Perusing a 1982 Dictionary of Newfoundland English. Some favorites:
'gut-foundered': very hungry
'hollies': cries of dead fishermen
'shocking': very, extremely
'slubby': slimy
'roaration': deep, prolonged noise
'scrump': to overcook
'screech': type of dark rum
'gawmoge': to deceive
'floption': confusion
@rusty Floption is such a good word!
@rusty Out of curiosity, I looked those up in my Canadian Oxford Dictionary. I only found three, but I think the entries are interesting:
slub n Cdn (Nfld) 1. the slimy or gelatinous substance coating fish. 2. a slimey or gelatinous substance adhering to and clogging fishnets, formed of minute marine organisms. [perhaps from Middle Dutch slubbe - slimy mud, ooze]
gawmoge /ga'moːg/ n Cdn (Nfld) 1. a clownish or mischievous person. 2. (usu. in pl.) clownish or mischievous behaviour (ex. look at the gawmoges of them). [Irish gamóg - a clown or simpleton]
screech n 1. (in Canada) a potent dark rum of Newfoundland. 2. any cheap liquor. -- screech in Cdn (Nfld) (usu. in passive) initiate (a visitor) by means of a screech-in. [ultimately from Scottish dialect screigh - whisky]
screech-in n Cdn (Nfld) a jocular ritual by which visitors to Newfoundland are 'initiated', involving the drinking of screech and performing acts such as dipping a foot in the ocean, kissing a cod, etc.
Newfoundland English
@rusty ‘screech’ can be used as a verb too and is still used today! People ‘screech in’ mainlanders by giving them a shot of the rum and making them kiss a fish lmao.
There’s also a lot of fun grammar stuff that happens when you’re on an island apart from everyone else, so we get phrases like “who knit you?” (Who are your parents, where are you from) and “stay where you’re at til I get where you’re to” (stay where you are, I’m coming to your location)
Newfoundland English
@cosmic "Who knit you?" is so poetic! Do folks still say "What are you at?"
Newfoundland English
@rusty oh yes, I don’t think they’ll ever get rid of that one haha!! I mean I don’t know if the kids are saying it anymore but definitely folks my age do!
@rusty I'm positively flopted