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back2 n
1 Portion of the chimney from
foundation of the house to the roof-line.
1972 MURRAY 184 The big
wide chimney ... was built of rock to the roof. However, this part of the chimney was
referred to as 'the back.' Only the part projecting on the roof, built of brick, was the
'chimbly.'
2 The coast or adjacent waters on the side of an
island removed from the main settlement(s); the Gulf of St Lawrence. See BACK a: BACK
SIDE. Cp FRONT.
1819 ANSPACH 75 Their destination was to the
island of Ramea ... on the back of Newfoundland to the south-west. 1836 [WIX]2
45 Went off ... two hours' sail to Clatters' Harbour, at the back of the Isle of Valen.
1924 ENGLAND 16 One or two ships usually go 'to the back,' which means into the Gulf of
St Lawrence. The others all go 'to the front,' or northeast, into the Atlantic ice pack
drifting down on the Labrador current. P 167-66 Let's go over to the back of the island
berry picking.
3 Area inland from a harbour or settlement;
IN, INSIDE.
1842 JUKES ii, 234 The Humber ... flows from two large
ponds on the eastern flank of the 'Long Range,' and about in the latitude, or, as they
expressed it, at the back of Cow Head. M 68-4 There is a good timber supply 'in on the
back,' that is, on the hills surrounding the place.
4 The
perpendicular section of a 'cod-trap' opposite the doors (P 127-78).
5 Phr back foremost: with the back of something
placed in front; confused, mixed up.
T 23-64 When he gets quite
excited he says things back foremost. One day he had been sick ... he drank a whole
bottle of Mickley's Buxture—which is Buckley's Mixture. P 24-67 She put her hat on
back foremos'. P 108-71 He's a proper tangler, he does everything back foremost. He's a
bungler.
back on: back to back.
1966
FARIS 201 People even joke about the cessation of sexual activities during the busy
fishing seasons and refer to the summer as the time of 'sleeping back-on.'
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