Newfoundland Words and Phrases

Dialect has it's place not only in our community, but all over Newfoundland. Words and phrases like the ones below use to be part of the daily dialect between residents. Today however, this part of our heritage is not as prominent and distinct as it once was but many of us can still whip up a sentence that will leave the best scholar trying to decipher the context of what we meant. For all you fellow Newfoundlanders out there, you will enjoy reading these. Everyone else, this will be like your first spelling test. If someone you know is a Newfoundlander and you sometimes can't understand them, you may use this as your reference to find what he/she is saying. If I am missing any (there are plenty) and you have the time to send them to me, I will add it.

Words and meanings:

• Angishore - a weak miserable person.
• Ballyrag - to abuse.
• Ballycater - ice formed by spray on the rocks.
• Barmp - Toot your car horn. (Hey Tom, why did you barmp your horn at me?)
• Biniky - ill-tempered.
• Biver - to shiver.
• Blinker, Blinker - sound your vehicle signal lights make. (Hey Tom, turn on your blinkers)
• Blear - to complain loudly.
• Chucklehead - a bright person.
• Chinch - to stow tightly.
• Cuddy - a covered space in the bow of a boat.
• Douse - to give a guick blow, "douse the fire"-put it out or "don't make me douse you on the head"
• Drash - to pluck or pull quickly.
• Duckish - the time between sunset and dark.
• Dwai - a short snow shower.
• Faggot - a pile of half-fried codfish.
• "tap"(fawcett).
• "clit" ( tangles in your hair).
• "taps" (sole of your shoes).
• Ferks - the crotch of pants.
• Starn - your behind.
• Bridge - porch or veranda, back step.
• Shit-picky - person don't look too well.
• The Reckly - soon
• Bumbuy - Later on
• Slu or slew - turn
• Maul Mouth - a screecher
• Glom - to grab
• Rodney - a Punt
• High Rat - Three Handed Punt
• Water the harse - give water to the horse.
• Lassy - Molasses.
• Flux - to Haul quickly
• Flice - to throw.

Phrases:

