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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

#Canadianism of the day: no guff

#Canadianism of the day: no guff = 1. a declaration of truthfulness. 2. an expression of mock surprise at a statement.

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4 comments:

  1. Katherine BarberAugust 20, 2014 at 6:58 AM

    interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Katherine BarberAugust 20, 2014 at 7:00 AM

    specifically in this usage? I know "guff" is used in all varieties of English to mean nonsense, but we couldn't find any evidence of "no guff" meaning "no kidding" outside Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 20, 2014 at 8:26 AM

    There is a radio proword "NO DUFF" that means "not a drill - real situation". Typically used to distinguish between simulation and real emergencies during training exercises. I think it is a NATO proword but it may be Canadian or Five Eyes.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownMarch 14, 2020 at 7:48 AM

    I used to say this all the time
    Didn't realize it was a Canadian thing

    ReplyDelete

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Canada's Word Lady, Katherine Barber is an expert on the English language and a frequent guest on radio and television. She was Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Her witty and informative talks on the stories behind our words are very popular. Contact her at wordlady.barber@gmail.com to book her for speaking engagements; she can tailor her talks to almost any subject. She is also available as an expert witness for lawsuits.