Note to degens, many sayings were well used before the show began

It’s one of the funniest series around featuring a multitude of hilarious quotes that are well worn (almost worn out) by their fans.

“Do you know what I’s appreciates about you?” “Take 20 to 25% off there.” “Forecheck, backcheck, paycheque.”

Letterkenny has taken the world (well, at least Canada) by storm with its great insight into small town life and use of very real vernacular.

Starting as the extremely funny YouTube web series called Letterkenny Problems created by Jared Keeso (who plays Wayne and Shoresy) about small town rural life, it was so funny and popular that Crave picked it up and the TV show set in the fictional town of Letterkenny, Ontario was born.

The show is so popular that people who never lived in small towns think the writers came up with every colloquialism. Of course, the people who believe that are usually “Degens from up country.”

However, we know the truth and the familiarity of many sayings not only makes us laugh but warms our small-town Canadian hearts.

“To Be Faaair,” the good people who make the show are very open about using their small town experiences as inspiration.

On that note, here’s a Top Ten list of our favourite words and phrases in Letterkenny that were making the rounds before being part of the show.

1. “How are ya now?” “Good and you?” or “Not so bad.” Every little nook and corner of Ontario has their own version of this phrase. “How’s she going?” “Good, you?” “Not bad, you?”
It’s the perfect example of how friendly and polite we can be.

2. “Pitter patter, let’s get at ‘er.” My Maritimer wife has been saying this to me and our kids for years. Before that, her family members were telling her to “pitter patter.” It’s a classic and makes us feel good every time Wayne, Katy, or someone else on the show says it.

3 to 6. “Geno, apple, tilly.” “Wheel snipes celly boys, dirty fuckin’ dangles boys!” “Chirping.” Pretty much every hockey phrase in the show has come from real life hockey sayings. Every time the hockey players open their mouths, it’s a funny because it’s true situation. And that doesn’t even begin to go into Shoresy (which requires its own space).

7. “Big shoots.” “Big shooter.” Yeah, we all know what that means. Stop playing big shot and take it down a notch. On the flip side, even the best of us have had one too many in our youth and gone all big shooter at times, which is forgivable. Being a big shooter on the regular isn’t.

8. “Sort yourself out.” “Figure it out.” Basically, get your s**t together. Definitely been told to figure it out a couple of times in my life.

9. “Bad gas travels fast in a small town.” It’s a take on many small-town sayings regarding spreading rumours and being careful what you say or do. There’s another old saying along these lines, “the best part about living in a small town is everyone knows you, the worst part about living in a small town is everyone knows you.”

10. “Hack a dart” “Go for a dart” and just “dart” in general. My friend was listening to a radio show in North Bay when a listener called in and said that people only used that line/word to describe smoking cigarettes because of Letterkenny. Stick tap to JF Kuehnen for telling this story and inspiring this list.

Honorable mentions that made me smile and think of old buds: “I’ve got so much time for (insert pleasure or person here)” and “f**k a duck.”

And now that chorin’s done Bud, I’d have a dart.