splitter n also spilter OED ~ sb2 1 b (Nfld: 1623-); DC Nfld (1784-) for sense 1.
1 Member of a fishing crew who cuts around the backbone of cod-fish brought ashore to be dressed, opening the fish for salting and drying; SHOREMAN; one who removes gills and entrails of herring or mackerel.
1612 Willoughby Papers 71a/96 [They] were sent hether, with only thirtie fishermen and foure Spilters, there are here already eight that are fishermen, and one spilter, and the rest here will serve for land men. 1623 WHITBOURNE 82 Seven are to be skilful headders, and splitters of fish. [1663] 1963 YONGE 57 When the header has done his work, he thrusts the fish to the other side of the table, where sits a spilter, or splitter, who with a strong knife splits it abroad, and with a back stroke cuts off the bone, which falls through a hole into the sea. 1760 CO 194:15 To 1 Splitter... f20.
[1766] 1971 BANKS 134 The Splitter [stands opposite and] his business is to split the fish beginning at the head & opening it Down to the tail at the next cut he takes out the Larger Part of the Back Bone which falls through the Floor into the water. 1842 JUKES i, 227 The splitter, who by a dexterous movement cuts out the backbone from the neck nearly to the tail, and thus lays the fish entirely open and capable of being laid flat on its back. 1851 Journ of Assembly Appendix, p. 150 The fishermen and splitters of this establishment are brought from the Bay of Chaleur every year about the middle of June, and are sent back there again about the middle of August, the fishing being then over. T 43-64 Well, the gut had to come out o' the fish an' the head had to come off, an' then the splitter would split it down one side o' the backbone [and] up the other, and he was ready then for washin' an' saltin'. T 175/6-65 I cut throats for two splitters, two fast splitters, [when I was) just fourteen years of age. One feller was a sixty barrel splitter an' th' other man was, well, up round forty. 1969 HORWOOD 82 A good splitter can keep a steady flow of fish moving across his table, spending no more than four or five seconds on each.
2 A type of knife used to lay open a cod-fish and cut around the backbone; SPLITTING KNIFE.
1765 WILLIAMS 19 Six Splitters and four Cutters [among stores for the boats].
3 Comb splitter's mitt: type of mitten worn on one hand when 'splitting' fish.
1973 BARBOUR 67 During splitting operations [the splitters] wore on their left hand a splitter's mitt, made of swan skin or canvas, with just a narrow band around the thumb to help keep the mitt on; there were no fingers to these mitts for the man needed freedom of movement to [split] the fish. 1979 POCIUS 23-6 A special type of mitt was knitted that was used by fishermen while taking off the head of a fish, called a 'splitter's mitt.' [It] resembled the normal mitt, with the exception that either the thumb, or the thumb and the index finger remained uncovered.
