July 27 - August 2 Word of the Week: britches

July 27 - August 2 Word of the Week

britches

Definition according to the Dictionary of Newfoundland English:

breeches n pl also britches, britchet(s), britchin'(s) [phonetics unavailable]. OED breech sb 6 pl 'roe of a cod-fish' obs (1688).

Cod-fish roe and the ovarian membrane which contains it.

P 94-57 Britches: cod roe, so-called from shape.

P 148-65 The lady fish wear the britches!

1968 Avalon Penin of Nfld 58 Britchins: cod roes.

C 71-100 'Them britches, lights, and sounds are some good,' said Uncle John, 'when fresh caught and fried in scrunchions.'

1975 The Rounder Sep, p. 12 'Britches' consist of the egg sacks of the female cod, and are named for their resemblance to a pair of baggy trousers.

And from the online supplement:

breeches n pl Anglo-Manx Dialect britches 'the roe of a [cod] fish.'

1989 Evening Telegram 4 July, p. 13 I mean good fresh northern cod: steak, scrod, cheek and tongues, britches, tomcods, sounds, any part of the fish, provided it was to be fried, stewed with scrunchions, or stuffed and baked.

Now, we invite you to RELiVE, REMEMBER and REFRESH iT and/or even REDEFiNE iT!

The main thing is to RELiSH iT.

N.B. Any Word of the Week receiving more than 10 posts will trigger a prize from Rattling Books for our favourite. We also invite you to visit our facebook group .

The word of the week is released each Sunday morning on the Newfoundland and Labrador CBC Radio program Weekend Arts Magazine with host Angela Antle.