the car. X - X-Rays. For when you slip on ice and break something. Y - Y do we live here? 'Cause we love it, of course. Z - Zero Celsius. We love it when the temperature gets that high. ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/2 "2003-01-17T00:14:47Z")
Oh I’ve been hearing it’s been quite warm there as of late… 😃 (But very well done!!!) ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/3 "2003-01-17T00:17:14Z")
Actually, I dread the third week of February, as the cherry blossoms will be falling off the trees and making the roads here in Victoria quite slippy. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/4 "2003-01-17T00:27:11Z")
This seems like a good time as any to bring up an ad for a major vehicle manufacturer that drives me crazy. The one where they’ve got Wayne Gretzky posing the (presumably) rhetorical question, “What is there to celebrate about life in Canada?” The next line? “Celebrate _ **ICE** _.” Apparently, there are other things to celebrate about Canada mentioned after that, but my brain tends to freeze after that line. Celebrate _ **ICE??!** _ WTF? (For the record, I don’t think there’s been any snow at all this winter in Vancouver. If there was any, I missed it.) Those _other_ parts of Canada, the ones where the temperature varies between -45 and +45, I’ll only visit in the spring. (Except Montreal, where you can get around on the Metro without having to expose yourself to the elements.) ---
**Author:** ![the\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@the\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Lady)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/5 "2003-01-17T01:16:42Z")
ah yes - **Featherlou** , you have no doubt heard the -30 rumors for next week…stupid freezing city ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/6 "2003-01-17T01:33:05Z")
Oh one minor correction/suggestion - **W for Windchill** ---
**Author:** ![Gjorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@Gjorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gjorp)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/7 "2003-01-17T01:38:52Z")
Yes, winter has been good to us this year, at least here in the west. Last weekend was the first time it had ever gone below -20. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/8 "2003-01-17T01:43:05Z")
Still waiting for the first snow in Thunder Bay. Something is deeply wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/9 "2003-01-17T02:17:44Z")
Q is for quinzee (a type of snow shelter). ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/10 "2003-01-17T02:26:48Z")
K ist für Kanada. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/11 "2003-01-17T02:47:58Z")
D is for doughnut :d&r: takes an iceball in the ear ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/12 "2003-01-17T03:12:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gjorp \* > \*\*Yes, winter has been good to us this year, at least here in the west. Last weekend was the first time it had ever gone below > -20. \*\* What, ever? Not even counting the last Ice Age? Wow. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/13 "2003-01-17T03:36:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Poysyn \* > \*\*Oh one minor correction/suggestion - > > **W for Windchill** \*\* No, no no no no! **Winterpeg**! Will it surprise you to hear that I am disgusted with winter in the USA’s Eastern Seaboard? The humidity in the air here is killing me. Me, who lived in the Great White North for so many years, and in the Arctic for eight. I’d walk down the street with no parka at -10c, and here at about 10c it’s too damned cold for me. Please send prairies. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/14 "2003-01-17T03:49:35Z")
I’ve got the opposite problem, Ginger. I just moved to Calgary from the prairies and I’m finding that the thin air is killing me, humidity wise. I’m used to dry air, yes, but up here it’s ridculous how quick you dry out. Though a business trip to Winnipeg quickly made me think twice about which I’d prefer. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/15 "2003-01-17T04:21:53Z")
No, Raygun, I’m no longer in Calgary (which I consider to be on the Prairies). I’ve moved to Maryland, and am freezing my ass off. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/16 "2003-01-17T04:56:48Z")
Well, I can sympathize with Raygun99 - I’m covered in a dry, flakey rash. And thats _WITH_ moisturizer. Without it I’m sure I would turn into a lizzard. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/17 "2003-01-17T05:44:20Z")
My skin is itchy-dry and my lips are horribly chapped, and I live in Vancouver. That can’t be right. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/18 "2003-01-17T06:05:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe K \* > \*\*D is for doughnut > :d&r: > takes an iceball in the ear \*\* F is for FACEWASH!!! Hee hee hee S is for Static Guard - I think Calgary must be the company’s largest customer for this miracle product. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/19 "2003-01-17T06:13:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rodd Hill \* > \*\*Actually, I dread the third week of February, as the cherry blossoms will be falling off the trees and making the roads here in Victoria quite slippy. \*\* Yeah, while we don’t have cherry tree lined streets way up here in Campbell River, the third week in February usually means having to start cutting my grass again. ---
**Author:** ![tisiphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tisiphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tisiphone)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103/20 "2003-01-17T06:16:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tatiana \* > \*\*ah yes - **Featherlou** , you have no doubt heard the -30 rumors for next week…stupid freezing city \*\* :snicker: It’s hit -20 here. Twice. For about three days. 😛 Well, actually, it’s not very funny. At the very moment wild furs are sneaking back into fashion, the winter gets too warm for good fur. And there’s bugger all for snow - the ski hill isn’t opening at all this year, and the Parks and Rec guys are looking worried already. If we don’t start seeing some major snow and cold, the spruce beetles are going to devastate the territory and then it will burn down around our ears. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-abcs-of-a-canadian-winter/149103.md?page=2)