PATTERSON OX NEWFOUNDLAND DIALECT. v 



Pook, a hay cock. Wright gives it as in Westmoreland and Halliwell 

 as in Somerset used in the same sense. 



Prong, a hay or fish fork. This is the meaning given by Johnson, 

 who does not mention it as denoting one tine of a fork. So Wright- 

 gives it as an old English word denoting a hay fork. 



Putter along, an old English form still in use in New England for 

 lt potter," to walk languidly or to labor inefficiently. 



Quisui, a quaint saying or conundrum. In Anglo-Saxon from 

 cwethan to say comes cwiss a saying. 



The Newfoundlanders have also the word quisitize, to ask questions 

 of one, but it seems to be of different origin. 



Rampike, a dead spruce or pine tree still standing. It is used in the 

 same sense by the woodsmen of the Maritime Provinces, and probably 

 of New England. It is probably the same as the old English word 

 rampick, an adjective, " applied to the bough of a tree, which has lesser 

 branches standing out at its extremity," (Wright). 



Ramshorn, a wooden pound for washing fish in. But Wright gives 

 it as a Somerset word denoting a sort of net to enclose fish that come in 

 with the tide. So Halliwell. 



Randy is used both as a noun and a verb, of the amusement of 

 coasting. " Give us a randy " or " the boys are randy ing." In Anglo- 

 Saxon it means boisterous, and " on the randy " meant living in 

 debauchery. The word is retained in Scotland, where it means a romp 

 or frolic, but generally in an unfavorable sense. 



RoJie or roak, smoke or vapor (Anglo-Saxon, reocan, to smoke), the 

 same as reek in old English and Scotch. Thus Shakespeare : 

 " Her face doth reek and smoke." Venus and Adonis, 555. 



Still used poetically 



" Culloden shall reek with the blood of the brave." Campbell. 



Robustious, is an old English word used by Milton, the same irr 

 meaning as robust, originally used in a favorable sense, but coming to- 

 mean violent and unruly. Hence it became a term of reproach, and 

 finally fell out of use. But the Newfoundlanders still use it, or th& 

 similar word robustic, in its original favorable signification. 



Ructions. This word is used in Newfoundland to denote noisy quar- 

 rellings. I h ad supposed that it was Irish and a corruption of insur- 

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