_Witch's Broom_

• Format: Manuscript
• Language: English
• Published: 1974
• Subjects: English language > Dialects > Newfoundland and Labrador; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/elrcdne/id/78438

_Witch's Broom_ JW. Are there any games where.where someone pretends to be _the Boogie Man_ or _the Boo Man_ or something like that, or _a Witch_ or _a cripple man_? VH. A. _a Witch_[PT] - oh yeah, now. Like the [y].play _monsters_[PT] or some . JW. An' how do do play _monsters_? VH.They.they all hide, you know: no they don't hide - they come out scarin' 'em, like. They grab 'em, like, make then they're chokin' 'em an' an kill (in') 'em. JW. Yeah. VH. And kill all the people. FH.Well I know another game. It's called _'Witch Broom_ or somethin [PT]. All.there's.see, there's a whole lot o' people an', say, one of 'em gets dressed up in a _witch_ [PT] , you know, just an ordinary _Witch_ [PT], They has a stick in their hand an' when the people calls the Witch [PT] names.whoever.who- ever they.the Witch [PT] tags, well they got to tag with the stick like the.that's the magic wand. You got 'em in their power. JW. An' what do you call this game, Vincent? VH. The. JW. '_Witch's Broom'_, Francis thinks it's called, or 'Witch's Broom". VH'The _Witch's Broom_.' [PT]. JW. 'Witch's Broom.' VH. '_Witch's Broom', [PT], yeah. Jw. Does that sound right? Now how.how would the witch dress up? It could be a boy or a girl, could it? FH. They don't dress up. JW. They don't dress up, just. VH. No. You know, they . (THEY) . JW. .they just pretend to be a .? VH. Pretend, yeah FH. And sometimes if they has lost a load o' hair on their head they just make OVER. [reverse] it up in curls. JW. They curl up the hair on their head. Yeah so that . and how else do they act so they'll.they look like a _witch_? FH. An' they put.sort o' powder on their faces an' they put little tiny marks? [PT] on their face, look like a (SCRIBBLE?), you know. JW. Black marks. FH. .on their face. JW. Yeah. VH. Yeah, and (my) sister got a . witch [PT], yeah.mask [PT] they got out at Halloween. She wears it with a bug [PT] right here on her nose. JW. Yeah ! VH. And .too bugs [PT] right here an' I calls her bug [PT] .calls her 'Bug-nose Witch'! [PT] JW. So ...