DCHP-2

pint DCHP-2 (October 2016)

• n. — Food & Drink, Maritimes, especially Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island

  a 375-millilitre bottle of hard liquor (see Image 1).

  Type: 3. Semantic Change — In most of Canada, a pint of alcohol refers to a measurement of beer equivalent to 568 millilitres. However, a semantic shift has occurred in Maritime Canada, where a pint denotes what is commonly known elsewhere in Mainland Canada as a mickey. Chart 1 shows the term's prevalence in a common context ("rum"), with Nova Scotia and PEI yielding high results and, surprisingly, New Brunswick not scoring at all. As the 2013 quotation shows, the term is also in use in that province. There are semantic distinctions as well, however, as, pint in the Maritimes may also refer to the measurement of beer of just over half a litre, so it is important to know which alcoholic beverage one refers to. The use of pint in the sense of 375 ml (or the older imperial near-equivalent of 12 or 13 fluid ounces) is not restricted to informal contexts, as it is also found in government and court documents (see, e.g. the 2005 and 2012 quotations).
  See also COD-2, s.v. "pint" (4), which is marked "Cdn (Maritimes)".

  See also: mickey  

  • 1991  [...] and drank from two 40-ounce and two pint bottles of Bacardi light rum. 
  • 2005  Earnest MacGillivary was taken to the lock-up at approximately 00:30h. On May 17, 2000, he had consumed approximately one pint of rum over the previous 4-5 hours. 
  • 2009  In Summerside provincial court, 24-year-old Ryan Matthew Banks pleaded guilty to three thefts and possession of stolen property. The first theft occurred on Dec. 4. Banks went into Waterfront Mall's liquor store, hid a pint under his sweater and walked out. The pint, valued at $12.49, was not recovered. On Dec. 6, Banks went back to the same store, picked up a pint, valued at $12, put it in his pants and left. It wasn't recovered. 
  • 2012  Terry Gallant indicated that he smelled alcohol when he opened the door to get the accused out of the jeep. Paul Dyment, as well admitted to drinking part of a pint and some beer that evening, and he assumes there was alcohol in the jeep. Constable Bourque also noted that he observed alcohol in the jeep. 
  • 2013  "The scene was usually wild and wooly when Nick and the Millionaires tangled at the Miners Forum in Glace Bay before 5,000 howling fans," mentioned Connolly. "Many of the fans carried a 'mickey' (pint) in their hip pocket," said Pat. "One night one of the fans jumped on the ice and challenged Nick. He soon was joined by others who were in the same half-inebriated condition as he was. Nick skated out of his net and drew a line on the ice with his stick just outside the blue-line, challenging anyone to cross it. Nobody dared to."