The Great White North is an affectionate — and sometimes ironic — informal nickname for Canada, playing on its reputation for vast snowy landscapes and brutal winters. Widely used by Canadians and Americans alike, particularly in border states like Michigan. The phrase gained extra currency through the SCTV comedy duo Bob and Doug McKenzie in the early 1980s, cementing it as a playful piece of Canadian national identity. Tone is typically fond or self-deprecating rather than dismissive.
After years in Miami, moving back to the Great White North meant relearning how to drive on ice.
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(chiefly, Canada, Michigan, informal) Canada.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.