ART, LITERATURE, AND PHOTOGRAPHY
To help you translate some of the lingo used off the beaten track at places like country stores and county fairs, farm stands and flea markets, here’s a sampling of local terms and expressions:
alewives: herring
ayuh: yes
barrens: as in “blueberry barrens”; fields where wild blueberries grow
beamy: wide (as in a boat or a person)
beans: shorthand for the traditional Saturday night meal, which always includes baked beans
blowdown: a forest area leveled by wind
blowing a gale: very windy
camp: a vacation house (small or large), usually on freshwater and in the woods
chance: serendipity or luck, as in “open by appointment or by chance”
chicken dressing: chicken manure
chowder (pronounced “chowdah”): soup made with lobster, clams, or fish, or a combination thereof; lobster version is sometimes called lobster stew
chowderhead: mischief- or troublemakers, usually interchangeable with idiot
coneheads: tourists (because of their presumed penchant for ice cream)
cottage: a vacation house (anything from a bungalow to a mansion), usually on saltwater
culch (also cultch): stuff; the contents of attics, basements, and some flea markets
cull: a discount lobster, usually minus a claw
cunnin’: cute, usually describing a baby or small child
dinner (pronounced “dinnah”): the noon meal
dinner pail: lunch box
dite: a very small amount
dooryard: the yard near a house’s main entrance
downcellar: in the basement
Down East: with the prevailing wind; the old coastal sailing route from Boston to Nova Scotia
dry-ki: driftwood, usually remnants from the logging industry
ell: a residential structural section that links a house and a barn; formerly a popular location for the “summer kitchen,” to spare the house from woodstove heat
exercised: upset; angry
fiddleheads: unopened ostrich-fern fronds, a spring delicacy
finest kind: top quality; good news; an expression of general approval; also a term of appreciation
flatlander: a person not from Maine, often but not exclusively someone from the Midwest
floatplane: a small plane equipped with pontoons for landing on water; the same aircraft often becomes a ski-plane in winter
flowage: a body of water created by damming, usually beaver handiwork (also called “beaver flowage”)
FR: Fire Road, used in mailing addresses
frappé: a thick drink containing milk, ice cream, and flavored syrup, as opposed to a milk shake, which does not include ice cream (but beware: a frappé offered in other parts of the United States is an ice cream sundae topped with whipped cream)
from away: not native to Maine
galamander: a wheeled contraption formerly used to transport quarry granite to building sites or to boats for onward shipment
gore: a sliver of land left over from inaccurate boundary surveys. Maine has several gores; Hibberts Gore, for instance, has a population of one.
got done: quit a job; was let go
harbormaster: local official who monitors water traffic and assigns moorings; often a very political job
hardshell: lobster that hasn’t molted yet (scarcer, thus more pricey in summer)
HC: Home Carrier, used in mailing addresses
hod: wooden “basket” used for carrying clams
ice-out: the departure of winter ice from ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams; many communities have ice-out contests, awarding prizes for guessing the exact time of ice-out, in April or May
Italian: long, soft bread roll sliced on top and filled with peppers, onions, tomatoes, sliced meat, black olives, and sprinkled with olive oil, salt, and pepper; veggie versions available
jimmies: chocolate sprinkles, like those on an ice cream cone
lobster car: a large floating crate for storing lobsters
Maine Guide: a member of the Maine Professional Guides Association, trained and tested for outdoor and survival skills; also called Registered Maine Guide
market price: restaurant menu term for “the going rate,” usually referring to the price of lobster or clams
molt: what a lobster does when it sheds its shell for a larger one; the act of molting is called ecdysis (as a stripper is an ecdysiast)
money tree: a collection device for a monetary gift
mud season: mid-March-mid-April, when back roads and unpaved driveways become virtual tank traps
nasty neat: extremely meticulous
near: stingy
notional: stubborn, determined
off island: the mainland, to an islander
place: another word for a house (as in “Herb Pendleton’s place”)
ployes: Acadian buckwheat pancakes
pot: trap, as in “lobster pot”
public landing: see “town landing”
rake: hand tool used for harvesting blueberries
RFD: Rural Free Delivery, used in mailing addresses
roller-skiing: cross-country skiing on wheels; popular among cross-country skiers, triathletes, and others as a training technique
rusticator: a summer visitor, particularly in bygone days
scooch (or scootch): to squat; to move sideways
sea smoke: heavy mist rising off the water when the air temperature suddenly becomes much colder than the ocean temperature
select: a lobster with claws intact
Selectmen: the elected men and women who handle local affairs in small communities; the First Selectman chairs meetings. In some towns, “people from away” have tried to propose substituting a gender-neutral term, but in most cases the effort has failed.
