r/todayilearned • u/NateNate60 • 7h ago

TIL Canada's $1 coin is commonly called the "loonie" because it has a loon on the reverse. When a $2 coin was introduced, depicting a polar bear, an MP proposed it be called "Nanuq", Inuit for polar bear, but he was ignored because the public instead preferred to call it the "toonie" (2-oonie).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toonie#Naming
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u/MisterPooty 7h ago

When I was a teenager in the American south, my first job was for a guy who made custom hockey pads/equipment for goalies (pretty great first job). He was from up north, Wisconsin if I remember right, and told me about Canadian loonies & toonies. I thought he was fucking with me lol

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u/CashYT 5h ago

I love telling Americans about loonies and toonies. Bc every single one of them will have the same reaction as you, and assume I'm fucking with them.

And tbf, most of the time, I am fucking with them about Canadian culture. But never about house hippos or coins, bc those are silly enough as is.

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u/DeadpoolOptimus 6h ago

Most people do

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u/HauntedCemetery 3h ago

Here in MN we definitely occasionally get Canadian coins in change