darby, a

• Format: Manuscript
• Language: English
• Published: 1972
• Subjects: English language > Dialects > Newfoundland and Labrador; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/elrcdne/id/20115

darby n Over a hundred years ago a man settled near Branch for a year. He was a deserter from the British navy; name of De Bow (probably De Beau) and he settled upriver from the community. The fact that he was a deserter didn't help him much and along with that he was a real scoundrel. Anyway no one was sorry when he moved away after a year. At that time they had a word for fellows like him - scoundrel, or sly and cunning fellow. They used to call such a fellow a darby (dar-bee). This fellow was a first-class example of a darby and people used to call him "de darby bow". After he left the name stuck to the place where he lived. That's where they got the name for the Darbybow. (a place name for an area upriver from Branch) This area is a small gulch about six or seven miles upriver. I don't know how large it is. FEB 1972 DNE-cit Used I and Sup Used I and Sup Used I mummers, darbies Checked by Cathy Wiseman on Wed 17 Dec 2014