“When I went ter Boston, a man asked me if I waus a fish. I told him I waus a Newfoundlander,” Fred Porter explained.
“‘That’s what we call a fish,’ the man replied.”
“I thought that waus sum quare, but I wausn’t up wit’ der crowd in Boston long before I realized I wauser fish outta water.”
amazons, the ∼ the women of Foxtrap who came out with sharp household and farm instruments to resist the railway line going through the place in the 1880s.
angishore (hangishore) ∼ a person who hangs around shore instead of working. A good-for-nothing. Some Newfoundlanders hang an h on ang-ishore. From the Irish word aindeiséoir meaning a poor miserable creature (chiefly Southern Ireland).
article ∼ A person is called an article by someone who is annoyed at him, or amused by him.
back people ∼ ancestors.
banker ∼ a person who fishes on the fishing banks outside of Newfoundland. barnacle’s
breed ∼ an idler, a bad person.
batches ∼ the group of miners who came to Bell Island from other places to work in the mines. They stayed in company-owned houses.
bay noddy (niúder, neáder) ∼ 1. someone slow-moving, slow-thinking. 2. a disparaging name for someone living on the coast.
baywop ∼ an outharbour man.
beach woman ∼ a woman hired to spread fish.
beater (bedlamer) ∼ an unmarried boy.
Beothuks (Red Paint People) ∼ These Red Indians had straight black hair, high cheekbones, small black eyes, and copper-coloured skin. They were believed to be related to the Algonquin tribe. Many of the Beothuks died from European diseases and conflicts with other peoples. Some of their descendants may be living in Europe.
billy gale ∼ nickname for a Newfoundlander.
black stranger ∼ a person not known among the people in a community. Someone not belonging to a certain community (not a racist term).
black wop ∼ a bayman.
bleacher ∼ an unmarried girl.
bostoon (bosthoon) ∼ a clumsy fellow.
bruds ∼ name given to people from Fortune Bay who moved to other communities.
brunette ∼ a person of French and Mi’kmaq mix.
buckaloon ∼ an important person (unofficial).
bullamarue ∼ an aggressive person.
bull cook ∼ the cook’s helper who usually carried the kettle to the munch ground.
bully bagger (bullyboo) ∼ a mythical creature created by adults to scare children into being good.
butter bitch ∼ a man in charge of a ship’s stores.
call boy ∼ A young fellow working on the Newfoundland Express called,
“All’s aboard, who’s going aboard,” when the train’s passengers and baggage were ready for departure.
carker (corker) ∼ 1. someone who is a hardcase. 2. something outstanding.
caudler ∼ a person who muddles up an activity, or caudles: does work in an untidy manner.
Christian ∼ a human being.
chummy fellow ∼ a name given to a person by someone who doesn’t know the person’s name.
Clan-na-Gael ∼ an organization of Irishmen.
clear airs ∼ a watchword (password) for people from Tipperary, Ireland.
cockies ∼ nickname given to New Perlican residents.
cock Indian ∼ male Beothuk.
cod haulers ∼ name given to New foundlanders by Nova Scotians in retaliation for being called bluenosers by Islanders.
covey fellow ∼ someone born in a cove; a Portugal Cove native.
cribbie (cribby) ∼ a townie.
crow ∼ name given to a person in a neighbouring community.
cruiser ∼ a visitor from another place.
dadyeens ∼ Newfoundland settlers originating from Cork, Ireland.
diter (dyeter) ∼ a summer worker boarding in winter with a fisherman. He paid for his board in services.
doonees (donnes, dounes) ∼ Newfoundland settlers from Kilkenny, Ireland. Kilkenny boys.
dotterel ∼ a simple-minded person.
downalongs ∼ people residing in the east end of St. John’s.
egger ∼ a person who takes birds’ eggs from the nests.
Eimun, Innu ∼ aboriginal people living in Labrador and northern Quebec.
