blue a DC blueback n 1 (Nfld: 1842, 1883) for sense 1.
   1 In designations of the 'hooded seal' (Cystophora cristata): ~ back; ~ hood; -seal.
   1842 JUKES i, 311 The young [hood seals] have whitish bellies and dark grey backs, which when wet have a bluish tinge, whence they are called 'blue-backs.' 1967 Bk of Nfld iii, 328 The young [hooded seals] are called 'bluebacks' from their first hair coat which is slate-blue coloured on the back shading to silver grey on the sides and belly. 1978 Decks Awash vii (1) [p. ii] Blueback—a new-born hooded seal which has a darkish blue fast-fur, having shed its first coat prior to being born. 1981 Evening Telegram 10 Mar, p. 2 [They] are planning to disrupt the hunt for hooded pups, known as bluebacks. T 89-64 An' we got a blue hood an' an old harp by the net last fall. 1826 Edin New Phil J i, 40 The other two kinds are the Blue Seal, so called from its colour, which is as large as the Hooded Seal; and the Jar Seal.
   2 In names of birds with blue colouring: -bird; ~ gull, bluey; ~ snow-bird; ~ sparrow.
   1964 Evening Telegram 28 Oct, p. 5 I am much less enthusiastic about the name 'bluebird,' locally applied to the tree swallow. It is often blue, in truth, but it is so obviously a swallow, and deserves this evocative name! 1870 Can Naturalist v, 408 [The herring gull is] abundant throughout the summer... It is called the 'blue gull' by the settlers. 1951 PETERS & BURLEIGH 227 American Herring Gull. Local Names: Bluey, Blue Gull. 1967 Bk of Nfld iii, 283 Junco: Blue Snow Bird (from being in flocks in the winter.) 1959 MCATEE 64 Blue sparrow. Slate-coloured Junco.
   3 In names of plants, shrubs, etc, with blue flowers or berries: ~ berry; ~ bonnet; ~ lily.
   1898 J A Folklore xi, 281 Blueberry; POISON BERRY (Clintonia borealis). 1956 ROULEAU 27 Blue-bonnet: Mertensia maritima. Ibid 27 Blue Lily: Habenaria psycodes.
   4 Comb blue bunch: in logging, a prime stand of conifers.
   1966 PHILBROOK 166 These 'woods roads' vary in respect to the terrain and timber growth, hence a 'good road of wood' or 'blue bunch' is one where a logger has an easy time cutting and makes a good day's pay. P 13-74 Blue bunch [is] a term common amongst Newfoundland lumberjacks for a stand of extremely good timber, especially balsam fir.
   blue drop: the sea; an area of open water in an ice-field; CLEAR DROP.
   1924 ENGLAND 154 'Way out in the blue drop, me sons, farty miles from de ice,' the Cap'n narrated. P 98-57 ~ open water in an icefield. 1973 MOWAT 78 Two days out from port we ran into a terrible storm in open water, the 'blue drop,' as the men called it.
   blue note: receipt for fish sold to a merchant, used as credit for goods and provisions to be purchased.
   1976 HOLLETT 8-9 If you get either dollar, you never get him [in your pocket. You'd get] what ['ee] calls blue notes. They give you a note where you had perhaps five hundred dollars coming to you. Well, they would give you a slip, blue note we call it.
   blue peter: seaman's jacket.
   1898 The Record 10 So great was his emotion, Jess expected to see the buttons fly off his 'blue-peter'. . . His manly bosom rose and fell with the regularity of a ferris-wheel.
   blue puttee: member of the first contingent of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment to volunteer for service in 1914.
   [1918] 1971 NOEL 139 The 'Blue Puttees' have been pushing Squires, or rather he is endeavouring to get them to push him. However, the Blue Puttees are not all the soldiers, and they have been badly led and advised. [1928] 1978 Evening Telegram 19 Sep, p. 7 A meeting of the Blue Puttees [was] held last night. 1964 NICHOLSON 110 Since no khaki woollen material suitable for making puttees was available [at St John's in August 19141, the troops at Pleasantville were issued puttees of navy blue... To be a 'Blue Puttee' was to be a member of the famous First Five Hundred.

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