straw n DC straw oil Nfld (1966) for sense 2 '
1 Phr have a straw in one's nose: to speak with an acquired New England, esp Boston, accent.
P 108-70 She's back from the States with a straw in her nose.
2 In designations of a variety of pale or strawcoloured seal oil; PALE (OIL).
1873 CARROLL 31 When seal oil is drawn off out of tank all the oil rendered out of the young seals fat is sure to come first, which is called pale seal, and under the young seal oil the old seal's fat oil is called straw colour. 1888 STEARNS 186 In one corner of the platform was a big iron kettle where the men were hastening the process of oil making by boiling, and forming a different kind of oil—the two kinds being known as the 'brown oil' and the 'straw or pale oil.'
3 Comb straw broom: commercially marketed household broom as opposed to a home-made 'birch besom.'
T 43/7-64 I'm sure there was no straw brooms then, 'twas all birch brooms. Ye'd go in the woods an' pick the small birch, an' make your broom. Of course when the straw brooms came in it replaced those.
straw flower: (a) everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea); (b) thrift (Armeria maritima) (1956 ROULEAU 38).
straw-legs: one with spindly legs (C 67-6).
