DCHP-3

casse-croûte

< European French casse croûte 'snack', literally 'break crust (of bread)'
DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)

Spelling variants:
casse-croute

Non-Canadianism

This is a word that our editors have determined is not a Canadianism.

1n.

a snack bar.

This term is a borrowing from European French into British English in the 1960s, as evidence from the London Times shows. In French, the term is widespread. First found in British English, it also entered, not surprisingly, Canadian English (see the 1971 and 1980 quotations).
See also COD-2, s.v. "casse-croûte", which is marked "Cdn (Que.)".

Quotations

1971
There's a new take-out service in our town you are going to hear a lot about. Only open about a month, I discovered Le Casse-Croute a few days ago while walking along Wellington East near the market.
1980
Because in Quebec the tax-free meal maximum is $1.50, experienced casse-croute users make two or three tips [sic] to the counter to keep each tab under the limit. Although a hamburger alone exceeds it, you can order soup and a hot dog, for example, then go back for pastry and coffee.
1985
After the safari tour, if it's time for lunch, you could try the Igloo (pizzas, ice cream), the BBQ (burgers, barbecued chicken) Relais (hot dogs etc) or the Casse-Croute (dogs, burgers, onion rings etc.)
1993
There was still time to buy a drink and a croc monsieur (submarine sandwich) at a casse croute (snack bar) and lunch in the sun on the green grass of a little park behind Perce's cobble beach.
2007
Pulled lamb and mushroom poutine ($11) is more café than casse-croûte with the addition of tart chèvre and deeply intense peppercorn jus.
2n. — Food

a snack; the food available from such a bar (see meaning 1).

See meaning 1.

Quotations

1979
With a bottle of Bordeaux and coffee, the bill for two came to roughly $32. A luncheon snack (casse-croute) in the same room runs about $4 for a cold plate, the same for a club sandwich.
1992
Imagine a parallel situation: generations of Francophones growing up in Alberta, not bothering to learn English, still getting the best jobs, and then boasting that they're just waiting for the chance to go to London and learn Cockney. Richler even throws in the bit about those ARRET signs in Quebec, the ones which say STOP in France. Imagine those cheeky Quebecois, saying "casse-croute" instead of "snack."
2007
Glass of vino in hand, as classmates arrive (tonight, there are nine men and two women) chef instructor Ian Dowsett gives each of us a casse-croute of deep-fried wontons with mango salsa. Dee-lish.

References

  • COD-2