Billy Knocker

• Format: Manuscript
• Language: English
• Subjects: English language > Dialects > Newfoundland and Labrador; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/elrcdne/id/8165

billy JW. An' what about _Po licemen_ as figures? Are they.they ever been used to threaten you? B. Yeah.They're used to threaten most children,I think.Always say,you know,'If you don't (do) that you're goin' to be take(n).taken off to _jail_! ' or.I remember I used to be afraid of (a) _Policeman's Billy - Knocker_ .Mother used to always tell me shexx was goin' to get that for me,tan me with that! JW.Yeah, this is another point now: what are these.these definite threats? .(come out). So what does she mean by '_Billy Knocker_' any- way? B.An' a Billy Knocker - you know the long. the long stick that _the Policeman_ carries? I've no idea why I was frightened of it,but I was.I was scared to death of his _Billy Knocker_. JW. And would she.how would she phrase this? 'Cause I don't think we've had the.the word in a.in a sentenc -e before. How would she say that this would be used? B.Oh.things like,'[If] you keep that up now,you know what's goin' to happen to you!Remember _the Billy Knocker_! [??truncheon] Yes TT 727 Policeman. (St John's) JAIL. POLICEMAN'S BILLY KNOCKER J. WIDDOSON Used I and Sup Used I and Sup Used I Parts of this quote are used in DNE I (source cited as T 367-67). Phonetic transcriptions appear throughout quote - they are not reproduced here because database cannot reproduce all symbols.