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Up until the 1960's Newfoundland had very few roads.  Several hundred towns were scattered over the thousands of miles of coastline with the only access by boat.  This isolation led to many regional dialects with the retention of the language that was brought here by the English and Irish settlers from the 17 and 18 hundreds.  Today  you may hear many of those dialects as you interact with residents of the island.  Here are some of the words, phrases and sayings that you may encounter in the La Scie area.

                 Words and Meanings:

  • Angishore - a weak miserable person.

  • Ballyrag-to abuse

  • Ballycater-ice formed by spray on the rocks

  • Barmp-toot your car horn

  • Biver-to shiver 

  • Blear-to complain loudly

  • Chucklehead-a bright person

  • Chinch-to stow tightly

  • Cuddy-covered space in bow of a boat 

  • Douse-to give a quick blow

  • Duckish-the time between sunset and dark

  • Dwai-a short snow shower

  • Faggot-a pile of half-dried cod fish

  • Tap-fawcett

  • Clits-tangles in your hair 

  • Ferks-the crotch of pants 

  • Starn-your behind

  • Bridge-porch or veranda, back step

  • Shitpicky-person don't look too well

  • By 'n by-later on

  • Slu or Slew - turn 

  • Maul Mouth-a screecher

  • Glom-to grab 

  • Rodney-a punt (small Newfoundland boat)

  • Water the horse-give water to the horse 

  • Lassy-molasses

  • Flux-to haul quickly

  • Flice- to throw

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