Eskimo (Esquimaux, Huskimaw, Oskamaw) ∼ a contemptuous name given to the Inuit (Inuk, singular) by Algonquin Indians. Eskimo means eaters of raw flesh.
fish ∼ nickname for a Newfoundlander.
fishocracy ∼ term for early Newfoundland merchants.
flinter ∼ a woman who is drunk, saucy, or a hardcase.
floaters ∼ a boat’s fishing crew.
fresh (green) man ∼ a newcomer to the fishing boat.
gaffer ∼ a boy from age 10 to 15.
gatcher ∼ a show-off.
gazebo ∼ an oddly dressed person.
gomogue ∼ a silly or mischievous person.
green fisherman ∼ a worker aboard a schooner fishing off the Labrador who helped catch the fish and salt it.
green hands ∼ inexperienced men who came from England and Ireland to work in Newfoundland for the summer.
gull ∼ a Burgeo man.
gump ∼ a stupid person.
hagdown ∼ a Placentia Bay person.
Harbour Grace gentleman ∼ a man of genteel poverty or pretensions; a poor man who puts on airs; someone who can look dignified dressed in rags.
hard ticket ∼ someone who is always getting into trouble.
herring gibber ∼ a man who guts herring.
jackabaun (jacobin, jockabaun) ∼ 1. the nickname for any political reformer. 2. a mischievous, untrustworthy person. 3. a derogatory name by some Protestants for Catholics.
jack blunt ∼ an outspoken person.
jack-easy ∼ an easygoing person.
jackeen ∼ a rascally guy.
jack fisherman ∼ a man fishing with a seine in a jack boat.
jackitar (jackatar) ∼ a person carrying the mixture of French and Mi’kmaq blood (derogatory term).
jader ∼ a person who is disliked (a Jonah).
Jerseymen ∼ fishermen who migrated to New foundland from the Channel Islands.
jostler ∼ a rude person.
jowler ∼ an experienced and successful captain of a sealing vessel.
kedgy ∼ a young boy who goes to the fishing grounds for the first time and does odd jobs aboard ship.
keener ∼ a schemer.
kenat ∼ 1. a selfish, sly person. 2. something insignificant.
king ∼ the oldest fisherman in a harbour.
Labrador boy ∼ young helper on the Labrador Coast.
Labrador Indians (Montagnais-Naskapi) ∼ The Red Indians called them shudamunks or shaunamuncks (good Indians) and were on good trading terms with them.
lady ∼ the title of masters of the second and third English vessel to reach a harbour in Newfoundland.
land crab ∼ a person who is not a fisherman.
laudy daw ∼ someone who thinks he is the be-all, the hero, the fixer.
lees´ta-mu ∼ a name given to the Inuit by the Montagnais of Labrador.
livyers ∼ people who belonged to a place as permanent settlers, especially in Labrador.
lobsterbacks ∼ English soldiers so named because of their red jackets (redcoats).
longshanks ∼ person with long legs.
longshoreman ∼ a permanent resident of coastal Labrador.
lord of the harbour ∼ the master of the first English fishing vessel to reach a harbour in Newfoundland. He performed marriage ceremonies. Otherwise, they were performed by any common man who could read.
lovyer ∼ lover.
lumper ∼ labourer employed in loading and unloading cargoes.
mahone soldier ∼ inferior seaman, a lazy soldier.
mammy ∼ mommy.
mampus ∼ numerous: a group of people or fish, etc.
Man Above, The ∼ God.
maneen ∼ a boy trying to act like a man.
Maritime Archaic Indians ∼ the first known inhabitants of the island almost 10,000 years ago.
mawk ∼ foolish fellow.
maw-mouth ∼ a talkative person (a braggart).
middleman ∼ a fisherman and owner of fishing premises, boat, or vessel who, supplied by a merchant, engages a crew on the share system.
missioners ∼ early Pentecostals.
molley cows ∼ women too stuck-up or too timid to have “a game of fun.”
Naskapi ∼ name for the nomadic Labrador Indian. The Naskapi people write in the Naskapi language using the English alphabet.
nawpoll ∼ stupid person.
Newf (Newfie) ∼ friendly (controversial) name(s) for a person born in Newfoundland.
Newfy John ∼ a St. John’s native.
Newlander ∼ Newfoundlander.
nointer (nuzzle, tripe) ∼ names for mischievous children.
