Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeCultureLifeEating & DrinkingDouble-double is Canadian for coffeeIt only took Cottage Life 20 years to place the phrase among “seven words you’ll only hear in Canada” once “double double” was added to the Oxford Canadian Dictionary in 2004.Last updated 34 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.A Tim Hortons restaurant in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Photo by Ben Nelms /BloombergWe independently select everything we recommend. Buying through us may earn us a commission, which supports our work.The NBA expanded to Toronto in 1995. The Raptors won their first league championship, six-bouncing their way into the hearts of basketball fans and everyday Canadians from coast-to-coast in 2019.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorAnd yet, utter “double-double” anywhere in this grand land of ours and the conversation will shift to caffeine and cream, not points and rebounds as it would in the south.The saying is so steeped in Canadian parlance it appears in lists of common slang for visitors (contiki.com/six-two) and potential newcomers (immigrant-education.ca). Virtual French-language B.C. school College Educacentre published a blog in 2023 that compared “double-double” to “secret agent code,” and suggested that Tim Hortons outlets present ESL students with “a chance to practice English in a friendly, warm environment.Join Laura Brehaut on a weekly food adventure with mouth-watering reads delivered Fridays.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Cook This will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again“And the best part? Canadians are so polite, they’ll probably compliment you on your accent!”After guiding readers through the whole regular versus single-single thing for FoodRepublic.com, Tim Forster somewhat breathlessly makes reference to “anecdotal evidence” that a four-by-four order is possible.(Should we tell them about the six-by-six? Definitely no one say “two-four.”)The 2023 article for the Indiana-based outlet also muses that if in Quebec, it may be more productive to ask for a “deux-deux”. Chapeau.“The Filipino and Thai arms of the company list the double-double as its own distinct menu item while online menus for American and British Tim Hortons locations don’t mention them,” Forster wrote.It only took Cottage Life 20 years to place the phrase among “seven words you’ll only hear in Canada” once “double double” was added to the Oxford Canadian Dictionary in 2004.“A cup of coffee with a double amount of both cream and sugar,” the definition reads, with the helpful example sentence: “I cannot start the day without my double-double.”If you’re looking for a summer read, Double Double is actually the title of a book about the Tim Hortons chain’s origins, its purchase by an American fast food chain and eventual repatriation by award-winning business scribe Douglas Hunter, who elevates the boozeless pub founded by a hockey player to “a Canadian way of life.”Now for the piece de resistance, you should make sure the kids are seated on or behind the Chesterfield with noise cancelling headphones on.Ready?There’s a double-double cocktail.Thank nation-trotting couple Victoria Walsh and Scott McCallum for concocting a libation that looks like it could run through the veins of Bob & Doug McKenzie and sharing it with Canadian Living Magazine.As it should, it starts with 1.5 oz of Canadian whisky (no E, double-double word score) soundly suggesting Forty Creek Barrel Select.Also coming to the party, 3/4 oz each of Kahlua and a cream liqueur and a hit of bitters. Mix all in a glass with ice, and garnish with finely ground espresso.For bonus points, enjoy it wrapped in a six-stripe blanket sitting in a Muskoka chair, as one imagines Mordecai Richler would have. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.