DCHP-2
Great White North the Great White North DCHP-2 (April 2016)
n. — informal, humorous
a name for Canada.
Type: 3. Semantic Change — The term originally denoted the north of Canada. For example, a short 1928 movie entitled "The Great White North" (directed by H. A. Snow) records aspects of life in the arctic. However, it has undergone generalization and now generally refers to all of Canada. In this sense, it was used as the name of a recurring television segment on the SCTV program "The Great White North", featuring the characters Bob and Doug McKenzie (played by comedians Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas), which first aired in 1980; the term is now widely (but not exclusively) associated with Canada. The television show popularized a number of Canadian expressions, such as hoser, take off, eh? and have a good day, eh? (see Boberg 2010: 45).- 1981 A recent guest appearance on SCTV left him with a superb imitation of brother Dave's toque and earmuff-clad character in The Great White North, a segment that spoofs woodsy TV programs while portraying Canadians as something less than intellectuals.
- 1983 Americans still see Canada as Great White North.
- 1985 Canada has more trees than any other country except the Soviet Union. So many, in fact, that they cover 4.3 million square kilometres, or about 44 per cent of the Great White North.
- 1992 Even Rush, critically reviled though they may be, have forged something original, a sound that could only come from the suburbs of the Great White North.
- 1999 But in Canada, "people loved hearing what was wrong with America." They also got a kick out of Fink's sardonic impressions of the Great White North.
- 2002 Victoria Day remained, [...] steadfast as a unique Canadian holiday celebrating that most important of events in the Great White North: the coming of warmer weather.
- 2008 But at Sunday night's Academy Awards, there is no question that many of us here in the Great White North will have our fingers crossed.
- 2015 He teaches at the University of Victoria.
"I'm a short-story writer and a novelist, and only repatriated to the Great White North last year, having spent half a decade in the United Kingdom. It's good to be home."
References:
- 1981 A recent guest appearance on SCTV left him with a superb imitation of brother Dave's toque and earmuff-clad character in The Great White North, a segment that spoofs woodsy TV programs while portraying Canadians as something less than intellectuals.