If, like me, you came to Montreal for university, chances are the first time you heard the word dep was when your dorm mate sent you on a beer run.

The term dépanneur—or dep for short—is used by French and now English Quebecers to mean convenience store. Dépanneur comes from the verb dépanner, which means to fix or to help out, and that’s exactly what these handy shops do. Open day and night, they stock all of life’s essentials and necessary evils—from cigarettes and sanitary napkins to diapers and sticks of beef jerky

So what sets Quebec deps apart from your typical 7-Eleven or Quik Mart? For starters, they carry cold beer, cheap wine, and baggies of cheese curds that squeak between your teeth.

What do you call your corner store?