shedder: a lobster with a new (soft) shell; generally occurs in July-August (more common then, thus less expensive than hardshells)
shire town: county seat
shore dinner: the works: chowder, clams, lobster, and sometimes corn on the cob too; usually the most expensive item on a menu
short: a small, illegal-size lobster
slumgullion: tasteless food; a mess
slut: a poor housekeeper
slut’s wool: dust balls found under beds, couches, and so on
snapper: an undersize, illegal lobster
soda: cola, root beer, and so on (referred to as “pop” in some other parts of the country)
softshell: see “shedder”
some: very (as in “some hot”)
spleeny: overly sensitive
steamers: clams, before or after they are steamed
sternman: a lobsterman’s helper (male or female)
summer complaint: a tourist
supper (pronounced “suppah”): evening meal, eaten by Mainers around 5pm or 6pm (as opposed to flatlanders and summer people, who eat dinner 7pm-9pm)
tad: slightly; a little bit
thick-o’-fog: zero-visibility fog
to home: at home
tomalley: a lobster’s green insides; considered a delicacy by some
town landing: shore access; often a park or a parking lot, next to a wharf or boat-launch ramp
upattic: in the attic
whoopie pie: the trademarked name for a high-fat, calorie-laden, cakelike snack that only kids and dentists could love
wicked cold: frigid
wicked good: excellent
williwaws: uncomfortable feeling
Curtis, J., W. Curtis, and F. Lieberman. Monhegan: The Artists’ Island. Camden, ME: Down East Books, 1995. Fascinating island history interspersed with landscape and seascape paintings and drawings by more than 150 artists, including Bellows, Henri, Hopper, Kent, Porter, Tam, and Wyeth.
Maine Speaks: An Anthology of Maine Literature. Brunswick, ME: Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, 1989.
McNair, W., ed. The Maine Poets: An Anthology of Verse. Camden, ME: Down East Books, 2003. McNair’s selection of the best works by Maine’s finest poets.
Spectre, P. H. Passage in Time. New York: W. W. Norton, 1991. A noted marine writer cruises the coast aboard traditional windjammers; gorgeous photos complement the colorful text.
Van Riper, F. Down East Maine: A World Apart. Camden, ME: Down East Books, 1998. Maine’s Washington County, captured with incredible insight and compassion by a master photographer and insightful wordsmith.
Acadian Culture in Maine . Washington, DC: National Park Service, North Atlantic Region, 1994. A project report on Acadians and their traditions in the Upper St. John Valley.
Clark, Stephen. Following Their Footsteps: A Travel Guide and History of the 1775 Secret Expedition to Capture Quebec . Shapleigh, ME: Clark Books, 2003.
Duncan, R. F., E. G. Barlow, K. Bray, and C. Hanks. Coastal Maine: A Maritime History . Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press, 2002. Updated version of the classic work.
Isaacson, D., ed. Maine: A Guide “Down East,” 2nd ed. Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums, 1970. Revised version of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration guidebook, still interesting for background reading.
Jaster, R. S. Russian Voices on the Kennebec: The Story of Maine’s Unlikely Colony . Orono: University of Maine Press, 1999. A riveting account of the founding of a Russian-speaking colony in Richmond, Maine, in the 1950s. Superb historical photographs.
