salt n Cp OED ~ sb1 (cl000-), DAE 1 (1641-) for sense 1; cp Genesis 19:26 for phr in sense 3 as salt as Lot's wife; for combs. in sense 4: DAE ~ beef (1779-); cp DC ~ burnt adj Nfld (1832); cp OED salt a1 2 (c1460 quot), DJE ~ fish 1 (1774-); OED ~ house obs (1000- 1730), DAE obs (1638-1846), DC Nfld (1832); DAE ~ junk (1792-); DC ~ e 1 Nfld (1784); Fisheries of U S 156 for ~ trip.
1 Common salt or sodium chloride, esp the heavy coarse salt used in the preservation of cod-fish; fishery salt.
[1578] 1895 PROWSE 35 ... so that you take nothing from [European fishermen] more than a boat or two of salt. [1612] 1957 GUY Journal 7 Oct We did bring the banke shippe a shoare, land the salt vpon the hyheste parte of the ground thereaboutes, putting yt vp in a round hoope, [and] burning of yt to preserve yt. 1620 WHITBOURNE 34 ... and those Ships and men so sent, may be so fitted and provided with Salt, Nets, Hooks, Lines and such like provisions, as those Ships and men are, which yeerely saile thither a fishing. [1663] 1963 YONGE 57 When the fish is split, he falls into a drooge barrow, which, when full, is drawn to one side of the stage, where boys lay it one on top of another. The salter comes with salt on a wooden shovel and with a little brush strews the salt on it. [1712] 1895 PROWSE 272 Inhabitants have most salt provisions from Ireland; fresh provisions ... from New England ... salt from Lisbon and Isle of May. 1819 ANSPACH 433 It is generally said that ten hogsheads of salt will cure one hundred quintals of fish. This, however, depends upon the quality of the salt, and other circumstances. The Newfoundland fishermen say that there is a difference in weight between the same bulk of Liverpool and of Lisbon salt of four to five. [1856] 1975 WHITELEY 119 The Jersey vessel came with salt—landed twelve hogsheads. 1936 SMITH 83 He told me to take her out when the men were hauling their traps, as they all were getting more than they wanted, and would give me a few quintals each; it would be all my own, except that I would have to pay for the salt. 1945 INNIS 475 Cadiz salt, matured by a year's storage, was regarded as most satisfactory for Straits fish shore-cured, but was not sufficiently strong for Labrador, for which Santa Pola salt was required. 1980 Evening Telegram 6 Aug, p. 4 He said however his company will not be caught short of salt for the fishermen or fish plants, since a cargo of fishery salt is due sometime this weekend from Spain.
2 Chipped ice spread on layers of seal pelts as a preservative; esp with fresh.
1924 ENGLAND 141 'Ice, dere, b'ys! Come 'eed de salt!' 'Salt,' they called the ice; 'fresh salt.' Down it rained, to be sprinkled between the layers of sculps, laid fat-to-fat. The empty baskets flew up, spinning. 'Dat's enough on de salt, me sons! Dat's ice enough, b'ys!'
3 Phr as salt as Lot's wife: very salt.
1932 BARBOUR 49 I hope he knows how to make pea soup and not stuff that's as salt as Lot's wife.
spare the salt and spoil the scrod [ = small cod-fish]: proverb cautioning against false economy (1895 Christmas Review 12).
under salt: of split cod-fish, sprinkled with salt and placed in layers; SALT-BULK.
1873 CARROLL 39 The difference is, that those taken out of a seine, if not under salt in four hours will be of little value. P 102-60 The final mugup [was] between 10 and midnight according to the amount of cod to be dressed and under salt before retiring for the night.
4 Attrib, comb salt beef: beef cured in brine as a preservative; corned beef.
[1794] 1968 THOMAS 171 Salt Pork and Salt Beefe comes within the denomination of good living. [1900] 1975 WHITELEY 58 Sunday—cook's day off—salt beef and vegetables with raisin pudding. [1926] 1946 PRATT 174 "The Cachalot": Thither he sailed; but many a day / Passed by in its unending way, / The weather fair, the weather rough, / With watch and sleep, with tack and reef, / With swab and holystone, salt beef / And its eternal partner, duff.
salt-bulk: see SALT BULK.
salt burn v: to spoil cod-fish by the application of too much salt; BURN v.
