While in Canada, Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins, encountered the term keener, meaning “enthusiast.” This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Keener”
The writer Jamie Attenberg mentioned a word on Facebook that I don’t think I’ve ever heard before.
She was in Toronto, and she heard the word keener used.
Keener? Like somebody crying out?
No, no. Somebody who is keen on something. Somebody who’s really interested.
She’s the author of the book The Middlesteens, and so she’s been doing a book tour and encountering language as you do when you travel from place to place.
And I never heard keener, but there it is recorded in several dictionaries as a Canadianism for someone who is really enthusiastic or very keen on something.
Okay.
A fan of it, more or less.
Okay, keener.
Keener, yeah.
Sort of like the train enthusiasts are called, what are they called?
Foamers.
Foamers.
Foamers, that’s it.
Keeners and foamers.
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