• Long may your Jib draw - A good wish for the future.
• May snow is good for sore eyes - An old legend, many say it's true.
• Tom Long's account - To pay what you owe and have nothing left.
• Wait a fair wind, and you'll get one - Await and opportunity.
• Mucked her off to the hospital - Took her to the hospital.
• The older the crab, the tougher his claws - It is not easy to fool a sophisticated person.
• You are taking a rise out of me - Your flattery is only for the purpose of making others laugh at me.
• You can't tell the mind of a squid - This refers to an unreliable person, a squid can move backwards or forward.
• You are as deep as the grave - Your real feelings are not easily judged from your appearance.
• The old dog for a hard road - Experience easily overcomes difficulty.
• Tis not every day that Morris kills a cow - Favorable opportunity comes but seldom.
• The devil to pay and no pitch hot - Unprepared for emergency. To "pay a boat" meant to put hot pitch over a seam between the planks.
• Fair weather to you and snow to your heels - Good luck on your way.
• Come day, go day, God send Sunday - Applied to a lazy person.
• A fisherman is one rogue, a merchant is many.
• All mops and brooms - This refers to an untidy condition of the hair.
• You are like a fish out of water.
• A gunshot away - A short distance, about fifty yards.
• Take Care - means to say good-bye
• 'ow she cuttin dere by'e - How are you??..
• where she longs at - where's u from?
• u gotta face only ya mudder could love - your ugly.
• 'ow she gettin on dere cocky - how are you??
• i'se da by'e da bulid da boat, not.. ur's da by's dat sails er!..
• yur stund as me arse - your not too bright.
• " i dies at u"- meaning your some funny person .
• something under your pinny(apron) - having a baby.
• Cold enough to skin ya, Hot enough to poison ya - really cold or too hot.
• Jumpin dyin - upset with something not going the way you want.
• go on by! - You sure?
• yes by!
• you don't say - go on by!
• ow's ya gettin' on maid? - How are you doing?
• LUH - I told you so!
• go awn wich ya - Really!
• ya got more tounge that a logan - You have a big mouth.
• more lip than a coal bucket - Person with a big mouth.
• Blabber tongue - Person with a big mouth, can't keep a secret.
• "Darker den a cow's gut" - Really dark, and you would ask "and how dark is that?"
• wus ya born on a raff? - Are you stupid?, meaning " Was ya born on a raft, Close the door, it's cold"
• Lard tunderin' ders more slang in nfld den der is icecaps on da water!
• out on the neck, down da arm, up the shore - No one goes by street names.
• pass da tumbler over der on da slab - Meaning pass the glass from over on the counter.
• Get that thinganabob - Like your suppose to know what a thinganabob is it could be anything.
• stay werr you're to ,I'll come where you"re at! - Stay were you are and I will come to where you are.
• The doors not an arse hole, it doesnt shut it self - Meaning shut the door behind you.
• "put it on the stan" (kitchen counter)
• "that is some squish" (notstraight).
• We gotta keep the lingo bye's, shes easy to loose out here.
• blowed up like a blood poison cat - A person who has gained weight from eating too much.
• you looks like you've been " hauled through a knot hole" - You look worn out and tired.
• "Deef as a cod." - Cod actually have ears, "when I didn't hear her or ignored her she would tell me "Bye(boy), your deaf as a cod."
• may the wind aways blow in your back - good luck on your way, wished good fortune.
• so more it was (yes you are right).
• not a bad bit nice (it's beautiful).
• nare one here (don't have any, nare meaning none).
• "Who ownes you?" - Who are your parents and what are their names?
• "Go play outta around the door." - Generally said to your kids when they are asking for 'something to do", to go play outside!!
• 'Bottle of drink' - A bottle or can of pop (for all those mainlanders).
• hes some nesh.... - The person is very timid or hes a wimp.
• How ya doin me old trout? - How are you doing. Usually said by family.
• Your on nish ice there b'y - meaning the ice is not strong, dangerous.
• "You can take the boy out of the bay but you can't take the bay out of the boy"
• Da skitters are some tick by'e - There are a lot of mosquitos about.
• Ohhhh STATE! - Drunk. Context which it would be used...
  Glenn: Wattaya At.
  Jason: Nuttin Bye.
  Glenn: You wit Garge last night er wha.
  Jason: Yuh.
  Glenn: How was he.
  Jason: OHHHHHH STATE!
• Jesus iddn dat stun!!!!! - Someone not too bright,
• Lard dien' dumpin' - Jesus-Oh my god!!
• shit hit the fan - After that, everything became a mess.
• The bottom feel out of her - it all went wrong.
• "How's the young fella'?" - How is your son?
• "Catherines solo on the tickle" - The ferry "Catherine" is making the crossing back and forth to alone .
• "shag it!" - Meaning forget it.
• "best kind" -Meaning great.
• who you looks for me love, come in before you get the bivers - who you looking for, come in before you get cold.
• lard-god-me-child-some-good-ta-see-ya - Good to see you, usually your grandmother says this.
• some-nice-piece-a-stuff - Something that is good, car, clothes, women.
• Hows she cuttin'? - If used when cutting wood, it refers to the chain on the chainsaw and it's sharpness.
• God bless your cotton socks' - Thank you.
• Ol' Slut - An old flat bottomed kettle.
• He's bout half cut .. - He's very drunk.
• "you best be coming back" - You better come back.
• One of them mornings your going to wake up dead.
• She's goin a be some vexed wit ya - He's going to be angry.
• How's ya getten on now - How are you.
• Proper ting bye - Your doing the right thing.
• Take care me ducky/me love! - Wishing well to a girl.
• Yes bye! - ya "yes bye, I can meet you at the warf at 5am"
• Gone right out of 'er! - Being very Drunk.
• "B'ye if you shoot that it will be line nawing on a mud flap!! - If you shoot that moose, the meat will be tough.
• By',..she's got a face on 'er like a burnt-boiled-boot! - Ugly.
• Ye fellas can figr' that one out! - Leave it to you fellows to figure something out.
• chummy- it can be anything that you want an object to be when you cannot remember the name for it.