[1663 (1954) INNIS 117 The second sort they call [in New England] refuse fish, that is such as is salt burnt, spotted, rotten and carelessly ordered.] [1749] 1755 DOUGLASS i, 302 No sun-burnt, salt-burnt, or that have been a considerable time pickled before dried, are to be deemed merchantable fish. 1819 ANSPACH 433 The defect [in dried cod] occasioned by an excess of salt is in Newfoundland known by the name of salt-burnt. 1832 MCGREGOR i, 231 If too much salt have been used, the fibres break in drying, and the fish easily falls to pieces. In this state, it is called salt-burnt, and is unfit for market. 1873 CARROLL 44 The top fish are often lightly salted, and the bottom fish in the puncheon, are salt-burned and often must be watered before being exposed to the sun for making. 1895 GRENFELL 60 The washed fish is next laid in e and salted. The 'salter' is also a skilled mechanic. It is easy to undersalt and easy to 'saltburn,' or oversalt, whereby much valuable salt is wasted. 1937 DEVINE 50 Both terms [i.e. sunburnt and saltburnt] applied to deterioration of codfish in process of cure, from too much exposure to the sun, and excessive use of salt, respectively. 1942 Grand Bank U C School 37 [Cullage] is fish perhaps sun burned or salt burned. T 43-64 If [the salter] gave it too much [salt] he'd salt-burn the fish and it wouldn't be fit to eat.
salt(ed) cabbage: cabbage pickled in brine.
P 131-70 Salt cabbage plims when you boil it. 1972 MURRAY 262-3 Usually the best [cabbage] heads were 'pickled,' that is, salted in a barrel in a manner similar to the way fish were treated. A layer of cabbage was laid down and then a layer of coarse salt. Sometimes a little beef pickle was added to give a special flavour. Kept tightly covered 'salted cabbage' could last a long time.
salt cart: small wooden cart with two wheels and high sides, open at one end, used on fishing premises to move salt (M 68-26).
salt fish: cod-fish, split, salted and dried; DRY a: DRY FISH; FISH. Also attrib.
[1771] 1792 CARTWRIGHT i, 90 I baited the traps and deathfalls with salt-fish and seal's flesh fried in codblubber. [1794] 1968 THOMAS 171 The living of the poor people is, of course, in the extreme, Salt Fish and Potatoes is the common Fare. 1861 Mrs BEETON 119 Salt cod, commonly called 'salt-fish.' 1862 LIND MS Diary 8 July The rain is failing fast & thick, beautiful for the gardens, but bad for Salt fish. 1937 Seafisheries of Nfld 123 Competition in business is by no means unusual and its absence from the Salt Fish trade of Newfoundland would call for just as much comment. 1965 Evening Telegram 4 Nov, p. 3 He also called on the federation to press for the return of the salt fish cull. 1979 Salt Water, Fresh Water 32 He still ... goes out and jigs enough codfish to keep himself for the winter, salt fish. 1982 Evening Telegram 30 Jan, p. 6 [Someone] must be getting rich on the shoulders of our poor, hardworking exploited fishermen according to the prices some consumers have to pay for salt fish ... $2.39 a pound.
salt fisherman: in the Bank and Labrador fisheries, a vessel whose catch of cod is salted wet on board and taken to port to be dried.
[1892] 1960 FUDGE 36 In the spring of 1892 I found myself onboard the Gloucester vessel with my Father, the Lawrence A Monroe... She was a salt fisherman, fitted for three months.
salt fishing vessel: see salt fisherman.
1960 FUDGE 7 It was a customary thing for salt fishing vessels to come to NFLD and pick up their crews in the spring of the year.
salt-house: structure forming part of fishing premises in which salt is stored and applied to fish.
1626 [VAUGHAN] The Golden Fleece pt 3, p. 16 They may erect salt houses there, having woods sufficient for that purpose. [1779] 1792 CARTWRIGHT ii, 429 Three men were throwing the snow out of the salt-house. 1832 MCGREGOR i, 228 Generally covered over and attached to [the stage], or rather on the same platform, is the salt-house, in which there are one or more tables, with strong wooden stools for four important personages among the shoremen. 1964 Evening Telegram 24 Dec, p. 29 'I saw waves wash right across the road and over that salt house on the opposite side,' sez he.
salt junk: see salt beef above; JUNK.