Judd, R. W., E. A. Churchill, and J. W. Eastman, eds. Maine: The Pine Tree State from Prehistory to the Present. Orono: University of Maine Press, 1995. The best available Maine history, with excellent historical maps.
Paine, L. P. Down East: A Maritime History of Maine. Gardiner, ME: Tilbury House, 2000. A noted maritime historian provides an enlightening introduction to the state’s seafaring tradition.
Woodward, C. The Lobster Coast: Rebels, Rusticators, and the Struggle for a Forgotten Frontier. New York: Viking, 2004. A veteran journalist’s take on the history of the Maine coast.
Bachelder, Peter Dow, and P. M. Mason. Maine Lighthouse Map and Guide. Glendale, CO: Bella Terra Publishing, 2009. An illustrated map and guide providing directions on how to find all Maine beacons as well as brief histories.
Caldwell, W. Lighthouses of Maine. Camden, ME: Down East Books, 2002 (reprint of 1986 book). A historical tour of Maine’s lighthouses, with an emphasis on history, legends, and lore.
Corson, T. The Secret Life of Lobsters. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. Everything you wanted—or perhaps didn’t want—to know about lobster.
The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer. Yarmouth, ME: DeLorme, a Garmin company, updated annually. You’ll be hard put to get lost if you’re carrying this essential volume; it has 70 full-page, oversize-format topographical maps with GPS grids.
Dawson, L. B. Saltwater Farm. Westford, ME: Impatiens Press, 1993. Witty, charming stories of growing up on the Cushing Peninsula.
Greenlaw, L. The Lobster Chronicles: Life on a Very Small Island. New York: Hyperion, 2002. Swordfishing boat captain Linda Greenlaw’s account of returning to life on Isle au Haut after weathering The Perfect Storm.
Hamlin, H. Nine Mile Bridge: Three Years in the Maine Woods . Yarmouth and Frenchboro, ME: Islandport Press, 2006 [orig. pub. 1945]. Hamlin’s experiences as a teacher at a remote lumber camp near the headwaters of the Allagash River, where her husband was a game warden.
Lunt, D. L. Hauling by Hand: The Life and Times of a Maine Island, 2nd ed. Frenchboro, ME: Islandport Press, 2007. A sensitive history of Frenchboro (a.k.a. Long Island), eight miles offshore, written by an eighth-generation islander and journalist.
Szelog, T. M. Our Point of View: Fourteen Years at a Maine Lighthouse. Camden, ME: Down East Books, 2007. A professional photographer documents in words and photos 14 years at Marsha Point Lighthouse.
Bennett, D. Maine’s Natural Heritage: Rare Species and Unique Natural Features. Camden, ME: Down East Books, 1988. A dated book that examines both the special ecology of the state and how it’s threatened.
Conkling, P. W. Islands in Time: A Natural and Cultural History of the Islands of the Gulf of Maine, 2nd ed. Camden, ME: Down East Books, and Rockland, ME: Island Institute, 1999. A thoughtful overview by the president of Maine’s Island Institute.
Dwelley, M. J. Spring Wildflowers of New England, 2nd ed. Camden, ME: Down East Books, 2000. Back in print after several years, this beautifully illustrated gem is an essential guide for exploring spring woodlands.
Dwelley, M. J. Summer and Fall Wildflowers of New England, 2nd ed. Camden, ME: Down East Books, 2004. Flowers are grouped by color; more than 700 lovely colored-pencil drawings simplify identification.
Kendall, D. L. Glaciers and Granite: A Guide to Maine’s Landscape and Geology. Unity, ME: North Country Press, 1993. Explains why Maine looks the way it does.
Maine’s Ice Age Trail Down East Map and Guide. Orono: University of Maine Press, 2007. Information on 46 glacial sites, also available online (www.iceagetrail.umaine.edu ).
Monkman, J., and M. Monkman. Discover Acadia National Park: A Guide to the Best Hiking, Biking, and Paddling, 2nd ed. Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club Books, 2005. A comprehensive guide to well-chosen hikes, bike trips, and paddling routes, accompanied by an excellent pullout map.
