boogie man

• 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/6394

boo n A85. _Boogie Man_ The boogie man110 is by far the most frequently used threatening figure in the Newfoundland material. The name is usually pronounced [ ] and less commonly as [ ] or [ ]. Spelling variants such as _buggy man_ (occasionally _boggy man_)111 and _bugey man_ suggest that the ___________________________________________________________ 110The spelling adopted here is that of the majority of reports in the Newfoundland material. 111It appears that this spelling form has no connection with _bog_ (meaning "marsh") in the reports, although the references to _bog-fairies_ (see A29 above) makes it difficult to dismiss this possibility entirely. The doubled medial consonant of _boggy_ in the form _boggy man_ is apparently an attempt to indicate orthographically that the preceding vowel is short - very probably pronounced [o]. The form _boggy man_ has also been recorded in Indiana, and the problems pose by this and other "troublesome variants" are discussed in V.E. Gibbens, "Progress Report on a Word Geography of Indiana", Yes (A) (PTO) Used I and Sup Not used 4 Not used See B_13507 for reverse. This is the first in a four-card series, from B_4904 to B_4907. Phonetic transcriptions appear throughout quote, but are not transcribed here because database cannot reproduce symbols.