1865 CAMPBELL 116 One man tired of salt junk went to a dozen houses knocking up the natives. When the sleepy mortals came to their windows the question was, 'Have you any lamb?' 1924 ENGLAND 170 Oh, they may grumble a little because there is too much salt junk, too little tobacco. and practically no adequate rum. T 55/6-64 [We'd] get salt junk an' doughboys an duff an' that's about all. Not much vegebles in the winter.
salt lake: sea-inlet narrowly separated from the ocean; SALT-WATER POND.
1884 STEARNS 154 Again long open stretches of water would compel us to go by the land, either around some island pond or lac sale (salt lake, as the people call these inlets of the sea, and of which there are so many all along the coastline), or over some low and narrow, or high strip of land to the river again.
salt pen: wooden enclosure in which salt for curing fish is stored in fishing premises or on a vessel (Q 108-67); PEN.
salt e: a quantity of split and washed cod-fish, salted and placed in layers during the curing process; E n, SALT-BULK, WATER-HORSE.
[1766] 1971 BANKS 134 In the Salt e the fish are Placd spread open one upon another & between Each Layer of fish a layer of salt is thrown here they remain an uncertain time till they have taken salt.
salt pound: see salt pen; POUND.
P 9-73 Roll the wet fish in the salt in the schooner's salt pound.
salt-room: area of fishing-stage in which salt is stored and applied to fish.
[1775] 1792 CARTWRIGHT ii, 85 In the course of the day we studded the salt-room, made four killicks, started most of the salt, altered the nets.
salt ship: see salt vessel.
[1706] 1895 PROWSE 267 Salt for fishery chiefly supplied from Portugal; ordered convoy's for salt ships from Lisbon to Newfoundland.
salt shovel: wooden implement used in handling salt on a fishing-stage.
[1622] 1954 INNIS 58 [inventory] Salt shovels ... £2/10. [See 1663 quot at SALTER.] P 102-60 Most of these men were capable of making wheel barrows, hand barrows, salt shovels and any kind of tool required for the fish business.
salt skid: wooden sledge on runners used to move salt on fishing premises (M 68-26).
salt stage: see salt-room.
Q 67-43 Then the fish is wheeled [from the splitting stage] into the salt stage where it is salted.
salt store: storage area for salt on fishing premises; STORE.
[1812] 1966 Evening Telegram 27 May, p. 6 [To be sold] dry goods store, net loft ... cook room, fisherman's house, fish store, salt store, small salmon plantation [at Trinity). 1866 WILSON 204 On their wharves are fish stores, salt stores, and provision stores. 1936 SMITH 42 Our next course was for Pigeon Island, at the mouth of Indian Harbour, and we made that also, and a few minutes later we were safely anchored off the salt store at Indian Harbour, all well. T 191-65 He went down between the old stage and another old building that was partly down—it used to be an old salt-store. 1975 BUTLER 173 [diagram of Wareham's premises] Salt store.
salt-struck: see STRIKE.
salt trip: a fishing voyage in which the catch is salted on board the ship; TRIP.
1960 FUDGE 31, 36 The next spring Father and myself shipped onboard an American fishing vessel and made two salt trips, returning home December 15th... Each year fishing I usually made five thousand dollars, including the winter salt herring trip.
salt trough: container for salt or brine on fishing stage.
[1779] 1792 CARTWRIGHT ii, 491 I had the sides of the stage, over the two outer beams, pulled down, and the splitting-table and outer salt-trough taken up.
salt tub: puncheon sawn in half, containing salt to apply to cod-fish; TUB.
P 102-60 A row of salt tubs [were placed] up and down the whole length of the building spaced about twelve feet apart and it was one man's job to keep these tubs filled by wheeling salt from the salt store nearby.
salt vessel: cargo-vessel for the shipment of fisheries salt.
1911 FPU (Twillingate) Minutes 2 June Also the salt vessel was then spoken of and proposed, seconded and carried that we wait until the last of June for said vessel.
salt water: see SALT WATER.
