salter n Cp OED ~ 1 3 'one who salts meat or fish' (1714 quot), DAE 1 b (1800 quot); EDD 3 Sh I, DC (1760-). Member of a fishing crew who applies salt in the processing of dried cod.
[1663] 1963 YONGE 57 [When the fish is split] the salter comes with salt on a wooden shovel and with a little brush strews the salt on it. [1751-66] 1954 INNIS 182 To 3 Salters ... £48. 1778 DE CASSINI 122 [After the fish is cleaned] the salter crams as much salt as he can into the belly of the fish, lays it down, the tail end lowest, rubs the skin all over with salt, and then covers it with more salt; then goes through the same process with the rest of the cod, which he heaps one upon another till the whole is laid up. 1819 ANSPACH 432 At the opposite end of the stage stands the salter, who, as soon as the drudge-barrow is brought to him, takes out the fish, one by one, and placing it in layers on one side of the stage, spreads on each with his hand some salt. 1866 WILSON 210 The mistress is generally the salter. 1957 Nfld Qtly Sep, p. 49 'What's wrong with that one?' demanded Pratt. Jim spoke quietly. 'Burned up with salt. Who's your salter?' [1961] 1965 PEACOCK (ed) i, 127 "The Fisher Who Died in His Bed": There was never such a salter this side of the water, / There was
never such a glutton for eatin' cods' heads. T 43-64 And your fish would go through the water an' go to the
salter. Now the salter was the main man in handlin' a load o' fish. A salter was a man that was depended on
because he couldn't give it too much an' he couldn't give it too little. T 175/7-65 Whether 'tis in the stage or
if 'tis in the schooner, 'twill drop down [in] the tub, an' perhaps the salter would come up from the hold an'
pull along and prong it down the hold. Well he got to go back again an' salt it.