Nosy Parker ∼ someone whose nose is into everyone’s business.
nunny-fudger ∼ idler, shirker.
nuzzle tripe ∼ misbehaving child.
oil rat ∼ a person who processes cod and seal oil.
old man ∼ foreman or skipper.
oonshick ∼ a person of low intelligence.
path-beater ∼ a young girl who is always out walking the streets at night.
patrick ∼ nickname for an Irish-Catholic indentured servant.
piss wig ∼ a child who does something to mess up an adult project.
planters ∼ the first fishermen to become residents in a colony.
pleasers ∼ name given to New foundland’s first local lawyers (1800s).
pucklin ∼ a boy.
puddick (patóg) ∼ a person with an enormous appetite.
puffins ∼ a local name for residents of Ramea.
race ∼ people.
rag moll (maw) ∼ dirty or untidy person.
rals ∼ rowdies. The term stems from the Winter of the Rals (1817–18).
red devils ∼ early settlers’ nickname for the Beothuk Indians, who painted their bodies with red ochre.
rinder ∼ someone tight, miserly.
salt fishermen ∼ men fishing on the bank of Labrador who salted their fish aboard the boat.
scopy gob ∼ someone who talks too much (has a big mouth like the sculpin/scopy).
scouse ∼ the name applied to a native of the port of Liverpool.
scumpshy ∼ a clumsy fellow.
scut ∼ a dirty, mean person.
seeny (sawny) ∼ a silly, unhinged person.
shennick ∼ a mean fellow.
shimmick ∼ someone born of English parents who tries to deny that he was born in Newfoundland.
shooneen ∼ a coward.
shore boss ∼ a person in charge of processing cod ashore.
shore fisherman ∼ a retired fisherman.
siffelajakss ∼ a person with one bent leg who walks like a crow. He hops about. skraelings ∼ heathens. Eric the Red’s (1003) name for the Inuit, meaning “wretches of savages.” Some people believed they were the last of the Dorset Eskimo.
slawmeen ∼ dirty, untidy person.
sleeveen (slieveen) ∼ a sly, deceitful person (rascal).
slowcome (slocum) ∼ 1. a lazy fellow. 2. a nickname for someone from Herring Neck.
snapper ∼ 1. a Newfoundlander, a Nova Scotian, or a person from Maine. 2. someone dressed poorly, funny or untidy.
snaz ∼ a meddlesome, cranky old maid.
Spymaster ∼ a crewman sent aloft of a ship to look out for seals.
square ∼ four persons in a group.
squatters ∼ fishermen who settled in a place while floaters moved on.
stationers ∼ fishermen who came to Labrador on coastal boats to fish for a season from shore.
stookawn ∼ foolish fellow, dull, stupid.
storekeeper ∼ a merchant’s agent or someone who sold fish to farmers.
streel ∼ an untidy person.
street beater ∼ path beater.
summer agent ∼ a man in charge of a merchant’s fishing premises.
summer people ∼ Newfoundlanders who fished the Labrador coast during the summer. Migratory Newfoundland fishermen.
Sunday man ∼ a fisherman or sealer who refused to work on Sunday.
swilers ∼ sealers.
tallyman ∼ a swarthy-faced man (an Italian).
tallywacker ∼ a rascal.
tangler ∼ a disorganized person.
tars ∼ English sailors.
teak (teague) ∼ a contemptuous name for an Irishman in the 1700–1800s.
thronger ∼ gatecrasher at a party.
ticket ∼ hardcase.
townie ∼ anyone from a town.
tunnit (tunnek, sing.) ∼ the Eskimo name for white men.
Turks and Kestors ∼ people from the Southern Shore.
twillick (twillet) ∼ 1. a small child. 2. a fool.
upalongs ∼ boys from the west end of St. John’s. People from Upper Canada.
Vikings ∼ the first Europeans believed to have sailed to New foundland and Labrador.
waddies ∼ Port de Grave residents.
wallper ∼ a girl who is always out with the guys.
warm flaw ∼ a worthless person.
water nipper ∼ someone who brought water to workers during hot weather.
white boys ∼ 1. a fearsome resistance movement of the Irish. 2. aggressive Irish servants.
whitehead ∼ a blond person.
white Indian ∼ a half-breed.
whitenose ∼ inexperienced.
winter man ∼ someone employed in winter.
wrackers ∼ settlers who salvaged goods from shipwrecks.
yellow (whey) belly ∼ a member of a Newfoundland Irish faction from Wexford, Ireland.