baccalieu n also bacalao and other variants at BACCALAO. See SEARY 171 [Baccalieu Island, a nesting place for sea fowl and a landmark for mariners off Bay de Verde]. For comb in sense 2, cp OED bacalao b: ~ bird (Nfld: 1865), DC baccalao bird (Nfld: 1819-).
   1 In navigators' proverb: wherever you are, steer north-west for Baccalieu.
   1866 WILSON 279 Few of the masters or skippers of ice-hunters knew anything of navigation ... Their method for calculating for their return was carefully to note the point of their departure, and the direction in which the ice drifted. When practicable, they took their departure from Bacalieu ... from which island they steered north-east for the ice; and as the northern ice usually drifts to the south-east, in returning, they were accustomed to steer north-west for the place of their departure. Hence it became a proverb: 'Wherever you are, steer north-west for Bacalieu.' [(1929) 1933 GREENLEAF (ed), 252 "Jack was Ev'ry Inch a Sailor": He was born on board his father's ship, as she was lying to / 'Bout twenty-five or thirty miles southeast of Bacalhao.]
   2 Comb baccalieu bird: name given to several common sea-birds: (a) Atlantic common murre or TURR (Uria aalge aalge); (b) Atlantic common puffin (Fratercula arctica arctica).
   1819 ANSPACH 297 This small island is remarkable for the extraordinary number of sea-fowls which nest and lay their eggs on its rugged sides and surfaces. These are generally called Baccalao birds. [1822] 1928 CORMACK 8 Baccalieu Island ... is famous for the numbers of sea-fowl that frequent it in the breeding season, principally the puffin, called on this coast the Baccalao or Baccalieu bird. 1842 BONNYCASTLE i, 237 The Baccaloo, or as the sailors call it Baccaloo bird, now somewhat answers the same end as the auk, or penguin, which has disappeared. It is rarely seen beyond the banks, which it frequents. 1866 WILSON 31 Baccalao Island ... is bluff, barren, and rocky, without inhabitants, save turs, the gulls, and other sea-birds, which ... are generally called 'Baccalao birds' by the Newfoundlanders. 1876 HOWLEY 67 Common Puffin. ...well known on the eastern coast as the 'Baccalieu Bird.' 1960 TUCK 34 'Baccalieu' (or Baccalo) birds is a traditional name in Newfoundland for the murres nesting on Baccalieu Island, and is usually used only when the birds are in summer plumage. C 66-10 If you and I was out gunning, and we killed so many baccalieu birds... 1967 Bk of Nfld iii, 265 Even today, in Conception Bay, Puffins are sometimes called 'Baccalieu Birds.'
   baccalieu skiff: small decked vessel or schooner used in the fishery off Baccalieu Island: SKIFF 2.
   M 71-40 Fishermen of Winterton landed their catch in small schooners every two to three weeks. These small schooners were called Baccalieu skiffs and were approximately 30 tons.

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