J is for Junk

{Junks waiting to be cut at the top of my hill}

I know, I know. Very little escapes my eyes. Yeah, there is a modern definition for this word too. Most notably displayed by one David Beckham. But I digress.

I learned about junk first when Leo started taking care of my wood stove and its maintenance, cleaning and most importantly its supplies.

He first mentioned the word way back in the day when he told me “You're running low on junk, I'll get some for you.” All sorts of scenarios ran through my head. Newfoundland houses have a required quota of junk and my shortfall is a neighbourhood concern? I envisioned him coming in with old fabrics and newspapers and unworkable toasters.

But no, he came back with an armload of small logs and proceeded to show me how to lay a fire the Newfoundland way. One that invariably catches immediately and warms the whole house in no time at all. I think I manage it in about 2 minutes flat in the morning now, a skill set I never imagined acquiring even in my wildest dreams. First there's the paper, then there's the 'splits' (kindling), then there's the junks, and then there's the wood (big logs).

So junk is a small log but interestingly enough can also be qualified with 'back', 'fore' or 'middle' for one of your more humungous fireplaces. My ears perked up when Leo recently said he had cut up some “pet junks” for the wee woodstove in The Tigeen. And I thought possibly an infiltration of French had cut in to his terminology – la petite junque came to mind.

Another definition of junk is applied to the male of the Newfoundland species . Whereas back home (Ireland) we would say - “a fine broth of a boy,” here it is expressed “a terrible fine junk of a boy entirely.” Which brings us all the way back to David Beckham. Neat, eh?

Today's post brought to you by the letter J from The Dictionary of Newfoundland English in partnership with the rest of the alphabet beginning here.