Nangle, H. Moon Acadia National Park, 5th ed. Berkeley, CA: Avalon Travel, 2015. A Mainer since childhood and veteran travel writer is the ideal escort for exploring this region in depth.
Roberts, A. R. Mr. Rockefeller’s Roads, 2nd ed. Camden, ME: Down East Books, 2012. The story behind Acadia’s scenic carriage roads, written by the granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller, who created them.
St. Germain Jr., T. A. A Walk in the Park: Acadia’s Hiking Guide, 10th ed. Bar Harbor, ME: Parkman Publications, 2015. The book includes plenty of historical tidbits about the trails, the park, and the island. Part of the proceeds go to the Acadia Trails Forever campaign to maintain and rehabilitate the park’s trails. The book is updated regularly; ask for the most recent edition.
Stone, H. 25 Bicycle Tours in Maine: Coastal and Inland Rides from Kittery to Caribou, 3rd ed. Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press/Backcountry Guides, 1998.
Duchesne, B. Maine Birding Trail: The Official Guide to More than 260 Accessible Sites. Camden, ME: Down East Books, 2009. Authorized guide to the Maine Birding Trail.
Pierson, E. C., J. E. Pierson, and P. D. Vickery. A Birder’s Guide to Maine. Camden, ME: Down East Books, 1996. An expanded version of A Birder’s Guide to the Coast of Maine. No ornithologist, novice or expert, should explore Maine without this valuable guide.
AMC River Guide: Maine, 4th ed. Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club Books, 2008. Detailed guide to canoeing or kayaking Maine’s large and small rivers.
Maine Coastal Public Access Guides. Augusta, ME: Maine Coastal Program, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, 2013. Comprises three books: Southern Region: South Berwick to Freeport, Midcoast Region: Brunswick to Hampden, and Downeast Region: Bangor to Calais. Series covers more than 700 public access points along the coast.
The Maine Island Trail: Stewardship Handbook and Guidebook. Rockland, ME: Maine Island Trail Association, updated annually. Available only with MITA membership (annual dues $45), this book provides access to dozens of islands along the watery trail.
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail: Enjoy 740 Miles of Canoe and Kayak Destinations in New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire, and Maine . Seattle: Mountaineers Books, 2010. Details and maps the waterway, including highlights en route.
Miller, D. S. Kayaking the Maine Coast. 2nd ed. Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press/Backcountry Guides, 2006. Thoroughly researched guide by a veteran kayaker; good maps and particularly helpful information.
Taft, H., J. Taft, and C. Rindlaub. A Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast, 5th ed. Peaks Island, ME: Diamond Pass Publishing, 2008. Don’t even consider cruising the coast without this volume.
Wilson, A., and J. Hayes. Quiet Water Canoe Guide, Maine: Best Paddling Lakes and Ponds for All Ages, 2nd ed. Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club Books, 2005. Comprehensive handbook, with helpful maps, for inland paddling.
AMC Maine Mountain Guide, 10th ed. Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club Books, 2012. The definitive statewide resource for going vertical, in a handy format.
Clark, Stephen. Katahdin: A Guide to Baxter State Park and Katahdin, 6th ed. Shapleigh, ME: Clark Books, 2009. The most comprehensive guide to Katahdin and Baxter State Park.
Collins, J., and J. E. McCarthy. Cobscook Trails: A Guide to Walking Opportunities Around Cobscook Bay and the Bold Coast, 2nd ed. Whiting, ME: Quoddy Regional Land Trust, 2000. Essential handbook for exploring this part of the Down East Coast, with excellent maps.
Gibson, J. 50 Hikes in Coastal and Southern Maine, 4th ed. Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press/Backcountry Guides, 2008. Well-researched, detailed resource by a veteran hiker.
Kish, C. M., AMC’s Best Day Hikes Along the Maine Coast: Four-Season Guide to 50 of the Best Trails from the Maine Beaches to Downeast. Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club Books, 2015. Well-researched, detailed resource by a veteran hiker.
