Creative Cursing – Just One More Thing Newfoundlanders Do With Style
May 10, 2009 by Irene Duma · 3 Comments
WARNING: ADULT CONTENT, NOT FOR THE TIMID!!!
As if I had to warn you.
Have you heard about the new book in production yet called “A String of Oaths: Creative Cursing in Newfoundland & Labrador”
You just might have as this week the book had a string of publicity. The entertainment section of the Thursday May 8, 2009 edition of The Telegram had a huge front page article featuring the creative partners Don Maher and Danielle Dawe talking about their book. Look out for another interview to be published in The Scope, and an interview with Ted Blades of the CBC will air soon too. There’s also a Facebook Group page with well over 600 members!
The phrase, “A String of Oaths” refers to a bunch of curses strung together. Donny has had the idea for the book for the past few years, reflecting that the wonderfully colourful phrases he heard while growing up on the southern shore should be exalted and preserved somehow, like in a book, or on t-shirts, calendars and mugs.
So that’s the plan. This summer Danielle and Donny will be out and about scouting for more “oaths” to add their book. They will be traveling the province, scouring for unique and regional curses, doing interviews with locals, collecting stories as well as historical and cultural details to add to the mix.
You can help by contributing your curses!
A String of Oaths is a community project -so your contributions are welcome. You can add them to the Facebook group page (over 500 members and counting), to their web site as soon as they get it up at www.creativecursing.com, or right here in the comments section below. Danielle Dawe is my roommate, so you can be sure to let them know.
What kind of curses are they looking for? All of them! Here are a few supplied by Donny to get you started:
“”Cursed the Queens’ Cunt,” and “By The Knocked Kneed Nun.” Both of those were heard on the southern shore from an old lady who should never say such things, but blurted them out of the top of her head on a daily, hourly, moment by moment basis!!! God love her cotton socks!”
I was just at the Facebook page thinking I should pick up some good local expressions, jumpin Jeessus, Mary and Joesph and the late St. Patrick, god help me, it’s about time.
So, get your thinking caps on and send in as many curses as you can, and please forward this on to anyone you may know who has heard some good curses over the years, or knows someone who has the gift of the curse!!
If you have some starter curses for newbies to town, make sure to leave them below.
