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Sunday 25 October 2015

A Place by Any Other Name

There are many interesting names of places and locations in Newfoundland. An examination of a map shows lovely names like Heart's Desire or Paradise. Then there are Come by Chance, Tilting, Cow Head and Bay Bulls. 

One of the most famous names is the ancestral home of my father's family, the Prettys of Dildo, Trinity Bay. 

                                Dildo, Trinity Bay

The term "dildo" referred to a post on the gunwale of the boat where an oar attaches.

         Dildo on the gunwale

That meaning has long been lost. The people of the community kept the name which is a draw for tourists who have their pictures taken with the town's sign.

Then there are places like Nickey's Nose Cove. 


Who was Nickey and what was so special about his nose? The headland in that Cove is shaped like a nose.


So, Nickey's nose was prominent?

On Twillingate Island, at Crow Head where the lighthouse is located, 


you will find Devil's Cove with Horney Head and Cuckold Point on a hiking trail. 


You know what they say about the devil and the details.
 
A mountain in the Bay of Islands is called Blow-Me-Down and a lane in Twillingate has the same name.


 An ill wind may become a place name in my homeland.


 

2 comments:

Kathleen's Blog said...

Awesome post, coincidental too, that I just posted about a hike on the Cuckold's Cove trail!! I LOVE all the different place-names of our beautiful province.

Great blog---I'll be back :)

Marie Smith said...

I saw the name on your blog as well. I wonder how many other places are named Cuckold in Newfoundland and Labrador? Thanks for visiting.