Roberts, P. On the Trail in Lincoln County. Newcastle and Damariscotta, ME: Lincoln County Publishing, 2003. A great guide to more than 60 walks in preserves from Wiscasset through Waldoboro, with detailed directions to trailheads.
Maine Archives and Museums
Information on and links to museums, archives, historical societies, and historic sites in Maine.
Maine Antiques Dealers Association
Statewide dealers are listed by location and specialty, along with information on upcoming antiques events.
Maine Art Museum Trail
Information on art museums with significant collections statewide, including the Ogunquit Museum of Art in Ogunquit, the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville, and Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland.
Maine Department of Agriculture
Information on all things agricultural, including fairs, farmers markets, farm vacations, places to buy Maine foods, berry- and apple-picking sites, and more.
State of Maine
Everything you wanted to know about Maine and then some, with links to all government departments and Maine-related sites. Buy a fishing license online, reserve a state park campsite, or check the fall foliage conditions via the site’s Leaf Cam. (You can also access foliage info at www.mainefoliage.com , where you can sign up for weekly email foliage reports in September and early October.) Also listed is information on accessible arts and recreation.
Maine Office of Tourism
The biggest and most useful of all Maine-related tourism sites, with sections and search capabilities for where to visit, where to stay, things to do, trip planning, and packages, as well as lodging specials and a comprehensive calendar of events.
Maine Tourism Association
Find lodging, camping, restaurants, attractions, services, and more as well as links for weather, foliage, transportation planning, and chambers of commerce.
Maine Campground Owners Association
Find private campgrounds statewide.
Maine Travel Maven
Moon Maine author Hilary Nangle’s site for keeping readers updated on what’s happening throughout the state.
Explore Maine
An invaluable site for trip planning, with information on and links to airports, rail service, bus service, automobile travel, and ferries as well as links to other key travel-planning sites.
Department of Conservation, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
Information on state parks, public reserved lands, and state historic sites as well as details on facilities such as campsites, picnic areas, and boat launches. Make state campground reservations online.
Acadia National Park
Information on all sections of Acadia National Park. Make ANP campground reservations online.
Baxter State Park
www.baxterstateparkauthority.com
Everything you need for planning a trip to Baxter.
Maine Audubon
Information about Maine Audubon’s eco-sensitive headquarters in Falmouth and all of the organization’s environmental centers statewide. Activity and program schedules are included.
North Maine Woods
Essential information for venturing into the privately owned North Woods.
The Nature Conservancy
www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/maine
Information about Maine preserves, field trips, and events.
Maine Land Trust Network
Maine has dozens of land trusts statewide, managing lands that provide opportunities for hiking, walking, canoeing, kayaking, and other such activities.
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Info on wildlife, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and boating.
Maine Trail Finder
Find trails to walk, hike, ski, snowshoe, or mountain bike statewide.
Bicycle Coalition of Maine
Tons of information for bicyclists, including routes, shops, events, organized rides, and much more.
Maine Birding
A must-visit site for anyone interested in learning more about bird-watching in Maine, including news, checklists, events, forums, trips, and more.
Northern Forest Canoe Trail
www.northernforestcanoetrail.org
Info on more than 350 miles of connected waterways in Maine.
Maine Island Trail Association
Information about the association and its activities along with membership details.
Maine Windjammer Association
Windjammer schooners homeported in Rockland, Camden, and Rockport belong to this umbrella organization; there are links to the websites of member vessels for online and phone information and reservations.
Ski Maine
The go-to source for information on alpine skiing in Maine.
Portland Food Map
A must for culinary travel in Maine’s largest city. Information on anything and everything food- and drink-related, including openings and closings and links to reviews.
Maine Lobster Promotion Council
All lobster, all the time, with links for lobster boat tours, lobster events, lobster bakes, and ordering Maine lobster, plus recipes for preparing lobster in more ways than you ever thought possible.
Wild Blueberry Association of North America