Newfoundland and Labrador - Words and Sayings

Here is a small selection of Newfoundland words and their meanings. It is not always certain where a word originated or its spelling.

Newfoundland Words!

Angishore - "a weak, miserable person"

Arn - "any"

Ballyrag - "to abuse"

Bannikin - "a small tin cup"

Barrisway - "a lagoon at a river mouth"

Bayman - "anyone not from St. John's"

Bliver - "to shiver with cold"

Chucklehead - "a stupid person"

Chinch - "to stow tightly"

Clout - "to hit an opponent hard"

Clobber - "an untidy state of things"

Douse - "to give a quick blow"

Drung - "a narrow, rocky lane"

Drook - "a valley with steep wooded slopes"

Duckish - "between sunset and dark"

Duff - "pudding of flour, fat pork and molasses"

Dulse - "a kind a seaweed"

Dudeen - "a pipe"

Faddle - "a bundle of firewood, fardel"

Faggot - "a pile of half-dried fish"

Flipper - "a seal's forepaw"

Frape - "a rope with blocks to moor a boat"

Funk - "smoke or vapor of evil odour"

Gandy - "a pancake"

Gulvin - "the stomach of a codfish"

Gowdy - awkward"

Heft - "to weigh in the hand"

Huffed - "vexed"

Hummock - "a small hill"

Jinker - "one who brings bad luck"

Jut - "to hit someone with your elbow"

Lashins - "plenty"

Lolly - "soft ice beginning to form in a harbour"

Longers - "rails for a fence"

Lops - "small breaking seas"

Mauzy - "misty"

Mummer - "visitor in disguise at Christmas time"

Mush - "porridge"

Narn - "none"

Nish - "tender, easily injured"

Planchen - "the floor"

Prise - "a lever"

Prog - "food"

Puddock - "stomach"

Rawny - "very thin, bony"

Scrawb - "to tear with the nails"

Scut - "a dirty, mean person"

Scruff - "the back of the neck"

Sish - "ice broken into particles by surf"

Slob - "ice newly frozen"

Shule - "to move away backwards"

Smidge - "a stain"

Sloo - "to get out of the way"

Sliveen - "a mischievous person"

Squabby - "soft as jelly"

Squish - "sound of waters exuding from boots"

Spile - "a peg for a hole in the cask"

Stunned - "foolish or naive"

Swatch - "to shoot seals in pools amid ice floes"

Swig - "to drink from a bottle"

Switchel - "cold tea"

Teeveen - "a patch on a boat"

Titivate - "to adorn exceedingly fine"

Tole - "to entice with bait"

Touton - "fried bread dough"

Townie - "a person from St. John's"

Traipse - "to walk around unnecessarily"

Truck - "payment for fish by merchandise"

Tuckamore - "a low clump of trees"

Twig - "to catch a meaning"

Wattle - "a small slim fir"

Yarry - "rising early, alert"

Yaffle - "an armful of dried fish"

Yer - "here"

Yap - "to retort angrily"

Newfoundland Sayings!

Eyes like a caplin goin' offshore - (His eyes were bloodshot!)

I'll be dere da rackley - (I'll be there in a few minutes.)

'ere - (Here...note that some Newfies drop their h's and pick them up in front of vowels!)

Owshegettinonb'ys - (How is she getting on...or how is she doing?)

Turn round, she's bind ya - (Turn around, she's behind you.)

Idn't dat fulish bye - (Isn't that foolish...and of course we Newfies say bye at the end of many phrases, instead of the eh associated with Canadians!)

Shockin' that is, shockin - (This should not need too much explaining...it's shocking!)

Ya gat da face only a mutter could luv - (You got the face only a mother could love, in other words, ugly!)

Mind your mouth now - (Be careful what you are saying, usually used to tell someone their language is a little off colour.)

Any mummers loud in? - (Mummers are people dressed up who visit around Christmas...this is the question they usually ask after someone answers the door.)

Giv us a bitta dat luh - (Give us some of that.)

Beatin the pat - (Walking the roads or just hanging around.)

If I 'ad a face da likes o yers, me son, I'd walk back'rds - (Someone would be really insulting your looks here...if they looked like you, they would walk backwards so nobody would see them. Again, note the me son...another typical Newfie saying!)

Where you 'longs to? - (Where are you from?)

Oh me nerves, de got me drove! - (My nerves are bad!)

Arse foremost - (Backwards.)

Garnteed, bye - (Guaranteed - I agree.)

Scoff and a scuff - (Meal followed by a dance.)

My 'ead feels right logy after the "time" last night - (Someone is suffering from a hangover, their head is heavy after the part last night!)

I'll be over now, d'once - (I will be there soon.)

You're as slow as cold molasses - (That's pretty slow!)

Goin'? She wudden't goin' now I know - (Moving at great speed.)

Now luh, da arse is gone right out of er - (The economy is facing hard times!)

A Newfie giving advice on picking blueberries: "Don't pick the red ones, they're green." - (green meaning not ripe.)

Shut up your prate - (Be quiet!)

Stay where your at and I'll come where your to - (Stay put until I get there!)

Nar-fish - (I have no fish or I didn't catch any!)



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