Canada
5 Canadian slang terms for filler words, each with its meaning, how it is pronounced and an example of it in use.
The small words that hold speech together: hedges, tags, intensifiers and pause-fillers. Almost invisible to native speakers and almost impossible for learners.
noun, interjection · Regional · BY, rhymes with eye
'Boy', used in Newfoundland as a general address term regardless of the addressee's age or, frequently, gender. 'Yes b'y' is the province's most recognisable phrase, and means anything from genuine agreement to flat disbelief.
Use with care
verb, noun · Informal
To trash-talk or needle someone, especially in sport. A chirp is a single such remark.
interjection · Colloquial · AY
A tag appended to a statement to invite agreement, equivalent to 'isn't it' or 'right?'
+2 more senses
phrase, verb · Informal · GIV-er
To go all out; to commit fully to something. Also used as an imperative: give'r!
noun · Informal
Used as a first-person pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me' — 'mans is tired'. Also as a general term for a guy.
Canada