_GULCHING_

• Format: Manuscript
• Language: English
• Subjects: English language > Dialects > Newfoundland and Labrador; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/elrcdne/id/32308

gulch a term used by fishermen who went to Labrador in summer, to denote "courting." Sunday afternoons were good "gulching" days. Every crew carried at least one unmarried woman as cook or to assist the planter's wife, and since there would be two or three unmarried young men with the same crew, friendly rivalry took place. Naturally, the fellow who succeded in gulching took pride in the fact that he won the young woman's favour (OVER) [reverse] There were also less decent applications of the terms. To go '_gulching_' meant also to go in search of sexual intercourse and often several young men "gulched" with the young 'lady' on the same afternoon. (The skipper had no need to gulch _ he got all the sexual intercourse he needed in bunk with the maid anyway. Often the girl returned home pregnant (or "with a squid in her bill") and was invariably unsuccessful in her attempt to pin a paternity rap on any male in particular as she was known as a _"gulcher"._ Gulch also means a slight depression in the land, either vertical or horizontal; a niche: a secluded spot. Yes DNE CEN. DNE-cit JW DNE CEN [54] Used I and Sup Used I and Sup 1 Used I Newfoundland Folklore Survey Reverse of card at G_15197.