Thursday, November 25, 2010

Newfoundland expression for "chat" or "conversation"? Thoughts?

I'm looking for a Newfoundland expression to mean "having a conversation" or "having a chat" or "sharing stories." Do you have a memory of something like "having a yarn" or a similiar expression? Coming out of the Baccalieu Trail Public Folklore workshop, we're going to be developing a series of community gatherings where people can share informal knowledge about the places they live, and I need a name for the series!

Let me know what you think! Email me at ich@heritagefoundation.ca.  I'll post people's suggestions below. If you have something, let me know what community you heard it in, as well.

Some suggestions so far:

chewing the fat
having a natter
a gab
yarnin'
a natter
chaw
a jaw
guff
yacking
a chin wag
"goin' fishin' and tellin' lies"

"My papa says 'we had a good ole yarn' to mean chat, not story. He also calls someone overly talkative - 'ole yawmouth'" - Alison Aylward

2 comments:

Limor said...

Parlance - French. Heard it from my grandmother.

Anonymous said...

Cuffer.
"Hane a cuffer about this and that"