30 phrases that might confuse anyone who didn't grow up in Canada

• If you're planning a trip to Canada, you might want to familiarize yourself with certain phrases.
• What we really mean when we say "sorry" and "yeah, no, for sure" might not be what you think.

Growing up in Canada, I never knew our version of English was very different from our neighbors to the south, aside from the obvious "eh."

But once I moved to the US and started traveling around the world, I realized there were many phrases from my childhood I didn't hear as much in other places.

If you're heading up to the Great White North anytime soon, here are some words and phrases you'll want to know.

We say 'sorry' a lot, but it doesn't always mean we're apologizing

Canadians often use "sorry" instead of "excuse me" or "pardon" when trying to get someone's attention or pass by somebody.

Some Canadians say 'hey' instead of 'eh'

The stereotype is true — we often end our sentences with "eh" to seek assurance from or express solidarity with the person we're talking to.

But some Canadians, particularly those from the west coast, will end their sentences with "hey" instead.

'Yeah, no' means no, and 'yeah, no, for sure' means yes

If you don't live in the Midwest of the US or Canada, these can be confusing.

They're not used in response to a direct question but more generally applied in conversation to express that you either agree or disagree with the person you're talking to.

Tim Hortons or 'Timmies' has given us several uniquely Canadian terms

The ubiquitous coffee chain was founded by a Canadian hockey player named Tim Horton, but no one calls it Tim Hortons anymore. Instead, we call it "Tims" or "Timmies."

The most popular order is a "double-double" — a coffee with two creams and two sugars. But you can also order a "regular" if you want one cream and one sugar.

Those with a sweet tooth will want to pair their hot brew with a box of Timbits, which are doughnut holes like the Munchkins from Dunkin'.

If you're feeling lucky during your trip to the coffee shop, you'll want to "roll up the rim" on the side of your cup to see if you've won a prize.

A 'keener' is a know-it-all

The term is typically used to describe a person who's a know-it-all or Goody Two-shoes.

We like to put an emphasis on and drag out the "kee" part of the word.

'Bunny hug' is used to describe a hooded sweatshirt

Being from Toronto, I never heard the term "bunny hug" until I met someone from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The adorable word used to describe a hooded sweatshirt is uniquely Saskatchewanian.

'Beaut' isn't used just to describe something beautiful

We use the term to refer to an awe-inspiring scene — like a sunset — but we also use it as an expression of gratitude or admiration for a person.

If your friend's mom made you some cookies, you'd say, "She's a beaut."

A 'crayon' is a 'colouring pencil' in Britain and a 'colored pencil' in the US

Kids in Canada typically call colored pencils "pencil crayons" or often simply "crayons."

One explanation for this is that we combined the French "crayon de couleur" with the British "colouring pencils."

A 'toque' is key to surviving the cold Canadian winters

A "toque" refers to a hat or beanie.

A 'dep' is the same as a 'corner store' or 'bodega'

In Canada, we love our convenience stores so much that we made an entire TV show ("Kim's Convenience") about a real-life Korean-owned convenience store in downtown Toronto.

In Quebec, you'll want to use "dep" for the store, which is short for the French word "dépanneur."

'Runners' are the same as 'trainers' in the UK or 'sneakers' in the US

I don't know why we call our sneakers "runners" because I wear them every day and never run in them. But this is our term for the popular shoe.

We use the word 'serviette' instead of 'napkin'

As a commonwealth country, we've inherited some of the politeness of UK English. The use of the word "serviette" to refer to what is commonly called a paper napkin in the US is a prime example.

A 'chesterfield' is a large couch or sofa

"Chesterfield" is commonly used by older Canadians to describe a couch that can fit more than two people.

Young people will say 'pre-drink' instead of the American phrase 'pregame'

When I moved to New York City in my early 20s, no one understood what I meant when I asked where the "pre-drink" was.

The term is used to describe a gathering to drink before going out to the bar or club, similar to the American phrase "pregame."

'2-4' has 2 meanings

"Two-four" is most often used to describe a case of 24 beers. But in the context of "May two-four weekend," it also refers to the Victoria Day long weekend.

There are nicknames for the different kinds of liquor bottles

For hard alcohol, a "mickey" refers to a small 375-milliliter bottle, and a "two-six" refers to a 750-milliliter bottle.

Canadians largely call carbonated beverages 'pop'

Similarly to a few regions of the US, including the Midwest, you'll want to ask for a can of "pop" instead of "soda" for a carbonated drink in Canada.

'Homo' means homogenized milk, or milk with 3.25% fat

Another drink-related distinction is how we talk about and package milk. We sell our "homo" milk in cartons, but you can expect to find it in sealed plastic bags, too.

There are several food inventions only Canadians will understand, like the 'Caesar' cocktail

You've probably heard of poutine, the hearty Québécois dish of fries with cheese curds smothered in gravy. But have you heard of a "Caesar" cocktail?

The alcoholic drink hailing from Alberta is made with Clamato tomato juice, vodka, and spices.

Other foods I grew up eating were "KD," the shorthand used to refer to Kraft Dinner macaroni and cheese, and "Nanaimo bars," a popular bar dessert named after the British Columbia city of Nanaimo. It's made of wafers and chocolate ganache layered on a coconut-crumb base.

'Hang a Larry' means turn left and 'hang a Roger' means turn right

When driving, some people in Canada will say "hand a Larry" and "hang a Roger" instead of "turn left" and "turn right."

But you'll typically only hear younger Canadians using the expressions.

A 'parkade' or 'parking stall' is a multifloor parking garage

Some Canadians from Ontario or the east coast use the American phrase "parking garage," but Canadians from the west coast tend to use "parkade," and Albertans have been known to use "parking stall."