Voting is open!! Voting will be open for the next 45 days, please vote wisely! Find each word's home page below for an explanation as to what the heck it means and why it should be Canada's new Cheers.

Cheers for Canada
is a Canada wide contest to create a new, uniquely Canadian replacement for 'Cheers'. This word could be yours!

The winner will receive a party toasting their word on May 24 weekend, 2009!

Chimo

Heather from Toronto:

"In the 1970s with the Olympics and Expo, draft-dodgers, Trudeau, bilingual cereal boxes and kicking Soviet hockey ass, Canada-mania reached new, dizzying heights. We were hot hot hot, and we needed a word that was cool. A Canadian word. And that word was "chimo."
- Tokyo Tint
According to folklore, when two people met on the Arctic tundra, they rubbed their chests in a circular motion and said, "CHIMO" , meaning "Are you friendly?" The answer was a repeat of the gesture and the word "Chimo!" ("Yes, I am friendly!)"

Thanks Heather

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like the CHIMO suggestion as well. When members of the Canadian Armed Forces Engineering units address each other, they yell CHIMO....very Canadian indeed!!!

B

Anonymous said...

I'm all for CHIMO - from the Inuktitut language - how much more Canadian could that be!!

Anonymous said...

Canadian Armed Forces that served in Germany with NATO used the term Chimo to toast so as to stand out from other Nations. Truly Canadian eh! Gord the Armour (572)

Anonymous said...

I remember when Chimo was first used.I use it myself quite often...Mike from Moncton

Anonymous said...

I am glad someone remembered. Chimo was used by at least one prime minister (maybe more) the great statesman and partier Pierre Elliot Trudeau. It was also in the papers and I had seen it in listed as Canada's International Toast in at least one book. It had been used on film (T.V. not sure about movies) Chimo was also introduced to the American public on late night talk shows.
I am a professional drinker. A sommelier. It's actually called tasting. Canada makes all types of internationally recognized drinks, not just beer. Chimo was chosen decades ago for it's uae in any kind of situation from State addresses to local toast at a bar.
For me it will allways remain Canada's Toast.
Stan Parkes Dundas Ontario

Anonymous said...

YO! CHIMO IS THE WORD.

Anonymous said...

To the creators of this site. You might want to check with the Canadian Government before you attempt to change the offical Canadian toast.

Thomas Drance said...

Hey Anon right above me... do you mean the loyal toast? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Loyal_Toast

Because that definitely is not interfered with by an internet poll/competition/grass-roots effort to come up with a "cultural toast" consistent with the goals of this site. I straight up just don't think the Government of Canada cares if a bunch of private citizens vote on a website poll to determine the informal winner of a "new toast" for Canada... Also going over an entire loyal toast when one is casually drinking beer with friends is clearly ridiculous as well as impractical. Further it's definitely not a matter of law!

Anonymous said...

TBone1987 the idea of a cultural toast was the whole idea the government was trying to create.

Canadian pride was the motive. The separist movement in Quebec was quite strong at that time. Any action that could be done to unify the country was considered a good move. The fact that the toast did not catch on as well as it did goes to show the apathy that many Canadians have toward showing their patriotism as outright as say an American.

Anonymous said...

Chimo for me welcome,