A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

Skookum

6609282559_0bf66f7f98_b

Skookum | A Chinook jargon derivative of skukm, a word in the Tsamosan branch of the Coast Salish language that originally translated into English as ‘powerful’ or ‘evil spirit’. In the extinct pidgin it was used by traders/colonists and First Nations people to convey either “strong,” “brave,” “dependable,” or “ultimate”. Though largely anomalous today, it occasionally pops up as a colloquial means of ascribing excellence or intensity to someone or something.

Usages: 1. “I was on the seawall last night when the clouds broke at sunset — the light was skookum.” 2. “Dave helped me move over the weekend. He’s such a skookum dude.” 3. “Wendy is a great line cook, a skookum beast during the dinner rush.”

One of the Most Beloved Players to Ever Wear a Canucks Uniform

“I was there when Gino scored a penalty shot goal against Calgary. The way the crowd erupted, you’d think we had just won the Stanley Cup!"

How a Climate Change Event Created a Local 'Cause Célèbre'

"Is Barge Chilling Beach a good first date or nah?"

How Generations of Underaged Partiers Have Avoided Cops and Cover Charges in BC

"On our way up to Jones Lake on Sunday we had to wait for a slow convoy of hungover bush party survivors to pass..."

How Vancouverites Know a Targeted Hit on a Gangster Has Just Gone Down

"Like sunshine after rain and dawn after dark, a report of a burning vehicle usually means a gangster has just been shot at."