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Grit

By , About.com Guide

Definition: In Canada, the name Grit refers to a member or supporter of the Liberal Party.

The term Grit comes from the phrase Clear Grit. Clear grit was a prime type of sand used by the Scots in Upper Canada to make mortar, and the term was adopted as a description of the type of character required for members of the pre-Confederation reform movement in the Province of Canada. After Confederation, the term Grits was applied to Liberals and the Liberal Party, and has stuck.

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