Newfoundland English - Newfoundland English Expressions

Newfoundland English Expressions

In recent years, the most commonly noted Newfoundland English expression might be Whadd'ya at? (What are you at?), loosely translated to "How's it going?" or "What are you doing?" Coming in a close second might be "You're stunned as me arse, b'y." Inferring incredible stupidity or foolishness to who is being spoken to.

Other local expressions include:

• Eh b'y (also spelled 'Aye b'y' and 'ay b'y', literally 'yes boy'), yes son, (To agree with what someone is saying)
• Where ya at?, Where are you?
• Stay where you're to/at till I comes where ya're at/to., Wait there for me
• Get on the go, Let's go (also, a common euphemism for partying, on the go by itself can also refer to a relationship - similar to a dating stage, but more hazy.)
• Havin' a time, having fun
• You knows yourself, Responding to statement in agreement.
• Yes b'y, Yes boy. (Expression of awe or disbelief. Also commonly used sarcastically to mean yeah right)
• What are ye at?, or Wadda ya'at b'y?, What are you doing?
• Wah?, what?
• Luh!, Look!
• G'wan b'y!, No, really?
• Hows you gettin' on cocky?, How are you today?
• You're a nice kind young feller, You are a nice person
• Me Son, My Son or My Friend
• Me ol' cock: buddy
• You're some crooked, You are grouchy
• He just Took off, They left recently/quickly (Whether or not it denotes time depends on use of the word "Just"; IE, not including "just" denotes speed, whereas using "Just" denotes time)
• Mudder or me mudder, mother
• Contrary, Difficult to get along with, (Not to be confused with "contrary to popular belief.")
• After, have (i.e.: "I'm after sitting down" for "I have sat down.") also used like "trying" (i.e.: whaddya after doin' now?, "what have you done?")
• Puttin'in, Referring to young women, from "putting in"
• Oh me nerves, an expression of annoyance
• Ducky, female friend, used affectionately
• Scopie, A nickname of a bottom feeding fish often found around coves
• Rimmed/Warped, To be deformed or distorted in an unusable fashion. Often used to describe someone who is seen upon as weird or an outcast (i.e., She's rimmed, b'y).
• Right, A synonym for "very" (i.e.: "She's right pretty.")
• Scrob/Scrawb, a scratch on one's skin (i.e.: "The cat gave me some scrob, b'y" falling into disuse in lieu of scratch)
• Gets on/Getting on, used to refer to how a person or group behaves (i.e. "You knows how da b'ys gets on" / "How's she getting on?")
• On the go, To have something processing ("I've got an application on the go") or be in a relationship ("I've got a girl on the go")

(Some examples taken from A Biography of the English Language by C.M. Millward)

Also of note is the widespread use of the term b'y as a common form of address. It is shorthand for "boy", (and is a turn of phrase particularly pronounced with the Waterford dialect of Hiberno-Irish) but is used variably to address members of either sex. Another term of endearment, often spoken by older generations, is me ducky, used when addressing a female in an informal manner, and usually placed at the end of a sentence which is often a question (Example: How's she goin', me ducky?) -- a phrase also found in East Midlands British English. Also pervasive as a sentence ending is right used in the same manner as the Canadian eh or the American huh or y'know. Even if the sentence would otherwise be a non-question, the pronunciation of right can sometimes make it seem like affirmation is being requested.

Certain words have also gained prominence amongst the speakers of Newfoundland English. For instance, a large body of water that may be referred to as a "lake" elsewhere, can often (but not uniformly) be referred to as a pond. In addition, a large landmass that rises high out of the ground, regardless of elevation, is referred to unwaveringly as a "hill". Yet there is a difference between a hill and a big hill.

Another major characteristic of some variants of Newfoundland English is adding the letter 'h' to words that begin with vowel sounds, or removing 'h' from words that begin with it. In some districts, the term house commonly is referred to as the "ouse," for example, while "even" might be said "h'even." The idiom "'E drops 'is h in 'Olyrood and picks en up in H'Avondale." is often used to describe this using the eastern towns Holyrood and Avondale as examples. There are many different variations of the Newfoundland dialect depending on geographical location within the province. It is also important to note that Labrador has a very distinct culture and dialect within its region.